gigmit: Hi Ilia, we can’t even describe the sound of IOTA PHI properly. Help us, please!
IOTA PHI: I feel my sound is a mixture of elements and genres. I love electronic music as much as I love natural and traditional instruments. I’d call it experimental pop and rather cinematic.
Where are you from?
Born and raised in Athens, I spent most of my adulthood in London and Los Angeles and I’m currently based in Athens.
What musicians were you listening to when you wrote your latest piece of music?
I usually don’t listen to music that much when I’m in a writing mode. Working on music/studio time can be draining for me and when I’m not working I prefer silence.
…and if you don’t write?
I listen to so many different things, from traditional Japanese music to Black Sabbath and everything in between. But artists that I’ve been steadily listening to throughout the past years are James Blake, Frank Ocean, The Blaze, Nils Frahm, Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey.
What is your passion outside of music?
Not that I consider it outside of music, but I would say Cosmos. I’m passionate about nature, about the human species, observing our system, to the extent I’m capable of, through a philosophical and spiritual lens. Terence McKenna is someone I have great respect for.
“Everyone is tired of gatekeepers!”
How do you think the music industry will change after the pandemic?
The music industry was already in a transitional state and I feel the pandemic gave it a bit more of a push in the right direction. Being an independent artist, but also having the experience of being signed to a major label in the past, I’m loving where the industry is hopefully going. I believe everyone is tired of gatekeepers.
What do you miss about in-person performances?
I miss what makes all the blood, sweat and tears worthwhile; I miss the intimacy, the connection.
What can we expect from IOTA PHI in the future?
I’ll be releasing a few singles till I feel the time is right to put out my debut album. I’ve been working on something very special. It began with a “theory”, an observation for the modern human then turned into a sculpture and then into a song, a whole world I’m trying to describe. Can’t wait to share with everyone. Can’t wait for the discussion it will hopefully spark between us.
