IVR Exlusive Interview With Dj and Producer Stelios Vassiloudis

For those who are new to your music, how would you best describe it?

Emotive, melodic and modern electronic music.

What’s the first song of yours people should listen to and why?

I find it hard to distinguish anything from my discography – partly because I’m overly critical of myself and my past work and partly because I’m one of those artists that believes that whatever I’m currently working on is what best defines me. Having said that, I’d suggest checking out “Mother” from my upcoming LP. It’s an amalgamation of a lot of my influences and (guiding) aesthetic principles.

What bands and artists are you currently listening to and how they inspiring you?

This might come as a surprise, but I can’t honestly say that I spend a lot of listening to music these days. Certainly not a lot of new music. I have a vast record collection (that I recently digitised), so I’ve been rediscovering some forgotten gems – anything from Bill Evans to Squarepusher. Having said that, I’ve recently been blown away by artist albums from the likes of Agor, Flying Lotus and Andy Stott.

Could you explain what lead you to pursue your passion for music?

Probably the pursuit of my own personal happiness. I’ve worked a few other jobs in my life and I know the difference (between work and job).

Looking over your career, thus far, how would you describe the growth from this album and your last?

Natural and gradual. 10 years is a long time in this industry and the amount of experience I’ve accumulated in the interim is impossible to quantify. Ultimately, it’s up to the listener(s) to decide whether or not I’ve improved with age, but I can tell you, without a single doubt, that I’ve become more confident and more focused as a composer and producer.

What were the inspirations behind this new album?

A lot of the writing and production on the album was done during the early months of the pandemic and I think it’s fairly evident that those feelings of despair, loneliness and melancholy are reflected in the music. As it happens, those months turned into years and I was (luckily) able to sustain my creative momentum and keep writing new material. The inspiration for a lot of my latest works has been the rediscovery of my formative influences – DJ Krush, Photek, Aphex Twin, Massive Attack etc – timeless music that turned me onto music making in the first place.

Listen to the tracks of new Stelios Vassiloudis Album Below.