From the depths of his soul, NIKOS, DJ Extrordinaire and one of the founding members of the Deep, Spirit-filled and Soulful Under My Skin Records ( http://undermyskinrecords.com ) mos definitely sho's his Love for the music, for his fellow man, and for his Lord.  Alright NIKOS...It's your turn.

Coco: When did YOU fall in love with EDM?

Nikos: Back in 95 I was playing jazz and  soul as a bass player in the UK when I bought by accident a double Roger Sanchez mixed CD.  I was totally blown away by it.  From then on It took me three years transitioning into a DJ and in the summer of '98 I got my first gig at the Yazz Club on the beach in the island of Santorini playing deep house every afternoon for 4 months.  Its still the best gig I ever had !!

Coco: So Why'd you choose EDM and not another kind of music?

NIKOS: I got into dance music because I felt it was the freshest thing I’ve heard at the time (1995) I love jazz and I found a lot of jazz in it (dance music).

Coco: What's your favorite genre(s)?

NIKOS: Deep, soulful house is definitely where I am at. Its all styles of black music wrapped up in one package. I also love drum & bass of the LTJ Bukem persuasion and minimal, smooth techno

Coco: WORD!!!  Right up my alley!  Now,  please name your artists, your influences, the date, time and place...your earliest memories of it.  Why did they make you want to do this kind of music?

NIKOS: My influences don't have to do with dance music necessarily. I love Miles Davis, Charlie Mingus ,Quincy Jones and Prince.  They are my biggest influences musically.

I was excited about the way I can I translate those influences into dance music. 

Coco: What's the first track that drove you wild?  How did it make you feel, and what did you do when you felt it?

NIKOS: I was gigging in Germany with a punk band playing bass back in 94. We were having breakfast at the hotel and MTV was on. I saw this band called the "Nightcrawlers" and the track was called Push The Feeling On.  I turned around to the drummer and our jaw dropped it was amazing.  I was totally hooked.  I was like, I wanna do a track like that.

Coco: When I first heard that track, I stopped dancing in the middle of the floor, and just listened.  Folks were looking at me like I was crazy...but I couldn't help it.  I was absolutely captivated by Push The Feeling On! 

Who are your heroes, in so much that just hearing the name of one of their tracks sends you into a nearly unconscious state?
 
NIKOS: As I said before I love jazz, that's my big love.  That's what I am trying to achieve with my music, that level of freedom.  Now from dance music artists, I love 95 north, Terry Francis and LTJ Bukem

Coco: Indeed...all of them are artists par excellence! Now as usual, the last (and most important) question... Where did you find the Lord in your music?  Just flow and tell me your story.  Wherever you want to go.  Let yourself go into the poetry of the thing.  It's alright.  Remember...It's just your family here.

NIKOS: I would say the Lord came and found me. When I got my first gig on that Greek island back in '95 I wasn't saved. In fact I was just recovering from a long period of  tribulations in my life and had absolutely no direction.I was very valnurable. That's when I met my wife, Elesha who was working in the same beach bar as a waitress.  She was an American from Virginia who was just travelling the world with her backpack. I immediately fell in love with her. She introduced me to Jesus. In the beginning I didn’t know how to believe, I was like a baby taking his first steps.  But I believed that such a beautiful
person like her must be right.

So, I tried to keep it up, although I didn't really understand.  I kept the doors of my heart open and my soul eager to be filled with the Holly Spirit. The rest is history.  I am sitting here right now, in Los Angeles , with my one year old son Noah walking around the house with Under My Skin Records, the ministry God gave to me, I am thinking of all of these folks out there that need to fill the void in their lives. The same void that I felt before my life was turned upside down.

And I know that if there is one reason that I wake up in the morning wanting to do this music thing its because of all these people out there who are struggling with drugs, with broken relationships, with lies with hatred and bitterness, those who have lost hope in life and they are just going through the motions. This is who I want to talk to because Jesus was always amongst those who need Him the most.  It's about time we take a new stand towards our fellow man.

It's about time to unite rather than being divided. It’s time to listen rather than judge.

Coco: I think it is so worthwhile to get to know the person's love side.  We already see the music side when we hear an artist's music or vocal interpretations, but we never get to know about the heart! So come on, y'all...Sho' Ya Love! Next time...Frankie Vibe!!!!