Waterblack will rock you
Nathalie Kyrou on the emerging Cypriot rock band 'Waterblack' + exclusive interview...

Their name sounds as intriguing as their music. Having known the duo who founded the band, Andreas Economides and Chris Charalambides, from early school days, I was not only curious to hear what they had gotten up to in the past decade, but excited to hear them perform, and get the scoop on their musical ambitions.
I went to see their performance in July at Avlaia club in Nicosia with the enthusiasm of an ex-rocker chick. The setting at the nightspot was perfect: dark and moody, yet cosy and intimate. Candles accented tables, dark wooden beans and a loft style venue created a seductive atmosphere, the ambiance complementing well the type of music emitting from the great sound-system.

As the ground floor began to fill up, the five members of Waterblack quietly stumbled onto the stage, dressed casually in t-shirts and jeans. But that is the only thing they did quietly, as they kicked off their concert with a loud and strong beat, and kept things rocking away there on. Jonathan Vatikiotis, the guitarist, in his stylish beret, electrified the audience with his solo instrumentals; bassist Demetris Papanicolaou and drummer Marcos Economides worked wonders with the rhythm and tempo, while Andreas (aka Eco) and Chris’s performances truly set the crowds on fire.
Chris’s energy as he worked the keys and sang back-up vocals was contagious; he was by far the most expressive keyboard artist I have ever seen – his expression and body gestures were so animated at times, they were priceless! His electronic sounds, piercing the air on some of the tunes, truly caught my attention, adding an original twist to the music. Eco’s versatile voice, cascading out of his mouth with rich texture and character, enveloped us in its beguilingly contrasting tones.

Waterblack, formed in 1996 as a cover band, regrouped several years later to record their first album, Orem, which has picked up awards at Garageband.com for: Best Male Vocals, Best Lyrics, Best Production, and Best Mood. The band is extremely into the whole performance aspect, offering us authentic alternative rock and grunge/punk music, doused in feeling and vivacity. Eco, who I remember as being quiet and shy at school, let out his wild side on stage, surprising me with his powerful voice of steel, by belting out vocals with dynamic force. He didn’t have to lose control and start jumping around the stage smashing his guitar on the floor to enthrall us all - the look of concentration on his face as he sang with eyes closed and strummed his guitar epitomized his wild abandon to music.

Waterblack gave it their all, engrossing their already loyal fan-base and acquiring new ones with every song, without needing any special effects, spectacular costumes, or distractive antics. Their concert relied solely on a straight-forward performance of quality music. Taking us back in time to the early nineties, when rock reached its peak with bands like Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Live and Nirvana, Waterblack has truly brought this style of music back into the spotlight. Although, with its thunderous reverberations, their music may not be for all tastes - nor the faint-hearted - if you give them a chance, Waterblack are sure to entrance you with their vibrant vibe and depth of passion.
They performed the group’s latest songs ‘The Pier’ and ‘Your Mutiny’, and I particularly loved some of the slower tracks, like ‘Backseat’, which showed off Eco’s natural ability to reach those softer notes as well as the grungier tones he bellows out so well. He truly warmed up in the second half of the show – you could see how much he was enjoying himself in his smile and looser body language. And when it came to the end, the crowds demanded an encore, Eco’s acoustic performance of ‘Living in the Ruins’ was proof enough that all it takes to captivate an audience is a great song and enchanting vocals.

The thing about bands is, they either have the special ‘it’ factor on stage, or they don’t, in which case one is better off sticking to listening to the CD. With Waterblack, their album is great, and they are even better live, which only further augments their talent as a band, and their chances to hit it big someday. In the meantime, with their popularity growing by the day, they are still one of the few local-based rock bands performing original English songs on the island. As I already know what interesting personalities the band members are, I would really love to see them in the future, as they gain even more confidence on-stage, interacting more with the crowds. At the moment though, their music says it all – it’s all they need to communicate to the public what they are all about.
Nevertheless, I had to catch up with my old school-mates and ask them a few questions about what it’s like to be in a rock band….something most people only ever dream about. When I caught up with Chris and Eco, who are both musically self-taught, they seemed at first a little hesitant about divulging much about themselves, instead cracking jokes back and forth as they did growing up. Thankfully, they warmed up to the idea soon enough, after some reminiscing.

photos © Nathalie Kyrou

I know your influences are the famous rock bands of the nineties, but when it comes to your music, what is your biggest inspiration?
C- The ‘Unseen world’. All creative people get their inspiration from something which they connect to which others can’t see. As musicians we are all part of the “music service”, chosen to do this – it’s not our choice, it’s our calling. The way I approach music is very different to Eco, as I own and run a music production studio (Soundscape Studios), my background is in piano, and I concentrate more on the sound, rather than the song-writing part. I don’t express myself through words. I focus on the production quality in a song when I am listening to it. When I work, I come up with the concept, the sound, the arrangement and the production idea for the album. There are unlimited possibilities in the studio, and I find this is the hardest part for any band…to try and develop a unique sound and identity.
E- I am the singer-songwriter of the band. I don’t have a creative everyday job, but I play music every day. I write the lyrics and the music on my guitar and then take the finished song to Chris in the studio, where we decide how to develop and record it. I prefer to write about personal experiences – some of my songs are written in the first person, but others are just like stories. My inspiration comes from life experiences that trouble me, or things I find unfair… but (laughs) we try not to focus too much on the depressive side of things since we are always churning out new songs! For me, the real challenge of performance is to be able to switch into the mood of a particular song - how I felt when I wrote it - so I can sing it in the appropriate style. That’s the most draining part.
Well, it seems that your differences complement each other well, not only in friendship but in music too. What are some of the challenges you face as an emerging rock band in Cyprus?
E- As an unsigned rock band, it is very much harder to become famous out here. We choose to stick to the type of music we love, and not take the commercial route. Also people these days have developed a “lazy” ear…
C- Yeah, when it comes to rock, bands that are popular here are listened to mainly because they are mainstream and already big abroad.
E- The real challenge in general with being in a band, is striking a balance between performance and creating. If you’re rehearsing all the time, then you miss the writing part and vise versa, so balance is the key.
How did Waterblack get its name?
E- An hour before we were supposed to be on stage back in 1998, we had to make a last minute decision on our band’s name, and that’s how we came up with that. We would rather keep the meaning of it a secret, just like our songs, and let people make their own interpretations.
How very mysterious! Would you divulge what your music is about? Is there a message you are trying to send out to your listeners?
E- We would rather not say what each individual song is about… but the general theme of our album is the struggle of youth in modern society. Our first song, ‘Burdened Youth’, was written back in ’96 and our latest song on the album is called ‘Backseat’ and was created in ’04.
Do you listen to the type of music you play? What about your own music?
C- Ha ha! Yes, we do listen to rock, although there is no specific artist at the moment that we are hooked on. We are both big fans of Radiohead, and we notice our young fans now listen to the rock bands that we used to listen to back in the 90s. (Sniggering)….Yes, we do actually listen to our own music, but we didn’t for at least a year after we finished recording in studio!
Do you have a routine before each performance?
C- Eco’s decided that no one is allowed to have any alcohol during or before a performance…ha ha…we’re not at the stage yet when we can get smashed while we play!
E- (Seriously) We don’t need any external stimulants to enhance our performances. People are paying for consistency - staying sober is a way to achieve this. One thing we do before each and every time we perform, though, is rehearse like crazy!
So what’s in store for the future of Waterblack?
E - I am very new to the whole “charging people to see us” thing. I believe that money and the arts should never mix. In fact I would perform exactly the same even if our concerts were free.
C – Unfortunately, radio stations out here are not known for supporting local bands. However, we are currently putting together two music videos. One of our goals is to perform internationally. We don’t want to limit ourselves to Cyprus – we are using it strictly as a training field right now, as the market here is way too small for English speaking music, especially in the genre of rock. But making it big is not all that’s important. We enjoy playing music just for the fun of it.
E- Yeah, if you really, really love something that much, it’s hard to fight it. If I had to give up my music, I would be unhappy. When performing, I feel that I belong on stage, and I am so happy to be finally able to give back to the people. At the end of the day, if my songs make a difference to someone out there, if I can give back to the listener what I get from listening to music, I’ve accomplished my goal.
So what’s the most important thing you’ve learnt through all your experiences so far?
C- Our band is always evolving, but the roots are always there. Eco and I have been friends since primary school, we formed the group together, and we love the dynamics of working together – we always will.
E- Exactly. Motivating and encouraging each other along the way - that is so important. We want the fame and glory (chuckling), but the support between the band members, when it comes down to it… that’s the most valuable thing.

Waterblack’s album is available from local music stores and online. Check their website for upcoming performances across Cyprus...
www.waterblack.net