Shooting The Mediterranean Breeze with Lex Athens
We catch up with the Athenian maestro following a succession of spellbinding releases
Among the myriad new releases filling the vinyl racks and engorging our ungovernable promo folder over the last few years, one of a select number of names to brightly glisten through the audio throngs is that of Lex – or Lex Athens, as he sometimes likes to be known.
Our first experience of his free-flowing sound came in the form of ‘Players Paradise’ back in 2021 – a sprawling organic house epic, gloriously embellished with dancing congas, psychedelic synth solos, and powerfully driving chords. A quick succession of follow-ups saw more irresistible work arrive on the ever-reliable Leng Records, Samosa, and Delusions Of Grandeur, before his debut album, ‘Waiving’, landed via Margate’s finest in the spring of this year.
Displaying deep house flex with loose-limbed jazz-funk freedom, every title struck a chord, so much so that we felt compelled to reach out to find out a little more about the intriguing artist.
With an imaginative and musically-rich sound that appears so far removed from the generic, producer-pack-fueled tracks clogging up release schedules these days, it’s perhaps of little surprise to learn that Lex’s musical roots run deep. “I’ve been doing music for a long time, mostly electronic, but for the last three years it’s been different,” says Lex. Working with other musicians and incorporating live instrumentation into his compositions helped his sound scale new sonic heights, with the cut and thrust of studio collaboration adding new dimensions to his sound. “The collaboration with different musicians has helped a lot and has inspired me to use a lot of physical elements. I think the creative process is much more exciting like this and I really enjoy it.”
Introduced to music at an early age, it was the prog-leaning sounds of his father’s record collection that first chimed with Lex. The likes of Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Dire Straits, Leonard Cohen, Mike Oldfield, Simon and Garfunkel, and Demis Roussos were interspersed with waves of classical music to form his primary musical education. “I connected almost immediately with all these sounds but as a teenager – and still do – before I journeyed through lots of different styles, from early hip-hop to early ‘90s rave. Somewhere in the middle think there was even a metal period if I can recall correctly!”
A “dedicated clubber” since the early ‘90s, Lex found plenty of inspiration deep in the Athens underground, with pivotal venue Alsos Club providing the bulk of the rave-infused nourishment. “I remember the first time I went there, it was something so new for me that made my life change immediately. And I dare to say it’s still like this! After Alsos, there were a few more clubs such as +Soda, Factory and later on Yumatic which also made some serious history on the local scene.”
It wasn’t long before Lex himself became a key player in the Greek capital’s bubbling subterranean music scene, and in 2002 he opened the now mythical Radical Soundz record store in the city – a shop that would serve as a hub for in-the-know Athenians on the hunt for esoteric vinyl digs. “The inspiration for Radical Soundz came from a friend who thought that there was room for a record shop in North Athens. So, I started it in the neighbourhood I grew up in from a pretty young age. To be honest, without really thinking about it, I started importing records every week from all over the world – from The US, UK, Germany, France and Italy. It turned out to be a good idea finally since I owe almost everything to that shop. It was definitely a good time.”
Though the shop eventually closed in 2009, the connections made and far-flung sounds that he curated helped fan the flames of what would follow. Informed by house luminaries like Glenn Underground, MAW, Moodymann, Ron Trent, Jimpster and DJ Gregory, Lex set to work fusing his love of four-to-the-floor with the polychromatic sounds of dub disco and Balearic beats. Each of these influences delicately infuses Lex’s productions, and more than a decade after closing the doors on Radical Soundz, his creative flame is burning brighter than ever. While making full use of a tantalising ensemble of analogue and hardware synths – including Moog Sub 37, Prophet Rev2, Nord Modular, and Juno 106 – it’s the live elements that have invigorated his sound in recent years. Live bass, aberrant solos and devilishly propulsive percussion and drums add so much to his sound signature, and his choice of studio associates helps to complete the intricate audio tapestry.
Joining Lex on both 2021’s ‘Pacifica EP’ on Samosa and this year’s ‘7 Day Path’ on Delusions Of Grandeur was fellow Greek artist, Locke, and the magnificent music yielded on these releases was born out of a longstanding friendship. “Me and Locke met back in 2004 in Berlin. We immediately became friends and we still are. Our first collaboration was when we started MOVE Project in 2011 – A very special private club night where photos and videos are not allowed and the lineup is secret.” The pair discussed collaborating in the studio long ago, but it took a while for the project to finally manifest.”We delayed the project a lot, but looks like it was worth the wait! We’re working on new stuff by the way and soon you will have more news from us.”
Perhaps ironically, the recent pandemic-enforced lockdowns proved favourable to Lex’s creative endeavours. “It’s strange to say but feels like Covid was very helpful for me in many aspects,” he says. Among the flurry of impeccable releases crafted, his debut album on Leng is a landmark moment that’s eminently worthy of savouring. More than a year in the making, the album is full of highlights. From the emotive harmonics of lead single ‘Punta Allen’ to the nocturnal funk of ‘Window Spells’, the Latin-jazz infections of ‘Down My Soul’ to the heads-down bump of ‘Patrol De Caribe’. For Lex, though, two tracks, in particular, stand out. “I was totally alone working on the music for the album, so there aren’t so many stories to tell about the production. But finishing ‘Waving’ and ‘Silver Peace’ were the most memorable. My big brother from Berlin, Stassy, unexpectedly visited me in the studio and finally helped me finish those tracks in front of a phenomenal sunset. It was an epic afternoon.”
The music he’s gifted the world over the last few years has deservedly generated a good deal of international buzz, contributing to a packed DJ schedule over the summer months. “At the moment I am looking forward to my summer gigs in some amazing places – mostly in Greece,” he says. On top of this, he’s managed to maintain his furious studio work rate, and – though there’s more music on the horizon, he remains seductively tight-lipped when it comes to details. “The only thing I’m allowed to say right now is that there will be some follow-up records on Leng Records and B2 recordings, as well as a few remixes on the way.”
