Musician — Stockholm
Name, where are you from?
Gavana, currently living in Stockholm grew up in Gothenburg, with a Greek background.
What do you do?
DJ and producer/composer as Gavana - and as part of duo's Pufferfisk and Bass Trolls. I am also an author and have written books about DJ culture (as Anna Gavanas).
Describe your style in three words?
Analogue, bass and dub oriented.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
High Tone, a French steppers dub act, when they played at the Clandestino festival in Gothenburg.
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Killa Sista and Osaka Steppas - because it would be absolutely mind-blowing to experience these titans from the Japanese steppers dub scene.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
I’ve been around the block for ages, so have several influences. 1) Steppers dub and sound system culture (I was totally immersed in sound system culture when I lived in Leeds and London, and used to go to the legendary club Subdub in Leeds). 2) Italo disco, from growing up in the 1980s and listening to Swedish radio at the time 3) Greek Rebetiko (an urban subculture from the early 1900s), since I was a child - my dad used to play rebetiko records and take us to dances.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Rebetiko legend Sotiria Bellou (1921-1997). A pioneer of the Greek underground. She lived a very rough life and I would like to know so much more about her and the history she was part of.
Of all the independent venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Ritterbutzke in Berlin, awesome industrial setting and sound.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Nuphlo. Top drum & bass / jungle producer and part of the UK Asian Underground that emerged in the mid-1990s.
-
The first track you played on repeat?
'Break Dance Party' by Break Machine – it was the first record I owned but I only had it on cassette so couldn’t really play it “on repeat”…
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Bolero' by the Italo artist Fancy. I recently made a cover of it with Italo synth-duo Pufferfisk.
One record you would keep forever?
'Dubz From De Higher Regionz' by Iration Steppas. Classic!
A song lyric that has inspired you?
I don’t go for lyrics when I listen to (or make) music. But I’ve been greatly inspired by Jah Warrior’s basslines.
A song you wished you had written?
'Glory' by Jah Warrior.
Best song to turn up loud?
'Original Nuttah' by Shy FX / UK Apache.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Fallen Angel' by Alphaville.
The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
'Life' by Tiken Jah Fakoly and Dub Inc.
Best song to end an all-nighter?
'Bitches from Hell' by Thomas Krome was always the perfect ending when DJing with my crew - DJ Anaya (Anna Öström) and/or DJ Paizan (Tanya Christensen).
Any new bands you are into at the moment?
During the pandemic, all DJ gigs and shows are cancelled and there are few new releases. So I’ve been locked up in my studio making Greek dub while digging deeper for my roots. I have mostly listened to Greek rebetiko music from the 1920s and 1930s, by artists like Markos Vamvakaris, A. Kostis and Giannis Papaioannou: music my grandparents listened to on 78 rpm records.
Name, where are you from?
Gavana, currently living in Stockholm grew up in Gothenburg, with a Greek background.
What do you do?
DJ and producer/composer as Gavana - and as part of duo's Pufferfisk and Bass Trolls. I am also an author and have written books about DJ culture (as Anna Gavanas).
Describe your style in three words?
Analogue, bass and dub oriented.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
High Tone, a French steppers dub act, when they played at the Clandestino festival in Gothenburg.
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Killa Sista and Osaka Steppas - because it would be absolutely mind-blowing to experience these titans from the Japanese steppers dub scene.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
I’ve been around the block for ages, so have several influences. 1) Steppers dub and sound system culture (I was totally immersed in sound system culture when I lived in Leeds and London, and used to go to the legendary club Subdub in Leeds). 2) Italo disco, from growing up in the 1980s and listening to Swedish radio at the time 3) Greek Rebetiko (an urban subculture from the early 1900s), since I was a child - my dad used to play rebetiko records and take us to dances.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Rebetiko legend Sotiria Bellou (1921-1997). A pioneer of the Greek underground. She lived a very rough life and I would like to know so much more about her and the history she was part of.
Of all the independent venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Ritterbutzke in Berlin, awesome industrial setting and sound.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Nuphlo. Top drum & bass / jungle producer and part of the UK Asian Underground that emerged in the mid-1990s.
-
The first track you played on repeat?
'Break Dance Party' by Break Machine – it was the first record I owned but I only had it on cassette so couldn’t really play it “on repeat”…
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Bolero' by the Italo artist Fancy. I recently made a cover of it with Italo synth-duo Pufferfisk.
One record you would keep forever?
'Dubz From De Higher Regionz' by Iration Steppas. Classic!
A song lyric that has inspired you?
I don’t go for lyrics when I listen to (or make) music. But I’ve been greatly inspired by Jah Warrior’s basslines.
A song you wished you had written?
'Glory' by Jah Warrior.
Best song to turn up loud?
'Original Nuttah' by Shy FX / UK Apache.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Fallen Angel' by Alphaville.
The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
'Life' by Tiken Jah Fakoly and Dub Inc.
Best song to end an all-nighter?
'Bitches from Hell' by Thomas Krome was always the perfect ending when DJing with my crew - DJ Anaya (Anna Öström) and/or DJ Paizan (Tanya Christensen).
Any new bands you are into at the moment?
During the pandemic, all DJ gigs and shows are cancelled and there are few new releases. So I’ve been locked up in my studio making Greek dub while digging deeper for my roots. I have mostly listened to Greek rebetiko music from the 1920s and 1930s, by artists like Markos Vamvakaris, A. Kostis and Giannis Papaioannou: music my grandparents listened to on 78 rpm records.
Gavana | Malagueta (2014)
