Reserve
STORIES

Valeron: Behind The Music

A well-versed hand that has helped shape Mykonos’s electronic music scene, Valeron is one of the brightest, most recognised figures of the local music scene, known for weaving traditional Greek instrumentation with pulsating electronic rhythms. A restless explorer of new sounds with a deft approach to production, Valeron can always be relied on to bring people together and imbue them with positive energy. We sat down to speak to him about what makes a creative mind tick.

Do you approach studio sessions and live performances with the same mindset?
Throughout the production process and recording sessions, I would often imagine myself to be performing with the band somewhere under the sun, bringing people together. For me, just playing with the band is something to cherish, whether we’re on stage or in the studio. Our musical chemistry is like a secret language. It’s common for us all to be in our individual flow states together, simultaneously concentrating on our own input and the output of the others, almost reading one another’s minds. I’m grateful for the times when we can all be together and bounce ideas and sounds off each other, whether that’s in the studio or on stage.

"PLAYING WITH THE BAND IS SOMETHING TO CHERISH, WHETHER WE’RE ON STAGE OR IN THE STUDIO. OUR MUSICAL CHEMISTRY IS LIKE A SECRET LANGUAGE."

Can you shed some light on the relationship between you all
The story of the band started back in 2016 when I was making my first album. I wanted to explore the potential interplay between traditional Greek instruments and elements of deep house. Through friends of friends, I met a handful of musicians who shared similar ideas. When we started performing live at Scorpios Mykonos in 2017, some kind of spark was ignited in me. It’s rare that you find a bunch of people who share a similar passion for something, who share a similar vision while each individually bringing ideas to the table.

Do you think that one’s mindset at a given time changes the way one perceives music?
Absolutely. From a listener’s perspective, one could argue that music is simply noise until heard, and then it transforms immediately and irreversibly into a soundtrack accompanying a moment, and whatever happens in that moment makes all the difference to how that music embeds itself in the memory. It can gently encourage one to make a certain decision, altering a life path, a purpose. Music has the ability to change everything in our lives. ■