In Conversation with

 

Savvinidis Georgios

January 2008

 

A little background:

 

One of the things that always pleases me

When I do ‘Setting Sun’ is when acts

Contact me after reading interviews I have

Done with other bands and want to be

Interviewed themselves.

 

Take the case of Greece based artist

‘Savvinidis Georgios’ who contacted me

right out of the blue on my e mail address

saying he liked ‘Setting Sun’ and would

like to be interviewed for ‘Setting Sun’.

 

Interested of course, I checked out his page

On myspace.com page and really enjoyed it.

 

Savvindis describes himself as ‘born and living

in Thessaloniki Greece.

 

He also says he studied and graduated Music Technology

Before adding he studied for more than 8 years

On guitar and 2 years piano.

 

He also adds Last band was with DRD2 and

Vasileios Kospanos back in 2002.

 

In 2003,he says he decided to compose music by

himself. After experimenting with various styles of

music,he ended up, in 2005,with film and video game music.’

 

He further describes himself by saying he also is working

On the upcoming documentary film of director

Zahos Samoladas entitled "The Age Of Fire"

Before concluding by saying recently he finished the music

Score for the short film animation of chief editor of the

"Grafistas Kai Web Design",Ilias Sounas,"Space Alone".

 

He lists his influences as ‘ Clint Mansell,Sean Callery,

Jesper Kyd,Inon Zur,Jason Hayes, Rod Abernethy & Jason Graves,

Philip Glass,Brian Eno,Harold Budd,Shigeru Umebayashi,

Hans Zimmer,Ennio Morricone,Peter Gabriel,Arnold Schoenberg,

Pierre Schaffer,John Cage,Maurice Ravel,Olivier Messiaen,Claude Debussy,

Moby,Asche & Spencer,Yann Tiersen,Mike Oldfield,

Daniel Lanois,Bang Gang,Sigur Ros,MUM’

 

I really did enjoy his music so I course then took him up on

His offer and the interview followed shortly after.

Thanks to him for his time and trouble here

 

For more information – please go to:

http://www.myspace.com/savvinidisgeorgios

 

Cheers

 

Andy N

Setting Sun:

 

How are things and what's happening at the moment?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

I have just finished writing the music score for the short film

animation of Ilias Sounas (www.sounasdesign.com) "Space Alone"

and I'm in the post production stage for the upcoming documentary

film of Zahos Samoladas (www.ageofire.homestead.com)

entitled "The Age Of Fire".

 

I also work for a movie of a student in USA.What attracted me in

his project was the great scenario that this film has.I can't reveal

much but when the time is right you'll get to know more.

 

Finally I'm trying to compose some songs -with slow progress-

for a side project that I have in mind with collaborations worldwide.

 

Setting Sun:

 

Next, can you tell us a little bit about
your music – what started you off or as I like to
say who fired the starting pistol?

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

What I call my music is Film/Video Game music.I've been

working this sound for almost 4 years.Not much time  working

with and not prototype though but still,it's what makes me feel good,

it's what fills my soul.

However,I haven't started with it.Back in 1997 my friend

Vasileios Kospanos fired the starting pistol.I was 15 years old rocker,

trying to learn guitar (...and still trying!!!!) forming (unsuccessful)

some bands.The first good moment was with my band

"Medieval Bards" in 1999 which the Greek edition of Metal Hammer

magazine wrote that we had good composition for our age.

 

In 2002 Vasileios (which he was playing rhythm guitar),

Georgios Tzagarakis (DRD2 his nick-playing bass and programming)

and myself (lead guitars and piano) we were playing post rock music.

People heard our projects and were saying that we should make

concerts but unfortunately Vasileios had to go to the army,DRD

2 to Athens and me at Kozani for studies.

 

I came back at Thessaloniki after  a year to study Music

Technology. This is where I met my music mentor

Manolis Sideridis. He put me into many genres of music and learned

much in music theory and that's when I've decided to work on

film/video game music.

 

After graduation I worked as sound engineer at the local T.V

station "TV 100".In 2006 I was met with film director

Zahos Samoladas.I told him about my projects and gave him a

demo.A week later he called me and told me to write music for

his documentary.Which bring us today,having a load of projects in

my back (which I'm happy for it) and chasing the dream of continuing

my studies in England.

 

Setting Sun:

 

Music wise, what are your influences and what are
you listening to at the moment?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

My influences comes from many music fields.From

Clint Mansell and Sean Callery,to Iannis Xenakis and John Cage.

However,I must admit that Sean Callery and Jesper Kyd are

my favorites.

This period,I'm listening to Piano Magic,Sigur Ros,Jesper

Kyd,Inon Zur,Sean Callery,Portishead,Morcheeba,Cayetano,

Chroma Key and Bang Gang.

Setting Sun:

 

Do you play concerts? If so, how do they compare to
your recordings?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

The last time I played in concerts was 5 years ago!So

I can't answer that because I'm not giving concerts anymore.

However if you want me to compare the concerts I gave

to my recordings with the measures of these days I would say

that I could need an EQ!!!I have a video and all you can hear

from that concert was...noise. Not from the audience but

from the band!

 

Setting Sun:

I have being listening to all of your songs so far
and have being really enjoying all of them on your
myspace.com, but I think so far my favourite song of
them is 'Find your soul'… Can you tell us a little bit
more about this song?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

 

Find Your Soul" is a song for my side project with collaborations

worldwide.In this song,I've collaborated with Francesca DiGiovanna

(http://www.myspace.com/donnafran),a singer from USA.

 

I was looking for a female singer and Francesca came out of nowhere

and I'm glad she came out. She's a wonderful person and musician.

The lyrics are written by Francesca and music from both of us.

 

This song was done in less than 2 weeks(recordings,mixing e.t.c).
I believe the song's beauty has to do with its simplicity.

It's based only in 4 chords but the ambiance is making the difference.

Soft synths,orchestral strings,slow drum loops and well played

bass plus the wonderful performance of Francesca!

Setting Sun:

 

Can you tell us a little bit more about your
collaborations worldwide side project? Are you finding
your approach to music changing with your
collaborations?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

This project has multiple purposes.Knowing musicians

worldwide, spreading my music through this project to

people that are not familiar with film,video game music,

spreading others musicians music through this project,

making new friends artists and audience but most of all,

having a good time by composing the music I love with

people that share the same music interests with me.

Through this project I must say that it did affected my musical

approaches. These collaborations are giving me the opportunity

to learn things in music, production,mixing e.t.c.

 

For example the first song "Find Your Soul" which it

was with Francesca,this collaboration affected my

musical knowledge. Not only in theory but in the production

too. Francesca added some strings and bass line that gave

the whole song a different mood.The way Francesca worked

on this one affected me,in my view,and taking a step front

my productions. I must say that I feel like a mimic!

 

Setting Sun:

 

Can you also tell us a little bit about how you go
involved with the scores for both ‘Space Alone’ and
‘The Age of Fire’. Is this a direction you could see
yourself moving in more?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

I've met Ilias Sounas (the creator of "Space Alone") through

a common friend or ours Nikolas Sideris.Nikolas told me about

the animation that a friend of his is making and he wanted music

for it. I contact with Ilias through his site (www.sounasdesign.com)

and told him about composing music for the animation.

He wanted to listen my work first. The next day,I received

a mail and he was asking to do the music score.

The director of "The Age Of Fire", Zahos Samoladas, I've met him

when I was working as sound engineer at the local TV station.

He was a guest in a show. I approached and told him that

I'm a composer and seeking an opportunity for a music score

in a film. He told me that he had a documentary film in

mind and he needs a composer.I gave him a demo of

my work and told him to contact with me. I haven't heard news for

2 months.Then one day I received a message at Myspace

profile from him and telling me to go at his office. I went the

other day, discussed what the documentary is all about,

what music should be in the film, the length of each theme,

my salary,the deadlines and the prospects working together

in future projects. We've end up in agreement 2 weeks later.

 

Setting Sun:

 

What’s next for you? Do you have any more music or
concerts planned?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

No, no concerts for me.Like I said before,my priority and

dream, is to continue my studies in England.I want to find a

work there as a film/video game music composer or making

sound libraries.

 

Setting Sun:

 

A few more lighter questions to finish off with,
firstly.. I notice you are from Greece? What's the
music scene like where you are nowadays been to

any good concerts recently?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

The music scene in Greece...Well most people here are listening

to folk-pop music.I would say that a 70% listens to folk-pop

music and a 30% listens various genres mostly Metal,

Trip-Hop and Rap.After all,that's what T.V and radios are

playing...

Now about concerts I can't say much because I don't go

frequently in concerts.The last one was 2 years ago in

Thanasis Papakonstantinou concert at Volos.

It was a good concert,great sound, acoustics and the audience

was amazing. Singing in every song of the artist!

 

Setting Sun:

 

What would you be your dream job if you were not an
musician?

Savvinidis Georgios:

Though I can't imagine myself doing something else than music,

I would say that my dream job would be a teacher.People keep

saying to me that I have the looks and the attitude of a teacher!!!

That's not of course the reason of being a teacher.

 

The reason is that I love the skeptic of passing knowledge

to other people.

Setting Sun:

 

Lastly, what would you like to be doing when you are 60?

 

Savvinidis Georgios:

 

Well...if I reach 60 I would like to be in a small

house in a village with my family.Away from noises,disturbs.

Just living peaceful and who knows???Maybe

writing music!!