Fonoptikon On the Making Of “Liquid Skies”
What was the creative process like for this particular single?
The creative process was really spontaneous! I just played the basic chords and a couple of melodies with a simple beat to vocalist Myrto Stylou, and we managed to have very interesting ideas around the main vocals and the harmonies quick and easy.
Then after the vocal recording, I stepped more deep, arranging the song, adding extra elements, and finalising the song with mixing and mastering. Most of the time the style of the effects, the aesthetics of the mix lets say, is crucial to give that “vintage-retro’’ style.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "Liquid Skies?”
Removing the beat on the verses was a real challenge! During some auditions of the song, I have noticed that the mood of the song was a little bit flat. I felt that the song wanted to have more dynamics, more contrast between the verse and the chorus, I needed to hear the story on the verse differently. So, through some trial and error adjustments, I finally removed any rhythmical elements in the verses, leaving the song with more atmospheric spaces. I think it gives the song a kind of breath to tell you the story on the verse, driving it with more force to the chorus.
What did you enjoy most about making "Liquid Skies?”
I really enjoyed the creative process during the vocal sessions ‘’sculpting’’ melodies and harmonies! The mixing process was also very enjoyable because my project in general, is more techno-dark synth oriented, I wanted to go beyond these boundaries, so I got experimented with a lot of freedom and fantasy, without prejudice.
Can you tell us more about you as an artist?
The idea of the project was born at the beginning of 2020. I had made an attempt in 2015 with a track with an older project with a Sci-Fi movie as an inspiration, but I didn't take it further. The truth is that I have always been fascinated by the idea of creating new soundtracks for older science fiction films. At a very young age, I used to put the movie "Odyssey 2001" on video, sit in front of the TV with the synthesiser and improvise in the scenes I liked! With Fonoptikon, I took the matter more seriously, from February 2020, composing electronic music inspired by Sci-Fi cinema and future and retro culture.
Every composer has a unique style. How would you describe your musical "voice" or signature style? What sets your compositions apart?
I will describe my signature style, cinematic! Epic atmospheres, sometimes dark, sometimes wide and bright, accompanied by characteristic melodies. The melodic riffs are a very distinct part of my songs. Musical elements from synthwave, new wave, techno, synth and dark, are all blended together, thus creating that cinematic synthwave style!