INTERVIEW: Julia Lunar (ElektroTerapi)

QUICKIE OF THE WEEK: A short interview with Julia Lunar (ElektroTerapi)

Pix666: Hello Julia. Thanks for your time. The most important question right at the beginning. Are you well and are you healthy?

Julia: Hi! Fortunately, the situation in Russia is improving. I live in Moscow and see that the city is almost back to its common way of life. At last, the time to meet with family and friends has arrived!

Pix666: What was the reason for you to want to become a musician?

Julia: Once, I downloaded FL Studio by mistake 🙂 I’m kidding! I have always loved music since I was a child and couldn’t live a day without it. I made my own volumes, first on cassettes, then on CDs. Music for me is the best way to share my feeling and ideas, to express myself and my world. In fact, I made several attempts to start, the last one, three years ago, grew into a project.

Pix666: Can you briefly describe to the readers what kind of music you make with ‘ElektroTerapi’. What language do you sing in and can you play any instruments??

Julia: Sure. It’s electronic music. Most of my tracks are written in a dark electro / electro industrial style. However, I like experimenting. I can be inspired by different genres and don’t like to get attached to one and the same thing. In my playlist, for example, you can find Hocico mixed up with Little Big.

I choose the language of my song spontaneously. I’m learning English and German, so I often use them in my lyrics. But I also like to write in my native language, Russian. And yes, it hasn’t been without experiments as a track “Być może” in Polish.

I don’t have any musical education, I’m self-taught. I write all my music with computer programs. I tried to learn to play the guitar several times, but I wasn’t successful.

Pix666: Who supports you with your project – songwriting, lyrics, studio work and production, video and photo shooting? What are you doing alone and who else is part of your team or live band?

Julia: As for the lyrics, music, vocal for ElektroTerapi, I make it all by myself. Mixing and mastering are done by my wonderful friends from Jukebox Records. My sound recorder was by my side on the stage at my first live performance. Not only did he help with the sound but he also danced.

I’m also lucky to have the people who are incredibly talented in photography and filming around me. I’m sure that photoshoots are an essential part of an activity of any artiste. Quality visuals should emphasize music and continue a concept. I like photoshoots, especially unusual ones, for example, in abandoned places. I love the atmosphere of such places! I was longing for the end of the shelter-in-place to get some of my ideas off the ground.

Also, my friends will help me with my first video in this project. Now we are at a stage of deciding on a location. The song for the video is already chosen.

Pix666: Where do you get the ideas and inspirations for the songs?

Julia: You know, the ideas come very spontaneously. Usually a small piece of what I’ve seen, heard or read can be enough to spark my fantasy into a flame. For example, the creation of “Side Effect” was inspired by an article in a medical journal.

But most often I find inspiration strikes on a trip.

Pix666: Can you still remember your first live performance? When and where was it? How were the reactions of the fans and how excited were you yourself?

Julia: Oh! I will never forget it! I first performed live in Moscow, at one of the highly anticipated and legendary events of the last summer – “Summer Gothic.ru Party”. I can’t say that I was too nervous. Through encouragement of my friends and listeners I felt so energetic and exited that I was rather overwhelmed with euphoria than worried. And seeing people dancing to my tracks is an incredible feeling of happiness which I’d like to repeat!

Pix666: You released your debut album a few months ago. Did you plan a tour for the time after the release? Did you have to cancel many dates because of the Corona crisis?

Julia: I have a feeling that it was in a past life. Yes, I had plans to do a mini-tour in support of my album, but the situation was against it. In addition, this July could become an absolutely miraculous month! Together with the Electro Fear band we were planning to perform our joint track “Your chemical lullaby” at the Castle Party festival in Poland. Unfortunately, due to the prohibition to hold mass events the festival was postponed to 2021. I’d like to truly believe that next year everything will work out.

Pix666: You are from Russia – what is the general mood in the country?

Julia: Well, As I’ve mentioned before, life is coming back to normal and the general mood is more or less positive. Obviously, the current situation has brought on many problems, which has had an impact on people’s moral state as well as public spirits in general. It’s difficult to stay in for a long time without an opportunity to see your dearest. That’s why people are becoming more active online in search for a common human contact and alternative entertainment, which I and my music can provide!

Pix666: How do you stay in contact with the fans? Are there any live stream activities planned?

Julia: In future I’m planning to live stream to directly interact with the fans. I know that some bands hold online concerts, which is an excellent opportunity for the audience to see their favorite musicians. I’m not planning any online performances yet, as I believe that live shows will come back in our life in the short term.

Pix666: How are your friends and families? How do you stay in touch with them, what kind of technics do you use?

Julia: I have always been for face-to-face communication, so you could say that during the quarantine I became and active user of video calls. Fortunately, my family and friends are doing well, though some of them faced with the virus but defeated it.

Pix666: How much do you miss being on stage these days and what other things do you miss the most at the moment?

Julia: I’m missing live performances, not only mine, but any concert or a party as an opportunity to just go out. I’m mostly missing my friends who I haven’t met with for over three months already. I’m really missing travelling as the main source of my inspiration.

Pix666: Do you believe that this crisis will change the behaviour of humanity in the future?

Julia: I think so. What has happened to all of us will change people’s consciousness but only for the near future. With time, things will go back to the way they were before the crisis. I wish I were mistaken and saw the future world a bit kinder and gentler.

Pix666: Do you have any other news about ElektroTerapi that you would like to share with the fans?

Julia: Definitely! And I’d be just happy to share some of them! First of all, for ElektroTerapi the quarantine period was extremely productive. As a result, soon some new tracks with me as a guest vocalist will be brought out. Currently, some more four joint tracks are being created. Secondly, in July, the “Side Effect” single with three remixes by insanely super musicians will come out. It’s already being mastering at a studio. Another piece of news is that in August, you will hear my new EP the songs for which are already written. There will be remixes too. And finally, the video of course! So, as you can see, I have lots to offer.

Pix666: Thank you very much for the interesting insights into your present life – Stay healthy!

Julia: Thank you for the interesting questions. Take care!

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