Driven by her so called multi-task tourette Zou considers herself a Jacky of all trades completely directing all aspects of the music project Zouzounee. She is independent and most creative without commercial pressure.

"My limitations are challenging my creativity which ultimately defines the authentic style and sound of Zouzounee, according to the motto just doing it! (einfach machen!)“

Interview with Zouzounee

Who is behind the music project Zouzounee and what does the name mean?

The name is Greek for small beetle. Different spelling, but it essentially refers to someone who "swirls around", has "fingers in every pie", in the best sense of the word grooving and humming with energy. My Greek boss called me that and I immediately said it would be my stage name. I thought it suits me and my multi-task “Tourette” (laughs). Zouzounee is a one-woman project in which I, Zou, take over the complete direction.

You do everything yourself?

 Everything! I write, produce and perform my own songs, including videos and artwork.

How do you keep focus?

 I don´t. I jump from one to the other... if I get stuck on one thing or get tired of it, I continue with the other... always buzzziiing, no standing still...

How long have you been making music?

 I've been making music for as long as I can remember, sometimes more, sometimes less. As the daughter of a professionally trained musician, I wrote my first song at the age of 5, or rather scrawled it. It was about my mother always being at home alone while my father was out at night performing at gigs...

I've mastered the basics of some instruments but haven't become a virtuoso on any of them as I generally get bored easily and just didn't stick with it. I was always anyway more interested in the whole thing, I mean the overall production. Just because I already hear most of the music & sound and the whole song in my head. The challenge of translating and implementing that appeals to me. Often indeed quite a challenge.

What do you mean by that?

Well, lack of means, for example, how to implement music in exactly the same way, with or without appropriate acoustic instruments, without pro musicians. Every now and then I reach limits, which in turn challenges my creativity, sometimes resulting in something completely different and much better. I make a virtue of necessity, so to speak, and thus create my own style and sound.

Did you set up your own recording studio?

That would be it. I've invested a lot of time and money in my small home studio, but as I said, I'm always missing a tool. The digital development is extremely fast and almost everyone can now implement their own ideas with the right tools... but having all the options often has the opposite effect on me. Technically speaking, I have much better tools these days, but I often find some of my tracks produced on a 4-track recorder 20 years ago much more interesting.

What exactly does it mean that you make music “sometimes more, sometimes less”?

I have experimented in different directions on a trial and error basis, implemented ideas and produced songs. Discarded them then started from scratch. Finding your own style also means accepting that you might not fit into a category. I've often started over and over as I just trailed off, also due to daytime jobs and… “life in between”, with all its stumbling blocks.

And the fact that I mostly met unreliable people and musicians to produce music together was the reason why I started doing everything myself. Because I HAD TO do something!!

That took time. Also getting back into the flow, a constant stop and go. I have always motivated myself and taught myself everything I needed to know. After a long break without music, I finally noticed that I was missing an important part of me. In the beginning I only produced songs as a mantra, for self-motivation (laughs). Then the flow came back and today I´ve arrived at my independent pro productions with a clear vision and continue to work on it.

Working with Käpt'n Kinky in particular motivated me to produce a more “Up” song that is “Kinky Me”. Unlike most of my downtempo tracks.

Have you never considered to pursue a professional career in music?

 We all know the music industry has changed a lot. There´s way too much. Way too fast. Too shallow. That's just no fun. Everything seems artificial and commercial. And now there's also AI! All without  soul, inauthentic, and above all with far too much pressure from outside.

Simply being able to be creative, unleashing everything that needs to come out, without commercial pressure, that's my thing. Because this pressure would take away the fun and creativity. That's why I've been sticking to my indie releases for the last few years. For me, this is also a form of freedom that I would be reluctant to give up.

I prefer to work in the background. But let's put it this way: when the Käpt´n calls then I set the sails and let the curtain fall or simply "come out of the closet” (laughs) ...

How is the music created and where do you get your inspiration?

It's not like I have to regularly go to the seaside for a few weeks to have ideas coming. It's more like (as it is for KK, we're very similar in this respect) that I literally “write” all the time, at any time of the day or night. I don't want to miss an idea. On any, appropriate or inappropriate occasion, if I notice, like or think of something, whatever occurs to me I write down lines or sing melodies into my cell phone. I  elaborate them once I can, or they'll just end up in the famous drawer... but never forgotten. The music I create afterwards in my home studio, where I retreat to go with the flow.

So you always work on your notes in a targeted manner?

 Mostly yes, but what I love most is to write intuitively, just sitting down and letting the inspiration come.

A very unique and interesting dynamic happens when I do and entire demos are often “magically” completed quite quickly. There are songs that I listen to after a long time and I think how the hell did you do that?? Or, where did these lines come from? Because my lyrics are sometimes encrypted, speaking in riddles, not accessible at first glance, you have to listen more closely, like a diary in Esperanto...

You do everything in your own home studio?

 For individual recordings of acoustic instruments and most of the vocal takes as well as the mastering, I regularly work with a professional recording studio.

How did the collaboration with Käpt´n Kinky come about?

We met at a party a few years ago and we were tuned to the same wavelength straight away. A few months later we were sitting in my kitchen, talking about the world and everything, including art and music, of course. I already knew the works of the Käpt´n and suddenly we were in the middle of a brainstorm. One thing led to another and the basic concept for our exhibition, which combines art and music, was created. We were enthusiastic and immediately convinced that we could do it all. In spite of a lot of obstacles repeatedly in our way, we actually made it according to our motto "Simply do it", which you can see for yourself on September 29th, 2023 at gallery "erstererster".

And the song? How did the song "Kinky Me" come about?

The song "Kinky me" was one of those “quickies”. I already had an idea of the tempo and sound, and the lyrics were also written quickly. I think the first demo including vocal arrangements was done in half an hour. The idea for the video was also there right away, and the storyboard was quickly carved out.

Right, there's also this explosive, colourful and gaudy pop-like video, isn´t there?

Shooting was great fun, which I think comes across very well and corresponds exactly to the drive of the song and the spirit of Käpt´n Kinky. Only the editing took quite some time, there were just too many good takes!

And although I've heard the song so many times due to the clip selection and editing and should be tired of it by now, I still think it's good, at least it gets me each and every time. That's a good sign for me personally, because first and foremost you should like it yourself.

Do you have a video for each of your songs?

Yes. More on that in the next interview.

Thank you

Thanks

The Interview was conducted in 2023 by Delia Law in the context of the project collaboration with Käpt´n Kinky and the related single Kinky Me