The latest episode of the Sinfini podcast features an interview with Academy Award winning composer/synthesist Vangelis.
Host Norman Lebrecht talks with Vangelis about his earliest musical memories, his ‘great mistake’, his greatest achievement, scoring films like Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire and more.
You can listen to the new Vangelis interview via the embed below or at the Sinfini site:
Podcast Summary:
Vangelis is Greece’s most iconic living composer, famed principally for his synth-driven film scores to Chariots of Fire and Bladerunner. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Vangelis has pioneered the use of electronic instruments and has worked in film, prog rock and classical.
In a rare interview, Vangelis talks to Norman Lebrecht about his earliest musical memories, the spontaneous creation of the Chariots of Fire theme and why he had to leave Greece.
Good interviewer, very interesting interview. Nice catch!
Thanks for the info! Short but really good.
Great interview.
His Spirals and Earth albums are still two of my favorite of all time.
anyone knows the name of the song in the background during the last minute?
L’Apocalypse Des Animaux, track 02 “La Petite Fille De La Mer”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p1ICDe7cMo
Its easy to bat the names of various greats around, but Vangelis is really the classical champion of synths. ELP and others did great classical offshoots, but with him, there’s an inherent Greek flavor you can’t offer without being raised in it. That’s what makes so much of his music romantic, but with a certain kind of rock muscle that doesn’t necessarily grow in Brooklyn. I’ve always enjoyed his work, but part of it has been that every album is like a lesson in how to play a studio. Some people are hard into Skrillex or the blues, which is fine, but I’m still hard into “China.”
you are absolutely right about the greek flavour in his sound. being greek and living far from my country for many years now, his music wakes up my senses of being there. there is a deep similarity on this with another huge greek compositor, Manos Hadjidakis. cheers
Like olives?