Vangelis has had a profound effect on electronic music as an avid composer in the New Age, Soundtrack and Progressive genres, all while keep a distinct electronic quality to his music. He has used synthesizers as well as Hammond organs throughout his 50 plus year career. One of the amazing aspects of Vangelis as a musician is that although he has composed many movie scores he has done it while being primarily self-taught. Without a real desire to learn how to read or write music, he was able to explore how to create from his heart. His style has been ambient, classical and even progressive rock and he has written some very memorable film scores.

Vangelis plays synthesizers to create lush ambient instrumentals. When composing film scores, it is usually after he watches a rough cut that he begins the creative process. He does not utilize any outside musicians and uses a MIDI recording process where he records all of his parts at once. Afterwards, he goes back and modifies what he recorded to better suite the final idea. The machine that Vangelis uses to achieve this recording process is called the Zyklus MIDI Performance System. This innovative piece of equipment allows a performer to record a MIDI instrument into it like a 12 track sequencer, or to be the main processor to up to 64 MIDI slaver devices. Another characteristic of Vangelis’ music has been his wide ranging creative style. He has not stuck to one genre, instead seeming to fluctuate almost on purpose. His music has been used for the Olympics, movie scores, documentaries and television commercials. This is a testament to his eclectic creative style, and to a career where he has not tried to be painted into a creative corner.

When I listen to Vangelis I often feel like I am on a boat with very light wind, sort of just bobbing up and down softly along a river. His music allows me to relax while still remaining focused – a very unique quality to be sure. One of my earliest memories of commercial music was his “Chariots of Fire” theme, which I still thoroughly enjoy listening to today. Vangelis has truly made some of the most beautiful music that has touched my life from a young boy to the man I am today. I often listen to music from Vangelis, Yanni and Ludovico Einaudi before I go into my studio to set my mind on a certain plane.