Vangelis interview (MOJO mag)

[Waterfall-K]

 

Greek composer, keyboard virtuoso and electronic music pioneer Vangelis - or to give his full appellation, Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou - is deserving of iconic status. Acclaimed for atmospheric film work, including the still-astonishing "Blade Runner" soundtrack, he recently revisited the score of 1981 Oscar winner "Chariots Of Fire", composing new pieces for its London stage adaptation.

 

Meanwhile, Rhino's new 2-disc anthology, "The Collection", maybe the most comprehensive Vangelis compilation to date, drawing on groundbreaking 1970s albums such as "Albedo 0.39" and "Spiral" - echoes of which can be found in the work of contemporary synth savants Steve Moors, Panabrite and Stellar OM Source - and showcasing brand new material. Here, in a rare interview, he looks back on more than four decades of music making and innovation.

 

M: There's a new song on "The Collection" entitled "Remembering". Do you subscribe to Plato's theory that learning is a recollection of what the soul already knows? How does this apply to music?

 

V: I am very impressed that you are aware of Plato's theory and I congratulate you for this. This method applies not only for music, but applies for everything. I do not know if you have noticed that in the few interviews I have given throughout my career, I always refer to memory. "Learning is remembering".

 

M: You have created new music for the "Chariots Of Fire" stage show. How was it, returning to such a well-known piece of work after so many years?

 

V: It was not difficult at all. On the contrary, I enjoyed it very much. It is very satisfying when you have the opportunity to extend a piece of music. The fact that "Chariots Of Fire" was written 30 years ago is not an obstacle for me. Quite the opposite.

 

M: With Ridley Scott allegedly set to direct a sequel to "Blade Runner", would you be interested in returning to score it?

 

V: Ridley is a friend and a great director and it's mainly up to him.

 

M: Your first film score was for a 1970 film called "Sex Power"...

 

V: This film was done in France by the cinema critic Henry Chapier and as far as I can remember, funnily enough the film has nothing to do with its bombastic title.

 

M: Do you recall your first encounter with a synthesizer?

 

V: My initial encounter with a synthesizer was in the early 1960s, a clever French-made device, which does not exist any more. The first known synthesizer I played was in the early 1970s.

I recall that it was an immense pleasure, because since my early childhood I had been expecting an instrument that would be an extension of the already known conventional instruments of any kind and althought it was a simple monophonic synth, I immediately understood the endless possibilities of this instrument in a new era of electronic sound.

Without neglecting, of course, conventional acoustic instruments.

For me it is not important if the source of sound is acoustic or electronic. The importance lies with how the sound is treated and used, both sources being equally important.

 

M: Do you feel the abstract, experimental side of your work - albums such as "Beaubourg", "Soil Festivities" and "Invisible Connections" - is overlooked?

 

V: The works that you refer to mark particular periods, where I was trying desperately to get out of previous success and to make the industry understand that creation needs freedom and not repetition.

The word "experimental" does not agree with me, because I feel that an experiment shouldn't be released.

Through the years I found that the term experimental is a cover up and an alibi for things that the composer is not sure about himself. It is much more honest, when a work is not convincing, to fail gracefully.

 

M: In 1967 you formed Aphrodite's Child, whose Biblically-themed third album "666" is now considered a Prog masterpiece. Were you spiritually motivated back then?

 

V: It is a pity that this album was never considered when it was recorded, given the character of the time.

We started recording "666" in 1969, quite early for such a daring approach. The fact that before "666" what we had been producing as Aphrodite's Child had nothing to do with this kind of work.

It is important to say that the previous recordings of the group had been mainly middle-of-the-road pretty melodies creating an enormous income for the record company due to the huge success.

Therefore the work of "666" created panic and insecurity. The album was censored and banned by the company and the group split. During the creation of this work I was not connected and I am still not connected to any kind of spirituality.

 

M: Aphrodite's Child were stranded in Paris at the height of late 1960s student protest. Did you feel radicalised by the events going on around you?

 

V: It was definitely an impressive period but my impression lies in one album entirely concerning the events of '68 which I released two years later and it was buried. Do not ask why.

The album's title is "Fais Que Ton Reve Soit Plus Long Que La Nuit", which means "make your dreams last longer than the night". This album is the best answer I can give you if you are ever able to find it.

 

M: Tell us something you've never told an interviewer before.

 

V: Do you know that each year the Moon moves further away from the Earth by a few inches? 8)

 

Joseph Stannard

MOJO Magazine

 

[WildchildGR]

M: Tell us something you've never told an interviewer before.

 

V: Do you know that each year the Moon moves further away from the Earth by a few inches? 8)

 

Χαχαχαχαχα....... Nerd ;D

[Waterfall-K]

Ε οταν κανεις ασχετες ερωτησεις παιρνεις και αναλογες απαντησεις. :P

Οπως ενας αλλος "ξυπνιος" το ρωτησε "Τι ειναι για σας το Συμπαν?" και πηρε την απαντηση

"Αυτο που λεει η ιδια η λεξη, που ειναι ακριβεστατη".... ;D ;D

[bloody_sunday]

Έχει σοφία, σοβαρότητα, οικονομία, συνοχή και πληρότητα στο λόγο του, ωριμότητα, ειλικρίνεια, και μια ωραία ικανότητα να μεταφέρει το προσωπικό του στίγμα απλά και περιληπτικά χωρίς να πουλάει τρέλα και χωρίς να ακούγεται κοινότυπος, δήθεν, επηρμένος, κουλτουριάρης ή σιελιέμπριετée. Πολύ σπάνιο σε έναν καλλιτέχνη. Ωραία συνέντευξη! Είναι ολόκληρη?

[Waterfall-K]

Ολοκληρη ειναι. Αλλα πολυ μικρη. Οι περισσοτεροι δημοσιαγραφοι που κατα καιρους του παιρνουν συνεντευξη ζητημα ειναι να εχουν δει synth στο μισο χιλιομετρο αποσταση, και να εχουν τουλαχιστον 2 αλμπουμς του. Ρωτανε ασχετα, τι να απαντησει κι αυτος? Γενικολογες συνεντευξεις, αυτα τα εχει ξαναπει.

Μια απο τις πιο ωραιες και μεγαλες συνεντευξεις του θυμαμαι ηταν πριν πολλα χρονια (τελη 80s) στο "Ηχος". Πολυσελιδη και με πολλες φοβερες φωτος απο το τοτε στουντιο του στην Αθηνα. Η βλακεια μου ηταν που δανεισα αυτο το τευχος σε φιλο, και απο τοτε δεν το ξαναειδα. >:(

[neeq]

Ολοκληρη ειναι. Αλλα πολυ μικρη. Οι περισσοτεροι δημοσιαγραφοι που κατα καιρους του παιρνουν συνεντευξη ζητημα ειναι να εχουν δει synth στο μισο χιλιομετρο αποσταση, και να εχουν τουλαχιστον 2 αλμπουμς του. Ρωτανε ασχετα, τι να απαντησει κι αυτος? Γενικολογες συνεντευξεις, αυτα τα εχει ξαναπει.

 

Σπάνια οι δημοσιογραφοι επιλέγουν το μέγεθος της συνεντευξης, και σίγουρα δεν ειναι υποχρεωμένοι να γνωρίζουν το κυκλωμα του CS-80 και τις ακουστικές ιδιοτητες των ladder φίλτρων για να παρουν συνεντευξη από έναν καλλιτέχνη. Αν ο ίδιος θεωρήσει ότι εχει να πει πράγματα, που δε ρωταει κανεις, ας κάνει μια συνεντευξη τύπου, ή ας βγαλει δελτίο :P

[ThePilgrim]

Απολαυστικός!!