After a quite long break, we are back with the 13th installment of the Hipodrome Podcast Series. And it’s a very special podcast indeed, because we had the pleasure to invite Mr. Leon Segka for this one.

Leon Segka has been making music since early 1998 and he is one of the main figures of the Greek electronic music scene. In 2000 he established the highly successful Ntrop Recordings and since then he is producing music under different aliases and projects.

I hope you enjoy this!

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Please describe your podcast. How it was recorded and what should we expect from it?

Describing the music I produce or mix I have to say it’s the thing I enjoy the less, I would say modern dance music. The podcast is oneof recording, using vinyls, an Ecler Nuo3mixer and an Akai Sampler 2500.

You’ve been djing and producing music for almost two decades now, performing all around the world, at the best clubs and famous electronic music festivals. Do you remember how you got the electronic music virus?

Must be the vinyls my father was listen to, the first recordings of Tangerine Dream & Vangelis, early 70’s progressive rock bands, Aphrodite’s Child.

What were your main influences back than, what djs/producers/bands inspired you?

I think artists like Laurent Garnier, The Shamen, KLF, Janis Christou, Carl Graig, Happy Mondays, Axis records are few of my influences.

What about now, after so many years, what gets you excited about the electronic music?

The music it shelf, in all its forms , you don’t need more these days.

You are currently sharing your time between Athens and Berlin. Can you tell us an inside from the Greek electronic music scene? From outside, I can tell, there are some nice festivals in Greece, especially in the summer, and many clubs.

Greece is a awesome place for any artist to perform, has high standard locations, good promoters, and amazing beach bars. Unfortunally its not ideal to produce here as there is no strong music industry and not possible to isolate when you need so. That is the main reason I live in Berlin as well.

I see your style somewhere between house & techno with dark and abstract electronic elements. You describe your sound as “dark electronic”, “open electronic techno” and aiming “at delivering songs, as opposed to club tracks”. Looking back, can you describe your musical evolution during this time and what we should expect when you are playing?

Yes, I always try the music to be the winner in my tracks and not the drums & basses. I love this battle thow, sample of my latest & comin works are on http://www.soundcloud.com/leonsegka

Do you prefer analog or digital?

I never used a digital synth…or software. You see I still carrying vinyls.

In 2000 you started your own label Ntrop Recordings. Since than Ntrop has become a successful label promoting your music and also other Greek artists like Savas Paskalidis, Mr. Statik, Argy, Denis Karimani, Felizol, Lemos and also woking with international artists like Gavin Russom. What the future holds for you in terms of music production? Do you have some new releases coming out?

I prefer to say that Ntrop enlists music rather than promoting. You see many Ntrop releases they were later licenced to labels such as Gigolo, Crosstown Rebels, Gold Und Liebe. I love to offer a start to interesting Greek artists and I enjoy having remixes or even releases from people that I love their work such as Gavin Russom, Sutekh, Deadbeat, Bodycode.

You have releases music under different aliases: Bouqetoes, Joalz, Spectro. Joalz stands out as a very interesting project featuring live hardware, instruments and vocalists. Please tell me more about this project.

Started that as an electronica alter ego of mine and released ‘ Beyond Insticts’ e.p (2002) which this time had an unexpected positive response. Later on, I felt the need to compose music with other people who I liked their work and give JOALZ a more live performing additute which even lately appears at the recordings. So I started to create songs and same time approaching artists like Julia Kent ( Antony & The Johnsons band ), Mary Tsoni, May Roosevelt, Daniel Ash.. so we released ‘ Monkshood LP ‘ back in March 2010. Now we are about to release ‘Hello Darkness My Friens E.P ‘.

Speaking about Joalz, you had also composed music for films using this project name. Please elaborate more on this. Do you have more projects like these?

Just before the release of Monkshood LP, we create the original score for the ‘Social software trilogy’ from the Athenian film director George Drivas. The music was well received and we did few live shows in Berlin & Athens.

Music must be occupying a lot of your time, managing the label, travelling and performing. What else do you like to do, any unusual hobbies?

I live for & from music and I do like sports & reading.

You have never played in Romania. What do you know about Romania? Do you know some Romanian djs/producers?

Unfortunally I never had the chance to see your country, which I admire for the history. I like The Model & Popoviciu. And I can’t stop reading about Dracula.

Links: website / discogs / facebook / soundcloud

Tracklist:
Felizol – Out Team Never Won
Random factor – Beaden (Art Of Tone Remix)
Boo Williams – A New Beggining
dOP – L’ hospital-larue-la prizon
Skudge – Below (Boddika Acid Refix)
Jori Hulkkonen – Pajatso
Jimmy Tenor – Take Me Baby
Knight Skyy (Gavin Russom) – Das kannst du dir..