Fotini Kappa has been partaking in creative endeavours since her childhood in Greece, while her relocation to the Netherlands in 2013 brought forth the musical project titled Pasiphae. A talented producer thrust to the foreground of the scene with 2016‘s “Made of Glass EP” crafted together with Intergalactic Gary, Pasiphae has released further solo work on Artificial Dance, Marguerite Records and is set to deliver something promising on Pinkman; as a DJ she broadcasts diverse soundscapes over Intergalactic FM, Operator and other unorthodox wavelengths, while in a non-pandemic setting, her energetic dancefloor sets deliver hard-hitting beats and harmonies both sinister and elegant, never crossing over into the banal. The artist reveals many insights and several secrets regarding her work in the accompanying Q&A.

DT: It’s not unusual for Digital Tsunami to be in conversation with an artist based in the Netherlands, yet it is remarkable how each of them still stands out and is worth showcasing in his or her own right. Having been based in the Hague since 2013, do you find it that the vibrant and abundant scene is beneficial toward carving your own creative path or – conversely – can the “competition” make it difficult to find your footing?

Pasiphae: Art, in all kinds of forms, even more when it comes to underground electronic music, has indeed been a vibrant matter in The Hague for decades now. The scene is not that big, but it’s pretty solid & unified. It feels that hypes & fashions do not matter so much here & that’s one of the things I love the most about it. When it comes to competition, it’s something that is not so much of importance here either. The people involved just express themselves through music that “does it” for them without an aim to reach a “hall of fame” or something. The focus goes to the creative process for music itself, without the high expectations. It is exactly this no-bullshit, honest & direct attitude that’s been a trigger to live & act from here.

DT: Aside from the mythological name of “Pasiphae” that always prompts questions about your feelings towards Greece, one recent connection to your homeland is your remix of “Araschnia Levana”, a composition of Lena Platonos, released by Dark Entries in 2019. Over all the years abroad, do you still feel any musical relation to the Greek scene – whether it’s Platonos or the current harsher, more primal techno movements?

P: Even from the other side of the continent, I can firmly say I’m very attached to Greece. Maybe distance itself & the time going by has made this bond even stronger. I follow with passion what’s been going on in Greece when it comes to alternative electronic movements & sound. It just appeals to me big time. Labels such as Phormix, Modal Analysis, June, Pi Electronics, Lower Parts & OSM Tapes just to name a few, have been doing a great job on shaping the sound & consolidating the scene. More people have started getting involved, be it initiatives or audiences. That’s been exciting to see happening.

DT: While previous productions and collaborations seemed to be founded more upon electro mentalities (as you expanded on your relations to the genre in an older interview with De School), your recent tracks and mixes appear to include rougher drum beats (perhaps of the DR-660) and more tense synth lines, closer to darker shades of industrial music. Is there a change in sound moving forward and what could be influencing it?

P: In music production & that applies to DJ sets as well, I aim to keep it as broad as my taste goes, so basically tracks I make or include in a mix can be of various styles & genres. I love the surprise factor of including elements or tracks of various styles, as long as I feel there is a certain connection between them & it makes sense at that very moment. In the studio I love to explore different sounds & vibes. It’s not that often that I’ll be like, OK! I’ll make an acid techno track & then just go do it. What I find really endearing & even liberating in the process is to just go along with the feel of the moment while jamming. Usually the music I make is a reflection of the current mood I’m in, but it’s not a one way thing. Sometimes the machines themselves can lead you into unpredictable & yet excitingly surprising paths, be it a synth melody or a drum pattern, if I vibe with it I just wanna follow along.

Kudos, by the way, for recognising the DR-660 on the tracks, even after the decay & pitch adjustments! I indeed used it quite a lot on Siphax EP.

DT: Having been the DJ-on-camera at Boiler Room events, a host of more traditional radio broadcasts and a producer at the studio, is there a certain single mode of expression that you’re most comfortable with? How are these types of performing different and are they all equally enjoyable for you?

P: I actually enjoy finding myself playing in different setups & under various circumstances. They all have their own character or themes in most cases & that’s a great opportunity to play various music that fits the purpose each one of them represents. For instance, when playing on a radio I usually go for rather experimental, ambient & eerie music & soundscapes in combination with some intense tracks as well. Again, whatever makes sense the very moment but overall less dancefloor orientated stuff, which happens naturally I guess due to the lack of energy exchanging with a crowd. Sometimes i just bang it out on a radio show as well, it really depends on the nature of the show / invite & the current vibe. Playing Boiler Room events has the challenge that it’s being streamed online while it happens (& will always stay online) - same as on an internet radio show but while having a crown in front & behind you & a camera clearly set right in your face. That itself can add some kind of pressure due to it’s nature. Nervousness has kicked in both BR performances i did, but I’m always down for taking on such challenges. Overall, I enjoy & feel comfortable enough doing all the above, though, nothing compares to the pleasure of self isolation & the liberating feeling of expressing freshly conceived ideas & jams in the studio.

DT: For someone that has a personal approach to music, it might be difficult sometimes to translate one’s love for the art form into a public setting of performance. Is it easy for you to transform from a more introverted process of creativity at home to the position of a party DJ at the centre of attention?

P: Time spent in the studio is more of a singular process & performing out to a club for a crowd is more of a communal / shared thing that, to me, one is complementing the other. Like a duality that creates some kind of balance. I relish both for what they bring out. On one hand the peacefulness & tranquility of time spent solely with the machines, on the other hand the excitement of performing for a big group of people, vibing & dancing to the same music. Both cases feel like a ritual almost. Things wouldn’t be the same if it was just one of the two happening. That is actually something i really miss a lot due to the C19 taking over & getting every massive gig cancelled. The balance is not right anymore. Apart from the feel-good experience of it, I really miss that spark & the triggers performances bring along when it comes to inspiration that could be utilized in the studio. It’s like one inspires the other.

DT: Looking back at all your performances in Amsterdam, Berlin, all the appearances at festivals such as Dekmantel and Intergalactic FM Festival, the Boiler Rooms and all the others, is there a single journey or performance that stands out for you? What makes a night (or midday set) memorable?

P: Oh man, that’s a really nice question but it’s not easy to mention just one experience. Every time is special for it’s own reasons. Ok, I’ll try to mention some of the most outstanding then, I guess.. Playing in Greece for the first time was one of them. I started performing in clubs after i had already moved to the Netherlands, so getting to go back & play at Astron Bar in Athens & Vazaki in Crete made that weekend one of the most sentimental I had ever experienced till then for, I guess, obvious reasons. We were vibing along with the crowd on both nights till late morning hours, it was just great. Dance Your Name in Mexico City was another special one. Even though I knew of some people already making music there & having checked some radio podcasts they had online, I really had no idea what to expect of my performance there. The people hosting the party were insanely nice & the crowd had so much appreciation for all the music played that night, responding & cheering on almost every transition, it felt great & very much at home, even from the other side of the globe. That was part of my first overseas mini tour so I was already overwhelmed with it happening, so imagine getting to feel this way how much that meant along the way... Cocktail D’Amore as a record label & party promoter was like a dream event to play at so when I saw the gig on my agenda I was ecstatic! I was invited to play one of their infamous all night long sessions at the Cosmic Hole in Griessmuehle. That was one of the most intense experiences I can recall ever having in a club, not only as a DJ, but ever! I had never witnessed any other group of people vibing as hard as that one did down in that basement!

DT: Is collaboration – working on production with another artist or playing DJ sets back to back, as with Intergalactic Gary – a process that comes naturally for you? Do you envision yourself working on another collaborative release like 2016’s “Made of Glass EP” with some other musician?

P: It’s quite refreshing to work with people & put ideas down together. It can be inspiring & motivating both ways & makes one think outside their regular ways I guess. I’ve only had this experience with Intergalactic Gary on the collaborative EP we worked together on in 2016. Soon we’ll have some music we recently made coming out on Dalmata Daniel. We have 2 tracks in one side of a split release & on the other side SILF, a music duo from Budapest will have 2 more. Actually there have been other artists we have agreed on working together on music so it’s definitely not something I wouldn’t be up for doing. It’s the circumstances, distance & timing or not matching schedules, as well as other project deadlines that need to be made on time that have been colliding these collaborations from actually happening. There will be enough time without pressure soon though & hopefully these ideas will be formed into music eventually :)

DT: You’ve obviously kept busy creatively throughout the lockdown and kept up with delivering music, but the whole circumstances of 2020 have inevitably had some sort of effect on most of us. Is there anything in particular that you discovered or perhaps struggled with during the quarantine, in or outside of music?

P: The last months of C19 ruling the planet have indeed been a challenge for most people in one way or another. Change came all of a sudden & that was almost frightening. There has been a lot of uncertainty lying around and, at least in the Netherlands, club-life seems to have the least priority at the moment & that adds up to the overall instability in personal, professional & financial level. Initially I felt almost numb, struggling to find inspiration & went through a lot of introspection. Such periods make people reevaluate what’s worth in life & realize things shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially the ones that now it’s clear, we cannot have control over anymore.

Lately I’ve just accepted the facts & try to find inspiration on little things such as a bike ride till the dunes on Scheveningen or a meaningful conversation. I have of course spent a lot of time in the studio exploring the newest equipment while trying to get a more in-depth understanding of it & ended up recording enough jams that formed new music of various vibes. I’ve been missing nightclubbing, as it used to be, big time. Actually the mix I recorded for DT was a result of having just found out about the future gig cancellations & the one that was about to go down first was the Pinkman x Mechatronica party in Berlin where i was hyped to have the 4-10am slot. As a natural reaction, I guess, I record this mix at home on the 2nd week of March & included some of the tracks I was planning on playing at that party.

DT: The upcoming Pasiphae EP on Pinkman has been teased and awaited for quite some time. Would you unveil the mystery and tell us about some of the influences, themes and methods behind your newest creation?

P: The “Possessed Realms EP” couldn’t reflect more the emotions I was going through during the period working on it. A few well-defined ideas & certain inspiration I had some time early last year resulted in a track that was confirmed for the EP. Then, after I started recording similar sounding jams to finalize it, all kinds of technical issues started taking place in the studio. Bad luck, who knows? I had to replace pieces of gear one after the other & took forever to get into the different ways of working with gear I wasn’t familiar with, or even find any motivation to keep on working on it. It just felt like a never ending challenge. Getting past all the struggles though & finally finishing the EP felt very liberating. I think the mixed feelings of that period are exactly what shaped the way it sounds & the overall theme of it.