Vangelis: Quotes about music

“For every album I’ve ever made, I’ve written many times more music than has actually been released, and the way I choose which music appears is almost totally random, but one thing I have never done is to make music for the sake of commercialism”

Vangelis

1984
Context: On albums and commercialism: "For every album I’ve ever made, I’ve written many times more music than has actually been released, and the way I choose which music appears is almost totally random, but one thing I have never done is to make music for the sake of commercialism... I don’t think it’s possible to guarantee commercial success for an album anyway, because nobody really knows what is commercial and what isn’t. Even if I went out of my way to make an album that was more accessible to the public, that would not guarantee its commercial success".

Music , Way , Appearance , Time

“When I’m writing music for a film, inspiration will come from the subject matter and visual images, because I don’t agree to any offers of film work unless I believe I can add another dimension to the film. But if l’m writing music purely for myself, inspiration comes naturally, from everything around”

Vangelis

1984
Context: On inspiration: "Of course, inspiration can come in different ways, depending on what field you’re working in? When I’m writing music for a film, inspiration will come from the subject matter and visual images, because I don’t agree to any offers of film work unless I believe I can add another dimension to the film. But if l’m writing music purely for myself, inspiration comes naturally, from everything around. I absorb every experience in life, every situation, because anything can become a source of inspiration — positive or negative. In general l’m influenced more by everyday concepts — nature, the city and so forth — than by hearing other pieces of music. Neither do I find any special inspiration from working in a studio. Obviously it makes life a lot easier to have 24 tracks to record on, and I use the studio as a tool to help in the writing process. I see the mixing desk really as another instrument, the conductor for all the others. But although the tape recorder and the console are just as important as the keyboards, I haven’t equipped my studio with a lot of hi-tech effects: l’d rather spend time searching through my sound library to get the exact colour I want".

Music , Nature

“On instruments: "Well, to be honest I don’t think it’s necessary to find out how pieces of equipment work. I would prefer to know how music works, or how my body and my mind work.”

Vangelis

After all, it’s more useful to know how to drive a car than it is to know what makes it go. Of course it’s important to know certain things about a machine, but I don’t need to be able to build my own synthesizer. It strikes me that the people who do build them don’t know how to play them, so l’d rather find out more about playing".
1984

Music , Thinking

“Unfortunately most films are flooded with music”

Vangelis

2012
Context: On film music: "There are cases in which a film can stand on its own without music, but if music is used, it's better for it to touch the soul and create emotions that the rest of the film cannot do. Music should continue emotions where words finish. Unfortunately most films are flooded with music, due to mediocre scripts and to producers' and directors' lack of talent".

Music

“And whatever we find on Mars, the doors will be open to the next Odyssey, to something so many have instinctually felt for so long, something which through music I remember -- that at the dawn of creation the seeds of life were likely scattered far and wide across the endless skies, and that science will continue to show us how we are connected, no different than the universe itself.”

Vangelis

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/spotlight/vangelis01.html
Vangelis: Mythodea
2001
NASA
2001

Life , Music , Universe , Science

“I function as a channel through which music emerges from the chaos of noise.”

Vangelis

September, 1988, as cited in: U. H. Berner (2003), I Laugh and My Heart Is Breaking, p. 54.
1988

Music

“On music: "Scientifically, believe it or not, music drives everything, because music equals universe and universe equals music."”

Vangelis

2012

Music , Universe

“I understand the world through music and I believe that music shapes the universe. Mankind has always had a sense of wonder about space, has always been curious. It's something that's implanted in us. It's natural to want to travel and discover. It is, always has been, and is always going to be like this. We are space.”

Vangelis

2001

World , Music , Travel , Understanding

“The New Age music: "gave the opportunity for untalented people to make very boring music."”

Vangelis

2005

People , Age , Music

“If I've made money from music, it was never my aim to do that. I didn't do it to become famous. I absolutely respect and I believe I serve music.”

Vangelis

2005

Money , Music

“On working alone: "I enjoy working alone. I know myself, and I know what I want… and all this allows me to create my music before my thoughts can interrupt."”

Vangelis

1979

Music

“On live performance: "Yes. l’d really like to do some concerts of completely improvised music, but one of the reasons for doing a concert is to experience the enjoyment of the people there, so you have to include excerpts of music from previous albums because they want to hear something they already know and like. There’s nothing wrong with limiting your spontaneous playing to just improvising around old themes, but what is wrong is playing a concert solely to promote a certain record. I’ve never done a concert tour just to promote Heaven and Hell or Chariots or anything like that. That sort of thing seems pointless to me."”

Vangelis

http://www.nemostudios.co.uk/vangelis/interviews/covermag/interviews.htm
Soil Festivities Vangelis Speaks
Dan Goldstein
November 1984
Electronics & Music Maker
1984

People , Music , Hell

“Vangelis has been writing and performing electronic music for three decades and suggests that it is perhaps the only genre - with the exception of "pure" classical music - that can comunicate universally.”

Vangelis

https://books.google.hr/books?id=_hMEAAAAMBAJ
Vangelis Prepares For Blastoff On Musical Mission To Mars
Maria Paravantes
August 25, 2001
Billboard
113
34
50
0006-2510
2001

Music , Universe

“Mythology, science, space exploration, these are subjects that have fascinated me since my early childhood. And they were always connected somehow with the music I write.”

Vangelis

2001

Music , Science , Childhood

“We are living in a cultural dark age of musical pollution. You put the radio on, and five minutes later you need an aspirin.”

Vangelis

2005

Age , Music

“On music: "Yes, the frequencies that I use are very important. The music has a real message inside. I must be very careful with sound. The sound is my life. My ear is completely aware. I spontaneously listen to all the sounds around me. For example, a frequency of approximately 30 cycles just passes, there. If we slow down sound it can cause sickness, and if we amplify it, it could destroy a wall."”

Vangelis

http://www.nemostudios.co.uk/vangelis/interviews/covermag/interviews.htm
An interview with Vangelis
Dali De Clair
June 1979
Rock et Folk
France
1979