This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)
We met in 2017, and I was immediately impressed by this beautifully radiant woman. Irish Olympias Marras, now living in Amsterdam, told me about her DJ debut in May of that year. "I just played what I wanted."
“My very first performance took place in a piano bar. I used to play the piano and sing along. Although I loved doing this and even saw a potential career in it, around the same time, I started attending dance festivals and house parties. This sparked my growing interest in electronic dance music. I realized I enjoyed the music and the atmosphere around it. Being free to play any genre, combined with the sounds coming from the speakers, that thought ‘blew me away.’ I wanted to know more immediately.”
Positivity
“Fortunately, I had a few mentors in the form of friends and my brothers. They all have great musical tastes and taught me who to listen to or look out for. Each track holds so many memories and can generate so much positivity; that’s exactly what I aim for when I perform. I try to create a mix of a nice tune from the past with new, fantastic music.”
'Fearless'
“My first performance as a DJ in Amsterdam was at the Cue Bar. It was fantastic. I was ‘fearless.'” (laughs) “However, as I grew, I also became more nervous. Moving to a new country and being far away from my friends gave me new connections, but the first time I played, I just played what I wanted. Lately, I’m returning more to my roots, and I feel more comfortable in my environment.”
Key
“I try not to prepare my sets too much. As long as I have a playlist of about a hundred records that I can work with, I have confidence. The key is knowing your music and controlling your nervousness. The rest comes down to playing with the crowd. I play a lot of different styles. I want to be able to play anywhere and get the audience involved.”
Thrill
“In terms of nervousness, every gig still feels like the first. Those nerves are simultaneously part of the thrill. Once I’ve mixed two or three records together, all nerves are gone. I perform best when I don’t know anyone in the audience. I know that, especially when I play for my loved ones, I shouldn’t feel pressure, but that doesn’t apply to me.”
Events
“I’ve been fortunate to perform in numerous countries: the Netherlands, Germany, China, the United States, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland. Nowadays, I want to focus more on organizing events and invite everyone who has accompanied me on this musical journey to come and play. My goal is to produce more sounds, expand my library, and learn to perform live. I hope to achieve that next year. I still have a long way to go before I get there.”
“On June 24, I’m organizing my first event called DROP. It takes place at Club Oak in Amsterdam. The night will be filled with DJs and a live performance.”
This interview with Olympias Marras is originally published in May 2017 on DJMag.nl.