
Essence emerges to the surface whenever aesthetics is based on ideas, stories and emotion.
Music producer and composer VASSIŁINA writes songs on woman empowerment and solidarity, femininities, the power hidden within us, but also our vulnerability, leaning tenderly over the traumas both hers and of the others; not by chance probably, as she first studied Psychology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki before obtaining a master’s degree on Music Production and Performance, in the UK. In the launch party of her latest album titled Femmeland (that can be seen as a sort of “magical island” bringing femininities together), she created a safe space of artistic liberation for all those who took part in this sensorial type of performance. Admittedly, the final outcome broke the mold and proved to be nothing less than exceptional.
“I have currently directed all my creative energy to Femmeland, released in April 2024. It is my personal journey towards healing and the power I discovered through other femininities. In my live concerts, I try to convey this experience, creating an imaginary space where we can all share our stories,” she mentions. “As we were working on the record, I dreamt of its presentation, wondering how I could breathe life into my vision. The night at Romantso was truly touching, an experience I will never forget for as long as I live. Of course, none of this would have been made possible without the contribution of my fabulous team: Florentia Chatzi as set designer, Vinyl Face, who was in charge of the styling, my music companions Kalliopi Mitropoulou, Werra and Saber Rider, Iokasti, who came up with the choreography, and of course Molyneaux and Barby Psychanella for the opening and the after party. I will soon announce new shows that will take place both in Greece and in Europe, having also planned a grand European tour alongside Kadebostany in the beginning of 2025.”
The idea of Femmeland sprang out of her thorough research on the Homeric figure of Circe, breaking down her image as a malicious witch who tricked men. VASSIŁINA detects many analogies with today’s situation: “The story of Circe, at least the way I describe in Femmeland, is transformed into a symbol of woman empowerment and a parable on the centuries-long injustice suffered by women. Even in our times, femininities are often stigmatized when trying to safeguard their autonomy. Circe, like countless women nowadays, had to protect her world from external threats, whereas she has often been demonized because of her powers.”
Music has always been a part of her life, “like an inner refuge” as she points out. “I started having piano lessons at the age of six and I was writing my own music right from a really early age. The turning point, however, came when I moved to London and realized that I could combine composition and music production. That’s where I began to see music as a means to narrate stories and express myself in a meaningful way,” she explains. She feels more at ease with the English language, maybe due to her music likings, but makes sure to add that “the Greek language is an integral part of my identity and holds a special place in my creative drive, mainly when I am in need to touch upon deep personal issues. I have the feeling that language paves new roads of inspiration. For example, last month I wrote a Greek-speaking record that differs substantially from my previous songs in Greek,” she stresses.
VASSIŁINA believes that certain taboos regarding pop music are still sustained in Greece. “Pop is often dealt with prejudice, labeled as a ‘light’ or ‘shallow’ music, a stereotype that fails to recognize its multidimensional nature. In London, through my connection to various music scenes, I began to embrace the deeper meaning of pop and love its flexibility and dynamics. Pop is not exclusively mainstream, as it covers a wide spectrum of manifold expressions, diverse feelings and numerous influences. It’s a music that has the ability to walk down experimental, pioneering and yet totally accessible routes. Very often, in this derogatory tendency one can trace sexist roots, given the fact that it’s a genre directly linked with the self-expression of femininities.”
Essence emerges to the surface whenever aesthetics is based on ideas, stories and emotion. On the contrary, problems show up in cases of a copycat mentality, lacking thought or personal identity, and targeted only to increase sales. This approach removes any depth, downgrading the image into a mere product instead of a means of expression.
VASSIŁINA loves experimentation, considering it a necessary element for the evolution of music. “Through experimentation I discover new aspects of myself and of my art, both in sound production and live shows.” Her engagement with music changed her life in ways that she could never have imagined. “One one hand, it is fascinating to turn what you love into a profession; to create, to have live shows, to share your work with the world. On the other hand, you find yourself faced up against many challenges. There are days you feel worn out, burdened by doubt, driven to question everything by all sorts of rejections. It is a work that takes you to liminal conditions. Artistic creation is a deeply personal act that leads to emotional self-exposure,” she underlines.
“Live shows, however, are the moment when everything suddenly makes sense. When you walk out on the stage and watch the audience getting hooked up to your music, you feel an immense sense of reward. Every live show is different, a unique experience that cannot be reproduced. That’s why I love them, even though they exhaust me. Because they offer me this ‘compensation’ that makes everything worthwhile. Being constantly on the road and getting to know different venues and new people fuels me with energy and inspiration. Live shows are equally important as the studio work, and I’m particularly grateful for being given this chance, both alongside Kadebostany and Pan Pan and through my personal projects,” she adds.
The theme of Femmeland’s presentation was inspired by the Renaissance, inciting me to ask her about the value she attributes to fashion. “Fashion is an extension of my artistic identity, a way to express aspects of my music that cannot be rendered with words or sounds. Clothes, colors and textures provide the foundation for me to create a new visual language directly tied to the message of my music. The key, though, is to remain genuine. I am not interested in aesthetics just for the sake of aesthetics, nor in appearances that lack essence. Whatever I do, I want it to have a meaning and to unfold a story. That’s why teaming up with Vinyl Face was so important to me, as they have a profound approach on fashion and respect the artist’s vision, foregrounding it through their proper ideas. I feel that our collaboration in Femmeland’s live presentation, inspired by the Renaissance, totally embraced the album’s concept, reinforcing it in a unique way, while inviting the audience to become a part of it. It goes without saying that both fashion and the music industry are deeply capitalist in their core nature, that’s why we so often detect a lack of essence. Styling and image many times prevail over the content, especially when music is treated more as a product rather than as art. However, this cannot undo the fact that pop culture has served as the springboard for many artists, visual artists and stylists who redefined not only fashion, but art on the whole,” she points out.
“Essence emerges to the surface whenever aesthetics is based on ideas, stories and emotion. On the contrary, problems show up in cases of a copycat mentality, lacking thought or personal identity, and targeted only to increase sales. This approach removes any depth, downgrading the image into a mere product instead of a means of expression.” Our talk then shifts to the memories from living in Serres, the town where she grew up. “Life in Serres is a love-hate relationship. I love being around my family and the people I grew up with, but at the same time it’s a small and close-knit society that can many times become suffocating. It’s difficult to live there if you do not abide by conventional modes, and this has often left me hurt. Despite my strong ties with the place, especially whenever I come back for the holidays, the need for freedom and personal growth has made me feel constricted. It’s a constant exercise in balance between the warmth of family comfort and the need for something different, for a more open horizon,” she concludes.
Biographical material
Sharing her time between London and Athens, VASSIŁINA composes songs that bridge aesthetic features of pop with dark electronic influences. With references to avant-pop, as well as the British and French synth-pop και electro-pop, her live shows build a melancholic punk soundscape. With intense vocal delays, eerie field-recordings and melancholic polyphonies, VASSIŁINA straddles the line between chaos and the dance scene. Her debut album Fragments was released in 2021 by Inner Ear Records, followed by concerts in Greece and the UK, and appearances in London’s The Shacklewell Arms and many Greek festivals such as Athens Pride, In-Edit, So Alive Showcase (BG), IOS Festival, Athens Digital Art Festival, Athens Music Week, In-Orbit etc.
She has joined forces with many artists of the local electronic scene such as Die Arkitekt, Capette, Pan Pan and Metaman, as well as with Kadebostany, having performed three songs in his latest album titled Play This at My Funeral. In 2023, he accompanied Kadebostany in his European tour, whereas in April 2024 she released her sophomore LP titled Femmeland, which has been reviewed and presented in many magazines such as Kaltblut, Wonderland, Vogue Germany, Dazed Monthly etc. Femmeland unravels her journey towards the discovery of the true self, in which she drew strength and support from other femininities: a captivating experience, like a personal diary, which reflects the artist’s evolution and resilience. VASSIŁINA invites the audience to take part in this musical exploration of self-knowledge and empowerment.
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