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Part 2

In how much, do you feel, are creative decisions shaped by cultural differences – and in how much, vice versa, is the perception of sound influenced by cultural differences?

Culture has an influence over creative processes, especially when making music in the digital age. I don’t have to be skilled in the way musicians were before but I get to control aesthetic decisions to an obsessive degree. And those decisions are more than anything informed by the music I grew up around.

The relationship between music and other forms of art – painting, video art and cinema most importantly - has become increasingly important. How do you see this relationship yourself and in how far, do you feel, does music relate to other senses than hearing alone?

I went to art school and making music came later. I still work in both fields and the creative processes overlap. I feel the same when I work on music as when I’m working on a video. 

There seem to be two fundamental tendencies in music today: On the one hand, a move towards complete virtualisation, where tracks and albums are merely released as digital files. And, on the other, an even closer union between music, artwork, packaging and physical presentation. Where do you stand between these poles? 

I like both directions music is taking. I’m a fan of the ease of digitalisation. I can hear about something, search for it and listen within seconds.   

But at the same time I have an obsession with the construction of an album - cover art, typography, song titles, inserts, everything. I will never be able to detach music entirely from its physical artefact. 

The role of an artist is always subject to change. What's your view on the (e.g. political/social/creative) tasks of artists today and how do you try to meet these goals in your work?

I don’t really ponder this question much. I follow all kinds of music and I try to look for inspiration in as many places as possible. 

Music-sharing sites and -blogs as well as a flood of releases in general are presenting both listeners and artists with challenging questions. What's your view on the value of music today? In what way does the abundance of music change our perception of it?

I value music as much as I always have. I like that it’s increasingly easy to get your hands on music from all ages and all parts of the world. I don’t mind the over-saturation. I still find about as much new music as I can handle at one time online as I did in a record store. 

How, would you say, could non-mainstream forms of music reach wider audiences?

I can’t think of anything better than the Internet.

Usually, it is considered that it is the job of the artist to win over an audience. But listening is also an active, rather than just a passive process. How do you see the role of the listener in the musical communication process?

I think there should be more books written about audiences. Even one listener in a room changes music. It’s very clear to me in every concert I’ve ever performed that the audience is a huge part of the work.

Reaching audiences usually involves reaching out to the press and possibly working with a PR company. What's your perspective on the promo system? In which way do music journalism and PR companies change the way music is perceived by the public?

Promo is a step to share music. Promo doesn’t scare me, there are good people that love music that do PR. I look for those people and it stays very low key.

Visit Christina's website at www.christinavantzou.com


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