Sofie Loizou

:::biography(s):::

DJ bio

Sofie Loizou has been DJ'ing using a laptop since 2003, a move which had vinyl heads up in arms. However she still collects vinyl and releases on vinyl, but as she says in her own words "Dj'ing from laptop makes more sense to me because as a music producer am making and remixing music using a computer, so it is an instrument that is more familiar to me than turntables." Her releases on vinyl include a whopping seven records on electro label "Southern Outpost", distributed by the likes of Clone Records in Rotterdam and Submerge in Detroit, and more recently collaborated with Theo Parrish on a killer house track "The Chemistry" released on Sound Signature in 2008. Sofie is about to launch her own record label "Radical Nature Records" and her first release will be a collaboration between her and San Fransiscan producer "bvdub" on 10 inch vinyl. In 2009 Sofie discovered the new sound sometimes called "abstract hip hop/wonky or future beats" and has become a champion of that sound in Sydney, playing at parties like VOID, Technique, Space is the Place and Headroom. Sofie also co-promotes Space is the Place, and CDR-Sydney.

fun bio

It all started when Sofie, age 15, borrowed an old synthesiser from a friend. Intrigued and beguiled by its puzzling menu layout and strangely labelled functions, she was destined to ask "what does that button do?". Thus began a long and sordid love affair with electronics and music.

Some fun things Sofie has been involved in include, releases on Australian electro label Southern Outpost, various panels at Sound Summit/Electrofringe , participant at the Red Bull Music Academy in Cape Town 2003, live experimental music performances in Germany with Dawid Szczesny @ Staalplaat Records, DJ'ing nationally and internationally as a champion of the new abstract hip hop sound. Co-organiser of CDR Sydney and Space is the Place . Sofie also composes for orchestra and electronics, and participated in a musical experiment called "A Class of It's Own" in Germany, and worked alongside and wrote with various artists including the Mizell Brothers and Theo Parrish. Sofie also dabbles in experimental new media art, builds new musical instruments and interfaces and plays in bands as the obligatory synth chick with Tracy Redhead.

short bio

Sofie aspires to translate life experiences into music. This has led her on a journey over several continents, where she has co-written music with artists from places such as South Africa, Poland, and Russia. The journey has led her back to her home town of Sydney where she currently works in her recording studio in Bondi Junction, producing music for local artists and composing her own electro-acoustic works. Sofie's music utilises experimental audio software, drum machines and synths, tape and vinyl samples, found sounds and traditional instruments. Her debut album, The Magenta Incident, will be out in Feburary 2009, and she has just finished co-writing and producing a solo album for Jacqui Hunt, lead singer from the pioneering Sydney electronic band “Single Gun Theory”. Sofie is interested in sensory crossover and incorporates other artistic mediums into her work, creating a delicate balance between subconscious and spontaneous sonic discourse. This has led her to build new musical instruments, and also write and produce music for the screen, theatre and orchestra. Her orchestral commissions have been heard by the Governor at the City Recital Hall, her public sound installations by thousands of Sydneysiders, her theatre pieces commisioned for performance at the Carriageworks, Seymour Centre and Bondi Pavilion and her musical instrument building has been commissioned by the Australia Council for Arts. In her spare time Sofie enjoys podcasting, playing in her band Tracy Redhead, and blogging her journeys and musings at http://sofieloizou.com

long bio

SOFIE LOIZOU

Sofie graduated from UWS Nepean with a Bachelor Arts Music (honours) in 1998. She then went on to manage Nu-Town Recording Studio for 2 years, and has since been running her own recording studio, Tweak Laboratory, working as a composer, sound designer and producer for corporate clients and independent artists.

As an electronic musician, Sofie has released seven EP's on local record label Southern Outpost from 1999-2005 and moonlights under various other monikers in the dubstep and house music genres. She participated in the Red Bull Music Academy in Cape Town, South Africa in 2003, where she studied and worked alongside notables Robert Moog and Hugh Masakela, appeared on panels at Sound Summit and Electrofringe between 2000-2009. Experimental music collaborations with Polish sound artist Dawid Szczesny resulted in live performances in Leipzig and Berlin and as a DJ, Sofie performed at the Sonar Festival, Barcelona in 2005, and the St Jerome's Festival in Melbourne 2008.

As a a new media artist, Sofie participated in the worldwide art exhibition "Cracks in the Pavement" in 2005, exhibited living art and sound art sculptures at the Don't Look Gallery, Sydney in 2007. Sofie was granted funding from the Australia Council for the Arts to build a new musical instrument, The Shimmer, which is currently in production, as well as partaking in pioneering research with programmer Scott Eggert from the USA, to build a brain-wave controlled musical instrument and a brain-wave to to midi device.

As a composer Sofie has been commissioned for numerous theatre works by Sydney directors over the last eight years, and as a sound designer in 2007 for the CarriageWorks night time #2 program, and in 2008 for '"The Sky is Falling", a 4 month long installation for Art and About in Angel Place, Sydney. Her debut as an orchestral composer occurred in 2006 at the Royal Flying Doctors Charity Event, where her piece “Dawn Spree” was performed, and conducted by Gavin Lockley. She also collaborated with Gavin Lockley on the composition/sound design for Cavalcade - The Arena Spectacular at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 2006.

Sofie has been an active organiser in local community arts and music programs for young people at MYRC and YouthBlock, and is active in the local electronic music scene organising events with promotion crew "Space is the Place", and "CDr" music producer meets with Lorna Clarkson and Mark Pritchard.

As a music producer Sofie also has production and composition credits on forthcoming solo album by Jacqui Hunt from groundbreaking electronic ensemble Single Gun Theory, and plays synthesisers in a band with Sydney songstress, Tracy Redhead. Sofie's own debut album is set for release in February 2009.