What acts would you say are your greatest influences, and how do they factor into your sound as a performer?

It´s hard to say, even if look in my CD collection I get confused who I like. It really depends on what phase I was going through in my life. The last couple of years I´ve been strongly influenced by the French band Air. They speak to my soul. It´s also inspiring to see artists, such as them, who are successful in this business and do not lose integrity to their art. I´m also drawn to chameleons such as Björk, David Bowie, and Madonna. Not only because of the music they make but also because they aren´t afraid to expose their different faces; both masculine and feminine. My sound, especially for the EP project definitely mirrors this fascination.

What factors were there in your life to allow you to have such a diverse array of tastes?

Moving from Greece to New York City at the age of six definitely opened my mind. Suddenly I was thrown into this American culture, and in situations like these you can either sink or swim; I kinda did both, but I came out of it curious about life. This curiosity is why I create music, play with different aspects of my person, reflect on myself and my environment. There are people out there that have made up there minds about life, themselves, and everyone around them, I still haven´t.

What should individuals expect from Cardamis in the releases subsequent to the self-titled EP?

More Pop Art.

Related to the EP, what is the significance of the front album cover (and the picture in the liner notes)?

The album cover reflects how I felt these past two years when I began making music. Writing was the only thing that made sense to me during this period. This was a chaotic time; everything that I knew to be true in my life suddenly collapsed. I couldn´t do anything but just go through my personal storm and smile. It was very important to me to capture this exact feeling in the cover because it pushed me to become a musician and make this EP. The picture in the liner notes of me hugging a piece of wood (without any clothes on) just happened; the photographer had the wood and we starting getting ideas. We played around with a lot different scenarios during the photo shoot, and in the end I had to let go and let the graphic designer do his magic. I find the picture fitting with the album because it has the same effect that the music has - kinda leaves you scratching your head.

Can you give us a little bit of information about your self-titled EP? Were there a number of tracks that were left on the cutting room floor, or did most of them make it to a finished format?

I was very lucky to work with one of the most talented producers in Berlin, Guy Sternberg, who pushed me as an artist every step of the way. I came to him with about 20 solid demos and we decided to work on the best three together. For him it was important to direct me towards my signature sound for this particular project and for my alter ego: Cardamis. I found him a very compassionate person and appreciated his artistic conviction. We didn`t agree on every point. Originally he didn´t want to work at all on the song Bound To Love You, and I was clear from the head start that this was definitely going to be on the album. I just went home re-made the demo and came back the next day and I convinced him, I believe his exact words were “Now, that´s a song.” At the end of our sessions it was Bound To Love You that ended up being for us both our favorite. That was amazing to experience; how this song grew right in front of your eyes, and to have been a part of it. Guy played a big part in the direction, particularly on this song, I was just sitting back and observing a master at work.

Is this self-titled EP your first release? Will the next album you do be more of the same styles that were broached during this EP, or do you have any other ideas for it?

My very first release was the German soundtrack for the Queen musical “We Will Rock You” on EMI Records in 2004. As for future recordings, the styles on the EP mirrored who I was at the time, so the style of the next album will also reflect my life also at that particular time. I don´t want to say anything concrete because things always change. I would like to make a concept LP some day. More important for me then the style of my work is the story that it tells and the intention behind it. If I don´t have anything to say then I will not waste my time putting together an album.

Have you created the one track that you feel is perfect, or is the creative process something evolutionary, rather than possessing an endpoint?

A perfect song for me is one that writes itself; you just stand there and allow yourself to be open to receive it; this was how I wrote the song Bound To Love You. This track has a piece of my heart in it; the honesty is perfection to me. Every time I listen to it time as I know it stops for me. The story was not easy for me to express because I lived it, but it also allowed me to feel again the sadness I had for a love that I lost.

Is there any purpose behind your music as Cardamis? Do you operate with any political beliefs running through your track, or does your medium contain a philosophy about life?

I hope that with everything I do in my life, including writing music, that the message that “we create our own reality” is always present. Our environment is truly just a reflection of our thoughts. There have been numerous revolutions in my mind throughout my life that helped me understand this; the process of bringing this EP project into the physical form was one of them.

What is the most memorable time that you have had at a live performance?

The record release concert in Berlin is on the top of that list for me. The excitement was also a bit too much for me; I just remember trying to remind myself to not forget to breathe. Just seeing the audience`s faces and how they were reacting to my music was an unbelievable experience. Thank you Berlin!

Do you have any other projects that you are working on right now?

Tentative plans for the end of 2008 are that a new track called “Monochrome” produced by a brilliant artist by the name of Maya Jane Coles might get released by a London based label. I´m currently working with a director in Berlin to produce a music video for the track, which we are planning to film before the new year. I´m also always looking for the right musicians to collaborate with; an art in itself.

Since 2008 is rapidly coming to a close, what should individuals expect from you in 2009?

The element of surprise. Truth be told I have no fixed plans. All I know is that I cannot live without creativity, what form it takes I cannot say. I do think 2009 will be a very special year for a lot people who call the planet earth there home.

How can individuals get in touch with you?

Myspace. I do try to answer all messages, so don´t be shy!

Anything else that you have to say to the readers of NeuFutur.com or NeuFutur Magazine?

Thanks for listening.

“Eat Your Dinner” is the first track on this self-titled effort, and the three and a half minute run time of the track gives listeners a full range of the styles and influences that play such a major role in Cardamis’ development. “Eat Your Dinner” is a track that has a heavy debt to the dance music of the mid-nineties, all while keeping the camp of a Freddy Mercury or a Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Cardamis’ vocals here are equivalent to any powerful lead and will stay in listeners’ minds for considerably longer than the track would suggest. The ancillary instrumentation (laid down by Nicolai Ziel, Sebastian Vogel, Johannes Feige, and a number of other players), properly highlights Cardamis’ vocals, highlighting them when needed.

“Bound To Love You” takes a new direction than “Eat Your Dinner” took, allowing Cardamis to expand eir palette while still coming forth with a style that is consistent and cohesive throughout the entirety of this EP. This means that there are hints of Elton John, the Scissor Sisters, and even a little bit of the Pet Shop Boys while an idyllic musical soundscape is created by the rest of the act. The disc ends with “Take Me Apart”, a track that is simultaneously an ending for the EP as well as a beginning for the entirety of the rest of Cardamis’ career. “Take Me Apart” has hints of R&B even as an industrial flavor begins to permeate the track. The driving instrumentation present during the track comes in and out of focus, allowing Cardamis to push through with a brilliant charisma and a smooth set of pipes.

Where individuals may think that Cardamis’ music is of a genre that they would not normally appreciate, Cardamis has made enough of an effort to have something present in each of the disc’s three songs to speak to listeners of all genres, whether it be dance, electronic, or even “out there” genres like metal or Native American music. Make it a point to pick up this EP and you will not be disappointed; I’d guess that you would even want to search out subsequent recordings by Cardamis by the time that the ten minutes of this EP finish. Keep an ear to the ground and I have no doubt that Cardamis will not disappoint as the thoughts come to a close.

Top Track: Take Me Apart Rating: 8.6/10

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