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Artist Story: Avilynn - The Art of Balance: Music, Voguing, and Self-Care

As a music producer, DJ and label owner, Avilynn creates sounds ranging from electronica to IDM, ambient and broken beat. Her main sources of inspiration are her life experiences but also artists such as Aphex Twin, Laurent Garnier, Kangding Ray, Function and Monolake. In our conversation, she told us about her personal challenges and current projects, where she collaborates with various artists focusing purely on the music — away from social media follower numbers and clicks.

Published on
October 17, 2024
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What's your artist name? Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your previous projects?

I am a Greek music producer, DJ, and label owner based in Berlin. I have already had many releases under a previous alias, and my early work was recognized by artists like Todd Terry. I have released three records on my own label, with my debut EP being the most beloved, especially the track 'Acacia.' Most recently, I released an EP on Answer Code Request Records.

How did you get into music and who are your influences?

I started organizing my own event in Athens in 2013, almost by accident, aiming to promote less widespread genres in Greece. I also DJed at these events, and after the success of the first one, I became a resident DJ at monthly fetish shows. The more I played, the more I realized I loved it, though I'd been already collecting unreleased music from bands since I was 16. Once I began DJing techno, I immediately wanted to produce electronic music, captivated by the sound. My biggest influences come from life experiences. While I admire many artists across genres like Aphex Twin, Laurent Garnier, Kangding Ray, Function, Monolake and others, I try to push my own boundaries, letting the vision for each track/EP guide me.

How would you describe your music or sound?

As a DJ, I play techno, but as a producer, I am genre-fluid. I create electronica, IDM, ambient, broken beat, and more. My collaborative project is also genre-fluid, but I’m preparing demos for labels I love, with most of the music intended to fit into my DJ sets as well.

What has been the most formative experience in your career so far?

One of the most formative experiences for me was an acoustic trauma I experienced a few years ago. At that time, my entire life was around music, I had no other interests and was completely focused on it. After the accident, it was uncertain for a long time whether my hearing would fully recover. But after research and taking a big break from music, I tried to recover as best I could. The most transformative part was realizing that, no matter how much I love music, balance is the key. I'm now happy to have included other interests in my life, like voguing, saunas, and spending more time with friends.

Can you tell us about highs and lows of your music career so far. How did you tackle it and what have you learnt from it?

I think the music industry is tough, and the closure of Aslice (ed. software-based service and community platform that allows DJs to share earnings directly with the music producers they play at paid gigs ) confirmed the unfairness that exists. This is one of the reasons I started the collaborative project, because music should connect artists, and social media following shouldn't be the main criteria for collaboration or bookings. Over the years, I’ve endured a lot of negative behavior, which influenced my mental health at times. But one key thing I’ve learned is to move on quickly and stay close to like-minded people. Just move on and create <3

How did you hear about MusicHub and why did you choose our platform to distribute your music?

I learned about it through my GEMA registration. I found the process very smooth, and customer service is readily available and always willing to help with whatever issue may occurs. And I like that because it helps reduce some of the stress that comes with releasing new music.

Tell us more about your latest MusicHub release

The last single was 'Broken Frame,' a co-production with the Georgian artist 2bit2bi. It is available on Bandcamp, Spotify, SoundCloud, and more. The next release will be on November 6th, it will be a coproduction with an amazing artist that I will reveal on the day of the release! ;)

In your current project, you're releasing a new track monthly in collaboration with various artists. How did these collaborations come about, and how do you structure the work process with each artist?

Since the sole criterion for selecting these artists is their music, I simply listened to their work, found something interesting, and reached out to them—without considering their prior success or following. In most cases, I've never even met the artist in person. However, there are some exceptions where I’ve known someone’s work for many years because we’re close friends, and I felt that, since they are talented and hardworking, they still fit this project. For example, collaborations with more established artists may also happen, as long as the primary criterion—music—aligns with the vision of my project.Regarding the working process, it varies depending on each situation. Most often, we exchange files until we create something we’re happy with. For artists based in Germany, I’m even willing to travel for a weekend to have a jam session and see if that approach works better for us. Collaborating in the same studio often takes more time, as everyone’s creative process is different, and this project is time-bound. My goal is to release a new collaboration each month, which means it’s a fast-paced project. Delivering great results within such a short time is both exciting and a bit daunting. However, I’m open to different settings and approaches, letting the flow and fun of the process guide me.

What goals do you still want to achieve? What are your plans for the future?

I would like to focus on gigs while also preparing demos, finishing my collaboration with a talented sound designer on something special we've been working on for a few months, and participating in other artistic projects. I aim to sustain and improve the new collaborative project and possibly even create music for films. Additionally, I would love to start performing live sets, but due to a lack of equipment, I’m uncertain when or how this will happen. I’m not sure in what order these goals will be achieved, but I believe I will find my way, and my intention is definitely there.


Dive deeper into MusicHub's Artist Spotlights

Get to know more artists that have released via MusicHub on our blog and learn how they started their careers and tackled the challenges an independent musician has to face.

Tune into our MusicHub #FridayReleaseSpotlight playlist to get introduced to some fresh finds and new music.

Photo Credits: Stanislav Glazov

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