Hi Kostas and Katja, thank you for doing this interview. How are you doing?
Hi there, thank you for inviting us. We're doing quite well, although really busy.
Can you give a brief introduction to Subheim?
Subheim started in 2006, originally as a shoegaze/trip-hop band and later on as a solo project, which was destined to explore ambient music in combination with classical references. Approach was the first album to be released under this name by Tympanik Audio in 2008 while the second one, No Land Called Home, was released in October 2010 by Ad Noiseam.
What triggered you to be a musician, was it a song, an event?
Kostas: I am not really sure. I used to have no interest in playing or writing music as a kid. I remember my mother trying to get me started with piano lessons, which I hated and only went to two or three of them. It was not earlier than the age of 14, that I started listening to more music and decided that I'd like to play an instrument myself.
Katja: I guess it's something that came out naturally, probably as a result of my personal experiences and artistic influences. I always believed that music is an ideal way to express feelings and thoughts.
You are originally from Greece, why did you move to the UK?
Kostas: As you may know, Greece is going through hard financial times at the moment. We both needed to be somewhere where we would have more opportunities to exercise our passion for art. Trigger to that was to continue our studies, so I went for a masters degree in sound art while Katja is currently doing a masters in photography and visual arts.
What do you miss of Greece the most? what would be the main difference between living in Greece and living in the Uk?
It's hard to say that we miss Greece already. Besides, we've moved to the UK just recently. I guess we miss the sun a little bit:)
How would you describe the music of Subheim yourself?
Kostas: An emotional outlet. When I'm writing music, it feels as if it's a cleansing procedure, one that allows all negative energy to be washed away and give its place to something as exciting as a new song, a new melody. Mixing and producing is a living hell however!
Katja: A reflection of my most intense feelings. I have the liberty to sing unusual vocal lines, within a large range of dynamics and different styles, which makes me happy.
What from your personal background can we hear back in the music of Subheim?
Our fears, our madness, our perception of life. They're all there, struggling to be positioned within a musical context.
Your music is rich with emotions, are these based on your personal lives?
Absolutely. Without emotions there can be no passion and this is what we're both trying to reflect upon music.
How do you transform emotions into music? Can you give us an insight look on the creation of Subheim’s music?
Kostas: Composing comes first. I normally start with a rough idea and continue with a possible buildup. I leave all the interesting effects out and only use a piano, guitar or a simple drum pattern. As soon as the outline is done, I'm getting into more technical details, although this might happen much later. It really depends on the track, mood, and creativity flow at the point.
Katja: I usually work on one of Kostas' drafts. I record several vocal lines and we will then decide which ones to use and whether they would have to be repeated somewhere else in the track or if more vocals are necessary for the flow. I always work alone when I'm recording, as I don't like being distracted. It is quite personal, so it has to be a moment of complete external silence.
Do you use real instruments for the classical ambiances?
Kostas: It is usually a mixture of both real instruments and samples. For this album, the string ensemble parts were created with samples and synthesizers while the solo instruments such as violins and cellos, were actually performed and recorded by several musicians. I played the guitars and most of the percussive elements as well.
What are sources of inspiration for you?
Katja: I guess everything that could have an affect on me. Life, in general, is so rich of stimuli, that it's actually impossible not to find an endless source of inspiration in it.
Kostas: I agree.
Your music has so many different elements and ambiances, how do you manage to melt them together so they become a Subheim song, is there a secret formula?
Kostas: Not really, I've always been trying to write music, judging by what sounds good at the time during which a piece is being composed. It's more testing, failing and testing again rather than following a specific structure or formula.
Katja your vocals are great, how did you become such a great singer?
Katja: Thank you. I believe art & music are always subjective. When I sing, I try not to think of techniques and music theory. I only try to express my emotions and I'm glad to know that this can affect others and invoke emotions onto them as well, even though they might be different than mine.
How do you decide what parts need female vocals and what parts need male vocals?
Subheim has always been a female vocals-oriented project. There's only one track in the new album with male vocals, sung by Timothy N. Gregory. Depending on the mood we understand if it should have vocals and, depending on the available space, we will decide if they should have a lead role or be more accompanying to the music.
You use soundscapes pretty often. Why do you use them and how do you pick the right ones?
Kostas: Having just a bass line, drums and vocals in the entire track is just not enough, both for my own standards but also because technology has so much room and opportunities to expand to other sound spaces. Using soundscapes throughout the tracks adds more dimension, texture and detail. It helps music both to breathe and sound more unique. They usually emerge through layering stuff together and as soon as there's a possible arrangement for the piece, some parts will stay and some will go straight into the trashcan. It's all about slicing and erasing.
What is it that makes you such a great team together, can you describe the chemistry?
We've worked together for quite a long time and it has always been fruitful. We're really happy to have one each other. This doesn't mean that there haven't been intense moments and little arguments but it's almost impossible to avoid those, when working closely together.
Kostas you are a visual artist as well, how can we find this back into Subheim?
Even though I haven't designed any cover artworks for the so far two Subheim LPs, I usually do the layout and some additional photography or graphic design when needed. Katja helps a lot with this, as she is a professional photographer and I often use her own images as the main visual source to work with.
How come you didn’t make the design of the shirts yourself being a visual artist?
There's something wrong with me and shirts! For some reason, I can hardly ever come up with a good idea. That wasn't a problem though, since Shift from Futurorg did an amazing work with the design. I am very pleased.
What is the difference between being a musician and a visual artist for you?
Kostas: There is definitely a common aesthetic in both. To be honest, I'm not that passionate about visuals as much as I'm about music, so I consider myself lacking in significant areas of graphic design. It's good to have some perception as to how visuals work alongside music, as it helps a great deal with supporting sound with image. I love music more than anything else but I also love film, painting and other visual arts.
The combination of the two can be incredible. Take David Lynch, for example. He is an amazing director, who knows very well how to cope with music and sound design as well, in order to create his dreamy, bizarre world...that's amazing.
You just released a new album called: “No land called home” can you describe the album title?
We don't belong to any nation or land. We are all inhabitants of this planet and should look upon each other as brother to brother. It's strange that people become fanaticized about their countries or origin, whereas governments and, in extent, their own nations treat them unfair and with cruelty. The sooner we understand that there is no home, as only nature and the whole universe is our home, the better we can make this world. No boundaries and no social differences.
What progress did you make when you compare “No land called home” to “approach”?
Kostas: I had to approach different instruments, structures and techniques. It wasn't easy at all. I believe it gave us both experience, although I often feel I have no idea about the 'right' way to write music.
Katja: It was a challenge, as the vocals were to stand out more than in the previous works, so they would have to be very intimate, unique vocal lines. It was a hard test.
Who made the artwork and in what way is it connected to the album?
The cover artwork is an image shot Shabbir Ferdous, a photographer from Bangladesh. The back cover is shot by Aris Michalopoulos, a Greek photographer, while the rest of the artwork is a combination of images contributed by the two of us and Nikos Pappas. The cover image resembles a frozen moment in time, a sad and distant scene from the past. I wouldn't like to reveal much about it as I really like people to have their own feelings when observing this image, it just happened to look and feel like the perfect match for the album's title and concept.
For the new album you switched labels, could you tell us about this decision?
Kostas: Both labels are really nice, each one for different reasons. I think it's good to increase the chances of having your music heard by different audiences and changing labels from one release to the other can help in this direction. Tympanik did great with the first album and Ad Noiseam is also amazing with the distribution, promotion and overall support for 'No Land Called Home'.
Why not releasing the album on your own label?
Kostas: The label (Spectraliquid) was already defunct when the new album was complete. Even if it was still active, I wouldn't have done differently, since I don't fancy writing press releases about myself and promoting my own releases to the press. It feels strange, so I'd rather work with people that can do that effectively.
What do you hope your Music conveys?
Feelings. We hope people can feel through the music. We've really lost fragility in our days, and we're hoping that music is the last standing fortress to go down with trends, consumerism and social degradation. We're not referring to the music industry of course. There's a huge amount of great, independent music out there waiting for people to discover.
How do you prepare for a live show?
Kostas: I keep a backup of all the different channels of the tracks as well as several presets, so that I can select which sounds to include and which ones to play live. Finally, I bounce down the audio that will be played without all the elements that will be performed live (synthesizers, vocals etc.).
Katja: Rehearsals and stress!
In what way do live versions differ from the studio versions?
Kostas: The performance is energetic and the feeling is much different, I believe it to be more intense, however I'm not sure how the audience perceives that. So far, in most cases we have been received with great enthusiasm, which is very positive. In the future, we might try a few shows with some guest musicians for percussion and string instruments but that will have to wait for the moment, since it needs a lot of time and proper coordination.
Can you describe how you experience a live show? What is your state of mind during a live show?
Katja: It is exciting for sure. Being able to travel to so many places, meet new people and other cultures and play your music for different audiences is fascinating. During the show, I am focusing entirely on performing the vocals properly and with correct dynamics. It's quite hard but it's great when you receive good feedback as soon as it's all finished.
Kostas: It's always a challenge. While I don't like listening to my music as soon as it's done, live shows are the only chance to revisit these songs and become absorbed by the music once again. It's a beautiful feeling and, for this reason, I put a lot passion in my performances. I'm usually very sank into the music, the bass drives me mad!
What will be next for Subheim?
Kostas: There will be a mini tour in Russia this May, while a few more shows are being discussed. In other news, I have slowly started writing new music again. It's different than any of the previous material but it's too early to tell. At the same time, quite a few remixes and collaborations are in the pipeline, which will soon be announced through the website.
Any last words for our readers?
First of all, thank you for reading this and for your interest in our music. We realize these are hard financial times for everyone, so let's hope that all the misery thrown upon us by banks, governments and media will not be enough to impoverish our dreams and our hope for a more beautiful, more embracing society. Don't stop listening to music and keep your eyes and ears open for new, exciting things. There's lot of them in the world and they're just waiting for you to get on the ride.
www.subheim.com
Interview was made by Jade