Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα Audio Therapy. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα Audio Therapy. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων

Σάββατο 28 Δεκεμβρίου 2024

Tune #119: Stelios Vassiloudis - Entropy

I believe that I should have written a dedicated post about Stelios Vassiloudis a long time ago, but I guess better late than never.

Stelios Vassiloudis is a Greek electronic music producer and DJ, hailing from Athens. He has established a solid musical background at a very early age, given that he had started playing piano at 5 years old and had studied music theory along with other instruments. The first listening experiences from his parents music collection (ranging from The Beatles and Pink Floyd to Bach and Beethoven) and his studies at a music school have influenced him to evolve his style throughout the years.

His first productions can be found in the early 2000s, focused on progressive house (if you remember, it was the dominant electronic music genre of that era). His collaboration with Viton Mavropoulos to create Wooden Swordz (2004), a nod to the famous homonymous Greek rock band (Ξύλινα Σπαθιά) using a sample taken from the band's track "O Vasilias Tis Skonis", remains still a highlight in the history of Greek electronic dance music.

After this seminal release, he secured releases in various popular labels of that time (Audio Therapy, Electronic Elements, Armada, Renaissance, etc.) either as a producer or as a remixer; his remix on Arenok - Free Yourself is a representative example of his editing skills.

During the early years, Stelios Vassiloudis has adopted his alias Stel for his productions (a nickname still used for his late night DJ sets as Best Radio 92.6). In 2011 it was time to release with his original name the first studio album It Is What It Is, a splendid continous mixture of progressive and tech house with downtempo and ambient elements. The 2-CD album was released in Bedrock (the legendary label of John Digweed and Nick Muir) and has marked a long-standing collaboration until today.

Naturally, his works have been supported by prominent DJs (Sasha, John Digweed, Josh Wink, Laurent Garnier, Steve Bug) and therefore he was granted the opportunity to travel in several places around the globe to perform as a DJ.

In 2022, his second album All Else Fails was released (in the equally seminal record label Balance) and personally this specific work showcased his evolution as a music producer. The shift from club-friendy tracks to an ambient and experimental orientation indicate his versatility in the music production. While I am not familiar with all of his works (in 2023 his third studio album was released by Bedrock), I would dare to say that he is one of my favorite contemporary artists in the field of electronic music.

So, which track is to be selected for today's post? I choose Entropy from his first album, because acoustically (for me) it represents the first ambient signs that would be more evident in his later works.

STELIOS VASSILOUDIS - ENTROPY

P.S. Wishing everyone a Happy 2025!

Κυριακή 20 Οκτωβρίου 2019

Label Realm: numerical stArt

An effective way for searching great tracks is through the labels. My taste in music has evolved through the years, but some labels are memorable for their output, regardless of the genre they represent. If you are a new listener in electronic music, I have compiled a list (based on my Discogs collection) for your reference. Here we go (in alphanumeric order)!



4 Real Communication was a short-lived trance label, set up by David Gates and Malcolm Stanners, mostly known as Salt Tank. Unfortunately, the lifespan of the label was limited, as per the output of Salt Tank...


Additive was a sublabel of EMI, focused on progressive trance music. Under the label, several known artists of the genre were introduced to the masses, such as Chris Cowie (X-Cabs), Oliver Huntemann (Kay Cee), Ralph-Armand Beck (Taucher) and Laurent Véronnez (Velvet Girl). The declined popularity of trance in the mid-00's led to the closure of the label.


Armind is a Dutch trance label, which was the first imprint of Armada Music, the colossal EDM label. It was founded by Armin Van Buuren (prior to his superstar DJ status) and serves as home of his all own productions. While the current output of Armind and Armada Music in general does not seem inspirational, the very first releases were instant classics (Alibi - Eternity, Rising Star - Touch Me, Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes).


Audio Therapy was a label run by Dave Seaman, from 2000 until 2010, specialized in progressive house. It was the first production home of Stelios Vassiloudis, one of my favorite Greek artists of the genre. Additionally, the progressive breaks classic Habersham & Phil K - Cloudbrake can be found in the label.


Avatar Records was founded in 1997 by Israelis Avichay Avigal and Peter Eibenschutz. The label is mostly popular for its psy-trance output, massively produced in Israel. I am not very familiar with the genre, it is worth mentioning that the label hosted the first studio album of Astropilot (Fruits Of The Imagination), a solid release.