A Chat with DUCAs (24.10.23)
The brainchild of multi-talented musician Alexandros Ducas Kyrkos, DUCAs seamlessly blends elements of synthwave, electronica, roots music and afro grooves in an intoxicating sound. We speak with DUCAs about his new single ‘Splash’, what music means to him, future plans and more!
OSR: What inspired you to become a musician? What drew you to music?
DUCAs: Music has been an important part of my life since my early youth. As a young child, I was singing in the church and adored Mozart and Vangelis. From the moment I was given my first keys, I was playing in various bands. As a teenager I fell in love with the guitar, inspired by Carlos Santana, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. As a youngster, I was amazed by Brian Enno, The Cure and later Underworld. I became a full-time professional musician during the past 20 years, by a twist of fate.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
DUCAs: Music is my homeland, the spice of my life, my way to be, my friend until the end. It is my favourite way to positively influence my environment while giving an outlet to my inner reality. Nowadays I am fascinated by the universality of instrumental music and the power of nonverbal expression, that’s why I avoid using lyrics in my tracks.
OSR: You recently released your single ‘Splash’. What can you tell us about the song?
DUCAs: ‘Splash’ was created in three days. All ingredients of ‘Splash’, sounds, samples, rhythms, baselines, chords, melodies, were created from scratch in one long night. They all came out at once, splashing in my ears, like drops of audible paint. That’s why I called it ‘Splash’. On the second day, I jammed and played with these ingredients and on the third day, I recorded the track live in a single take.
OSR: If you could change one thing about ‘Splash’, what would it be?
DUCAs: I would introduce a human voice or a guitar.
OSR: What do you hope people take from ‘Splash’?
DUCAs: I hope it will give people a positive boost of non-verbal energy by taking them with me on a journey across some of my favourite grooves and intense sound colours.
OSR: You have been working in the music industry since the 90s. How have you grown as an artist over the years?
DUCAs: I have joined many bands, tasted several flavours of rock, had a glimpse of synthwave and participated as a VJ in the EDM scene and the house revolution in the 90s. In the meantime, I had to make compromises as a practical musician in order to survive and pay the bills. As a session musician, I have to be flexible and adapt to the band I’m playing with. As creator I have no practical bounds, neither do I pretend to be anything else than myself, with all the influences I carry within me.
OSR: How do you think the music industry has changed in the past 20 years?
DUCAs: The remediation that digital technologies such as DAWs and streaming services brought to us did hit the music industry hard. The huge doors that were once closed to independent artists are now wide open, as the power of record companies is diminishing. At the same time, a vast amount of independent artists publish their work every day, making it harder to be noticed. Now A.I. entered the stage and promises to bring the next revolution in content creation.
OSR: What makes you unique as an artist?
DUCAs: I am influenced by the culture of the countries I grew up in, Greece and the Netherlands, as well as by the global vibes on the planet. The range of music I like and I am influenced by is vast. I have dived deep into both acoustic and electronic music styles. For me, vision and sound are one.
OSR: What is your greatest accomplishment or achievement (it doesn’t have to be music-related)?
DUCAs: I was thrilled to have the former Queen of the Netherlands in my audience last March. She looked the same as thirty years ago, with her characteristic hairstyle. I could see her ‘dancing’ in her chair during my performance. Later on, I was told that it felt like she was at a party.
OSR: If you had to get a tattoo today, what would it be?
DUCAs: It would be something like ‘make music, not war’, in non-verbal form, like a music note breaking a gun. 😄
OSR: What advice would you give to new artists?
DUCAs: Don’t waste too much time trying to be an imaginary figure that fits your favourite music genre. At the end of the day, it is You we are interested in and not your idols. Don’t wait for things to happen in the outside world, just start doing whatever you love.
OSR: Do you have any future plans as DUCAs?
DUCAs: The first year I merely focused on producing as many tracks as possible, 11 singles rolled out. The second year I focused on finding gigs and paused production for a while. Now I start the third year of DUCAs with the wish to balance those dimensions. In the coming months, you will regularly hear new music from me, while performing will still have my attention.
Many thanks to DUCAs for speaking with us. For more from DUCAs check out his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
Discover more electropop singles on The Other Side Reviews Electropop playlist:
