The noise figures are a lo-fi psych garage blues band that started life in Athens in 2012. Giorgos Nikas is on drum and vocal duties, while Stamos Babaris also shares the vocal load and brings in the fuzzed-out guitars. With Giorgos a member of the Zebra Tracks and Stamos a part of Keyser Soze, the originally began the Noise Figures as a side project. Having just released their debut self-titled lp on vinyl and digital formats through Inner Ear, they class their sound as “dirty” and bring with them a retro Californian air, that we rarely find in Greek bands.
What was the best record of 2013?
We’re somewhere in between Queens of the Stone Age “…Like Clockwork” and Thee Oh Sees “Floating Coffin”. It’s hard to choose.
What was the band’s best moment of 2013?
When we presented our record and saw so many people at Six Dogs, singing our lyrics. Is there someone that you would really like to work with? We’ve never really thought about it, but we would really like to see how Ty Segall works.
Has the crisis held you down or made you work harder?
If anything it’s made us quit all our other jobs and just focus on music.
Your sound, even though you are a Greek band is very retro-Californian. How did you make that happen?
With the right equipment and by letting all our influences boil to the surface, all the music we’ve heard since we were kids and all the way up to today.
Why are getting such a hard time on your latest videclip “Out of your mind”. What did you do?
The idea behind the video is that Stamos is suffering from some form of psychosis and is seeing things. Giorgos is trying to bring him round and is chasing after him. We end up with a shaman, so he can be healed. That’s the only scene were we didn’t need to be stuntmen as well. It’s one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to do.
You’ve just put your record out and already there are U.S. sites raving about your work. How does that make you feel?
I think Greek music is now much better at communicating itself beyond our borders and that’s really important for everyone involved in the local music scene. It’s really encouraging.
What else can we expect from you?
A live performance in Athens and quite a few outside the city, all within the space of January and then it’s back to the studio to record another album. We really like this process and plan to do it often.
If you had to describe love with an image or a lyric, what would it be?
Love is blindness.
Interview: Νatasa Koumi
Photo by Thodoris Markou
