Hailing from the Greek capital, Thodoris Triantafillou has excelled in all corners of the industry after devoting his life and career to a creative output that illustrates a concoction of influences from across the musical sphere. Recognized by peers and fans through a stream of compelling releases on labels such as Glory Hill Studio, Atlant Records, Chapter 24, and Bedrock Music among others.

It’s the composition of the philosophy behind a record, the raw energy that electronic formats have to offer, and an exploration of the inner self that makes Thodoris’s productions stand out amongst the rest. Over the past years, Thodoris’ position within the dance music industry has been propelled after breaching many top 10 sales charts and Dj charts.

One milestone onto another, Thodoris then championed all niches that lay in the DJ/Producer pathway with the outlook of always pushing forward as an artist to the next task at hand. Testament to this, are the events Thodoris has been hand-picked for, from peak time performances at some of the most notorious European mainstays to the sun-fuelled sets that festivals and Balearic affairs alike provide. As time pushes on and music evolves, as does Thodoris. Keeping the unrelenting yet satisfying pace of the past, he looks to the horizon in awe inspired by the beautiful scene of day one. New monuments will reveal themselves the following year.

We caught up with Thodoris Triantafillou to talk about his latest release on Automatik, influences, studio setup, and more.

WWD: Hey Thodoris, It’s nice to meet you! How has 2023 been for you so far?

Hey pleased to meet you too! From the creative side, it is very interesting, every now and then I change my workflow to find more space for creativity, I still have a lot of things to develop to go in the direction I want, but I am getting there… 2023 will reveal my inner self for sure!

WWD: Your latest EP «Leave Them Kids Alone’ is out now on Henri Bergmann’s label Automatik. What was your experience working on this project?

The track ‘Leave Them Kids Alone’ started last year, summer of 2022 around June. Henri asked me if I have some tracks for her label Automatik, I was positive of course, and started working on what then became “Leave Them Kids Alone,” later that summer I also started working on the track “Moodmaker” is included in the final EP. Since my release schedule was full in 2022 I had to finish other projects first and get back to that EP on Automatik later. Meanwhile in the fall of 2022 Henri and I exchanged many tracks before we decided which ones were a good representation of my style and the label’s style. It was really hard to find the few tracks that have something to offer the dance floor, that are unique and have that special something. Somewhere between searching for the right tracks, Chris Child asked if I had time to work on a track with him, he is a good friend of mine and he knows that my production schedule is heavy. So, he sent me the track “Android” to listen to and I liked the idea immediately, I added some synths and I also reworked some parts, but the idea and the track were already there. I usually make more or less 150 tracks per year -LOL- for my personal productions, and many many more for other artists, including collaborations and remixes. So, it might have taken some time but I think it checks every box for both of us!

WWD: How did you first get introduced to music production and DJing?

As a teenager growing up in the 90s, I had some vinyl and many cassette tapes with singles, Various Artist’s compilations, EPs, and Albums – but my first mixtape was a revelation of an unknown mixture of tracks and styles that I wasn’t aware of. Later I have come to realize that this was actually a DJ mixing up tracks in flawless beat-to-beat mixing! That triggered my interest to start learning the art of DJing. A year later I had the need to understand how that music was made, and that was my introduction to music production, searching endlessly for sources to learn the techniques and the machines that produce those sounds!

Through trial and error, it took me many, many years to reach a point where I could start creating my own music productions.

WWD: Originally from Athens, how do you think the local underground dance scene has influenced your sound?

I would say that I am not influenced at all!! I use my inner feelings to create music.

Sorry, Athens! LOL. I might sound arrogant or mean to some…but that’s true, I don’t get any influences from the local scene, sound-wise, but I do get influences from the energy of the city, the people around me, and my inner circle. Sometimes I do follow the music trends from around the globe, but I do it with my own musical style and experiences!

WWD: What does your studio setup look like?

My studio setup is a very neat place when you look at it in the pictures, but it’s really messy when I leave the premises! Cables all over, microphones here and there, synths and machines in different places… But I always put them back in their original place before I start working again, otherwise, I can’t focus and do the work! The volume is constantly at the same level during recordings, mixing, and mastering! I only turn the volume up or down when everything is close to the final product just to check that everything sounds the way I want. Basically, It’s my personal space but also a professional space, the energy in the place is unique, and soundproofed to the highest level and I have everything I need to get things done without too much hassle, all my synths and drum machines are set up and ready to record in my Soundcard-Mixer! The sound is spot on! Whatever you listen to in my studio is exactly what you are gonna listen to in any other environment! I do a lot of mix-downs and masterings with confidence because I’ve worked in the same studio for about 10 years now and I invested a lot to get it where I wanted sound-wise! I have worked in many home studio environments over the years and many pro studios in my life and I only like my studio now! I can’t work anywhere else. Lol

WWD: Can you go through some of your current go-to instruments and plugins?

Well… might sound funny, but I have many synths and I have all the plug-ins a pro-producer can think of and the right computer that can handle all these plugins – yeah, I paid a lot of money! but…lately “Ableton Wavetable” is the first thing I’m firing up in every project! And most of the time it ends up as the final synth in many of my tracks! FX-wise, I think one of my favorite things is the IR plug-ins, you can add so much character in an instance if you have a nice “Impulse Responses” library! I love the 2020s – I love this era! It’s crazy crazy times! You can do whatever you have in your mind with just Ableton and a laptop or free plug-ins if you don’t have the money to spend! Now I know that I paid way too much money just to learn that it’s your own character and vision that creates the sound and not the machines!

WWD: Who are some music producers that have grabbed your attention recently?

Too many young artists are creating very interesting stuff lately, I mean sound-wise, crazy skills, I can’t choose between a few or only one!

WWD: Now that ‘Leave Them Kids Alone’ is out, what is next for Thodoris Triantafillou?

I don’t have a plan really, I never make plans, I do whatever comes into my mind first. But lately, I had the need to make an album that is gonna be my “real inner-self”! The original Thodoris, you know? It’s hard to explain how it is gonna sound or what style it’s gonna be… All I know is that it’s gonna be the true Thodoris. Also, there are some remixes coming and some collaborations.

WWD: Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer our questions, is there anything else you would like to mention before we go?

Yeap, take care of your loved ones! Love them and be loved! Take nothing for granted! And Breathe! Everything is gonna be OK!

Thodoris Triantafillou: Instagram / Facebook / SoundCloud