Hey IOMA! Congratulations on the release of ‘Cleo’. How does it feel to be back with new music after a five-year hiatus?
Hey guys, thank you so much for your kind words and for having me. It’s great to be back. The road has been full of ups and downs but in the end, it feels like a great accomplishment.
What inspired you to create ‘Cleo’ as the first single after your break? Is there a particular story or emotion behind it?
“Cleo” was created during COVID. I felt lost and desperate at the time. I didn’t know where I wanted to go as a person and as an artist. I think you can feel it in the melody. I also wanted to break the limitations and barriers that lockdown created, so adding aggressive synths to melodies was a meaningful option to me. It expresses a desire to break them and push forward.
Can you tell us more about the creative process behind ‘Cleo’? How did you approach making this track compared to your previous work?
It started as a break track. I remember listening to Christopher Ledger’s sounds at the time. I have been always fascinated by how he was able to make his own breakbeat tracks and so I tried my own. Every element that you hear on the final version was there, but I felt that it was missing something, so I turned it into a 4/4 track which worked better in the end. It took me 4 years to finish it. I was not satisfied with some parts in it so there was a lot of trial and error to make it sound as I wanted. But I am happy with how it turned out.
‘Cleo’ is the first in a series of singles leading up to your debut EP, ‘VIRIDIS’. What can fans expect from the upcoming releases?
Something different. I tried different things on the other tracks while being cohesive. I wanted to create a journey from darkness to enlightenment. The first two tracks are darker and more mysterious, while the last 2 are lighter and hopeful, reflecting love. Each track represents a different stage of what I have been through from Covid to now.
How has your sound or approach to music changed over the past five years? Are there new influences or techniques you’ve incorporated into your work?
I have started to work with analog synth and drum machines like the Prophet 6 or the TR8. I also work now with templates which allows me to gain more time but besides that I am staying true to how I have made music in the past, I guess. I will try to use more and more machines in the future. Working on a DAW is great, but I would love to develop a setup where I could turn on the synths and create music directly.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your hiatus, and how did you overcome it to come back stronger with ‘Cleo’?
The biggest challenge was myself. I was lost and I didn’t know where I wanted to go as an artist. I also work on different projects besides creating music. I can’t say too much right now, but I have a big project which hopefully will see the light of day in 2026/2027, so I’ve had to find the perfect balance between making music, reinventing myself, and building the other projects around.
Your upcoming EP, ‘VIRIDIS’, sounds intriguing. What themes or concepts are you exploring in this project?
It’s a journey from darkness to enlightenment. I wanted to express a wide range of emotions that I have been through during all those times, and I thought that starting with darker tracks and ending on more positive and light ones is also a way to end this period of my life on a positive note.
Can you describe the overall vibe and sound of the ‘VIRIDIS’ EP? How does it differ from your previous releases?
It’s a work of many years and we can find sounds and structure from early Melodic Techno tracks to something deeper and more organic. It differs from my previous originals as they are the first originals with vocalists. It has been a lot of work, but I like how those collaborations sound and I am glad to finally share them.
How has the techno scene evolved since your last release, and how do you see your new music fitting into the current landscape?
I think that now Underground and Mainstream artists tend to work more between each other than some years before. Technology has also evolved a lot and many 3d artists now have the chance to work with musicians. Same with drone mapping. It creates a new experience for the listener, which is very interesting and pushes things forward. I believe the more collaborations we have between artists, the better the shows are. In the meantime, I see the rise of extremely talented artists like Long Island Sound or Tal Fussman to name a few. I like how they bring something new and I look forward to exploring this direction. I don’t think about fitting my music to the current landscape. I just do what I love and I let the audience judge it themselves.
What are your hopes and goals for your music career moving forward?
The goal now is to keep working on my sound and identity. I haven’t showed anything yet and there is still so much music to release. I have made more than 500 demos in 2 years and 50 tracks are more or less ready. I just need to find a way to release them. I would love also to set up my own events and invite artists and friends that influence me the most. Also, I believe I have found a great team behind the project so now it’s about pushing forward while staying true to myself and the rest will come.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us
Thanks for having me. Was a pleasure talking with you.
