Interview by Peri Siolis (aka GLOWKiD)

 

ORESTIZ, named after the ancient Greek figure who sought justice through vengeance, channels a similar intensity in the rave world delivering breakbeat justice through high-voltage rhythms, chipmunked euphoria, and an unmistakable sense of uplifting energy.

A defining name in the Greek nu-rave underground scene. His releases on labels like Strictly Nuskool, Hardcore Lives, Dred Collective, Intensive Recordings, and Sharkfin have carved out a space where hardcore breaks meet emotions and the oldskool ethos.

I’ve been following his work for years, playing his tracks on my radio show, blogging about his releases, and even premiering a few of them. So, when I visited him in Stockholm, it felt like the perfect setting for a proper conversation. Inside his cozy home studio, we talked about life, music, and what fuels the emotional charge behind his sound.

Curious to find out more about the mind behind the beats? Read on…

GK: Your debut vinyl called ‘Up in the Air’ came out earlier this year on your new personal imprint. What made you decide to set up your own label?

Orestiz: I’ve always had a vision of how I want my music to sound and be presented. The label is my personal space where I can have creative freedom and control over things and hopefully also a space for others who share a similar taste. There’s a certain vibe in the early hardcore scene that I’ve always felt drawn to. It’s not just the music – it’s the culture, the visuals, the whole atmosphere.

I try to channel that spirit while bringing in my own approach

GK: I like what you highlighted there. Speaking of inspiration, which acts or labels have been your main influences to take this direction?

Orestiz: It’s a hard pick this one. Right now, what Zodiac Childs are putting out I could maybe call inspiring. But I mostly get inspired by listening to non-rave music. Early jazz, classical, 70s and 80s stuff, the list is long.

 

GK: With Planet Justice the word “justice” seems to be front and center. Is that connected to the tough times we’re facing globally right now?

Orestiz: Planet Justice came from the idea of

creating a home – a planet – for my music and like-minded people

The word ‘justice’ can have many meanings but mainly it sounds cool. Personally, justice means cutting through the noise of what you’re ‘supposed’ to do as an artist to appeal more or reach a bigger audience. Instead, I just focus in producing what I’d like to listen to myself. That’s how I feel I’m doing justice to myself. But yes, you can definitely regard Planet Justice as an escapist haven from all the troubles in the world right now.

 

GK: Let’s focus now on your two tunes off your vinyl ep. How did you work on these tunes – what was the step-by-step process?

Orestiz: I listen a lot to ’91 and ’92 hardcore. It was a time before genre definitions – music was drawing from multiple cultures and traditions, and it had a kind of freshness that still feels unmatched today. I try to keep a similarly open creative perspective, though

it’s hard to completely avoid 35 years of Electronic Dance music history and all its clichés

My working process starts with spending probably a lifetime revisiting old ideas saved in Reason or Fruity Loops. I’m experimenting and refining until they sound closer to what I’d like to hear today – but usually I’m never satisfied so I keep changing them like forever. And that’s how it goes. But at the end of the day,

it’s the production process itself that I enjoy mostly

Hopefully more tunes will follow sooner.

 

GK: And in what level do your piano studies help out incarnating the organic result that you want?

Orestiz: Long story short how to use the tech more like an instrument is what piano has helped me with. How to work with a computer or hardware so that the result sounds organic and not machine-like, if that’s what you’re after of course. Music is not just notes and sounds put together.

There are many layers on top of that, and I think playing a physical instrument is a big asset for understanding them

Then again you might want a result that actually sounds mechanized, but it becomes a conscious stylistic decision.

GK: People might think that these tunes are tough to mix in a DJ set. You mentioned before that it’s more like storytelling – what would you say about the result you’re offering here?

Orestiz: I’m not a DJ and have no such aspirations, although I certainly enjoy playing a set once in a while. How DJs mix tunes is their own art. I wouldn’t bother “preparing” my tunes for them, I’d rather let them do their own thing.

Besides, I don’t really see what I do as being aimed specifically at DJs or club settings. There are already plenty of excellent tracks out there that meet those standards. After all rave music doesn’t only belong on the dancefloor. It’s always there in other contexts. It can live in your car, at home, or while you’re sitting in the underground coming from work.

GK: I still remember when I first heard a demo of ‘Planets and Stars’ and I went bananas. I noticed loads of Prodigy influences in.

Orestiz: Cheers mate for the appreciation! Both tracks are hugely inspired by The Prodigy, as well as other artists from that era like Acen, Sub Love, Hyper-On-Experience, Liquid Crystal just to mention a few. This is the music of my youth, the music that shaped my taste. Their influence is inevitable in my own compositions. The work of all these artists is a world-opening experience. I strongly recommend them to the few who might not have listened before.

GK: We both saw the boys back in 2023 at Release Festival in Athens during your Greek holidays. That was a banging and unforgettable gig, and I know that you belong in a core of Greek fans that adore the band.

Orestiz: Yes mate! That was a night to remember indeed! I’m a big fun of the band since the beginning. Greeks got it and are still getting it. There’s a very strong fun base for this band that was shaped early on in the country. ‘Experience’ is my favorite album with ‘Music For The Jilted Generation’ and ‘Invaders Must Die’ probably following. I think I was like 12 when I bought ‘Experience’. I pressed play and boom! The rest is history. Of course, I love almost all their music, and I understand an artist’s voyage and evolution.

Lifetime respect to The Prodigy

GK: Back to our vinyl chat. On behalf of it you’ve also made a video clip for ‘Up in the Air,’ which is available now on YouTube. Outstanding!

Orestiz: Yes! The video is probably the highlight. I absolutely love how it turned out! Nothing was planned, everything happened spontaneously during filming. In the beginning the idea was to just go around, freely dance and catch it on camera. Enjoying a euphoric vibe and moving effortlessly, without showing off or trying to create choreography, is how I wanted to visualize this tune. In the end it became more of a story.

My brilliant friend Jerry, who plays a double role, captured perfectly that carefree sensation. As a hidden second self, he suddenly emerges and takes over the main character. He really gave us a dance performance like no other. Hats off to him. Along with Jerry,

I want to thank the entire PJ crew – Cajsa and Konstantinos – for helping turn this into reality

GK: I remember you had been posting some catchy teasers like last year beforehand. They were all fantastic!

Orestiz: Thanks mate! There’s some ridiculously fun footage from my buddy’s camera. It’s the late 90s, no camera phones then, and he was carrying around a cassette camera with him – filming where we were hanging out, probably breakdancing or fooling around. Golden material for teasers or even a full run video! More to come.

GK: So, you did the design on your own, and you’re actually running everything on PJ yourself. How heavy was that process?

Orestiz: I do everything myself, partly to have the creative control, but it also feels fulfilling. It definitely takes a heavy toll on the time I can invest, and the whole project moved slowly. But I couldn’t be happier with the result, it was worth it. I also want to thank Kniteforce for handling the distribution –

both Cindy and Chris have been incredibly helpful – and Curved Pressings for doing an excellent job with the vinyl pressing

They both made things much easier for me.

GK: Nice one. That’s important to mention Kniteforce distribution there. So, from your short-term experience that is fresh enough, what would you advise anyone who wants to start their own label now?

Orestiz: There are wiser people to give advice about that. But what I can say is know what you want to do. A label can serve different purposes. If you just want to make music and don’t care about the rest, maybe it’s not worth it. It’s probably better to connect with someone established that can handle everything else for you.

GK: For those who are unaware of it, you are originally from Thessaloniki (or Salonica), the second biggest city in Greece. And, you’ve been a Stockholm resident for many years, right?

Orestiz: It’s been almost 13 years since I moved to Stockholm – time really flies. It’s a great place to live. There’s a big contrast with Thessaloniki, which is a lively, busy, somewhat gritty concrete city with a strong Balkan character. Stockholm feels much more laid-back. Nature is everywhere, and the air and water quality are excellent. Overall, life here is easier and more relaxed. Sometimes it even makes you forget what’s happening in the rest of the world – like during the pandemic, when our daily routines barely changed. That said, I’ve spent many years in both cities now, so they both feel like home to me.

GK: If you can handle with some lower temperatures then it should be fine i’d say.

Orestiz: Haha it’s not as cold as you think, we have global warming going on even up here. But certainly not reaching 45C degrees in the summer like in Athens. I remember the scorching sensation when I met you there two years ago…

I want to be optimistic that this will get better somehow

GK: Thanks a lot for this chin wag, mate. I’m pleased for your hospitality and I’m fully supporting the spirit of your justice escapism like every nu-rave fan should do out there imo. The tracks are bang on!

Orestiz: Thanks goes to you Glowkid for giving me the opportunity to say a couple of words for this project. You’re always very supporting and most importantly a real friend. Hope to see you soon on some dancefloor. Big ups mate!

 

You can follow Orestiz on:

Buy his debut vinyl ‘Up In The Air EP’ via Kniteforce shop, all major vinyl shops and Bandcamp