Playgrounded are one of the most notable metal bands to emerge from the Greek alternative and underground scene. Their two albums have established them as a truly serious and thoughtful band, whose fresh and clever sound has transcended the borders of our homeland. As their live performance in Athens, at Piraeus Club Academy, is approaching (on May 9th, 2025), Myth of Rock spoke with Michael Kotsirakis (guitar), who provided some very interesting, clear and mature answers. See you at Piraeus Club Academy, everyone!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
Hello Michael! How are you?
Pretty good. I’d say these days are a bit hectic, because we’ve got the live show coming up, and we’re also working on new material…
Great, before we get into the live show and the new material, let’s talk a bit about some general things regarding Playgrounded. First of all, I’d like you to tell me when the band was formed.
That’s something that kind of gets lost in time. Our first video came out around 2012–2013, but the band already existed for about two years before that. However, the whole thing really started quite a bit earlier, when the two Zafeiriou brothers and I first met in Chania, Crete, at the Technical University. We’d hang out together, mess around musically, doing covers of songs we liked, driven by our love at the time for Dream Theater — we used to cover a lot of their material… But later on, both our tastes and the people involved changed a lot, and eventually, we ended up with the idiosyncratic sound we have today.
How did the name Playgrounded come about?
At first, it was just Playground, because we liked the idea that this band was the place where we enjoyed playing — a kind of creative playground. Then, when we looked into it more deeply, we discovered the multiple meanings that the word grounded can carry — being punished, being grounded or down to earth, and yet still playing while all of that is happening. So, there are multiple layers of meaning, all of which we’ve kind of embraced in one way or another.
As far as I know, you’re based both in Athens and in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Yes, that’s true. Look, our bassist Odysseas lives permanently up there, and both the singer, Stavros, and I were also based in Rotterdam for a while — now we travel back and forth for work. The other two members, Orestis on synths and Giorgos on drums, are permanent residents of Athens. Rotterdam is genuinely one of the band’s bases — just as Athens is where most of our people are, in the Netherlands we’ve actually built a large fan base. We’ve played a lot there, met other bands…
If someone asked you to choose just one base for the group, which city would you choose — Rotterdam or Athens?
Oh, I think Athens! We’re all Athenians, and we’re more frequently present here. I should point out, though, that in the past all five of us lived in the Netherlands for quite a while — we were working there, and for a period, Rotterdam really was the band’s main base.
What’s the metal scene like in the Netherlands?
Things are a bit strange over there… I’d say the local bands and the alternative metal scene are actually weaker than the one in Greece. There are definitely some major advantages though — for instance, venues receive state funding, there are proper infrastructures in place for bands and musicians to play and create music. But musically, the local scene is somewhat lacking in strength.
What really makes the difference, though, is that all the major tours pass through all the big cities — and even some of the smaller ones. The Dutch are basically a live music hub for all of Europe. So, you’ll get to see everything, experience everything. That’s definitely something interesting.
Definitely … Earlier you mentioned that you started out with influences from Dream Theater. What would you say are the band’s influences now?
Haha, yes, we gradually lost those Dream Theater influences over time! But obviously, something of that has stayed with us, for sure. As for our main influences now… look, I think our sound has become quite personal at this point — we write in a way that’s more our own.
But from the metal world, I’d say Tool still influence us, Karnivool, The Ocean — we’ve toured with them quite a bit — and also the newer scene, the whole circle around our label, Pelagic Records, like Psychonaut, LLNN, whom we’ve also toured with.
Of course, there are strong electronic influences in our sound too, as I’m sure you’ve heard — definitely Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Boards of Canada… oh, and Deftones are a major influence as well!
So, a lot of different influences come together and take on a unique form within your own style.
Yes, that’s exactly what I believe — somehow all these different influences, techniques, and stylistic approaches that we use… take the synths, for example, where Orestis brings a very specific mindset — we’re all musicians with quite different backgrounds, so each of us brings something different into the band, and I think that really comes across in the music.
You’ve released two full-length albums.
Yes, we’ve released two full-lengths.
Can you give us some context about those two albums of yours?
Yes, we’re talking about “In Time with Gravity” (2017) and “The Death of Death” (2022). Our first album,” In Time …”, was written and released in the Netherlands by a small Dutch label. It was really then — after our EP (“Athens”, 2013) — that we found our sound, that blend of electronic and heavy elements.
But we truly managed to express what we want the band to represent with “The Death of Death”, which was released globally and widely through Pelagic Records. From the visual identity to the deep musical content, the production — everything — I believe that album fully represents what Playgrounded stands for.
Lyrically, where do you draw inspiration from?
Lyrically, I can answer that because I write many of the lyrics for the band. The lyrics are a very personal perspective on things — the lyricist is always a bearer of specific ideas and viewpoints. That said, my perspective, and I think Orestis’ as well, who also writes a lot of the lyrics, is always a social one. So, even when we describe something very personal, we’re interested in whether it’s a shared experience with someone else, and whether from that shared experience we can imagine a different version of how society and the world could be a little better and fairer today.
So, some of the tracks are purely political, but even the more personal ones carry this social dimension. We’re interested in addressing the problems of the human condition in general through our lyrics — things like death, grief, togetherness, solidarity, comfort, and such topics that you wouldn’t necessarily consider purely social.
Great, so you and Orestis write the lyrics, but who takes the lead on the music?
For the music, I’d say that so far, Orestis has had the final say, and this was by choice because we really like the character he brings with the synths. Stavros Markonis also contributes a lot, as he’s a film composer and has a lot of experience in production, just like Orestis. I also bring quite a few ideas, but really, both Odysseas and Giorgos often take things that came from Orestis or the others and turn them into something completely different in the end. So, that’s why we refer to the whole band as the composers. There are key contributions from all five of us.
You mentioned film music. Would you say that there’s a cinematic element in your music?
I don’t really like the term “cinematic” that much. What does film music really mean? All music can be cinematic in a sense! We’re definitely not composing for a film right now as a band, otherwise, you would have seen it! But, like with any kind of music, you can imagine images, moving pictures with our music, which is why we also create music videos. However, I wouldn’t describe anything in our music as purely cinematic.
You definitely have atmosphere, though.
For sure, atmosphere is one of the key elements we’re always aiming for.
How would you describe the atmosphere of Playgrounded’s music?
Atmosphere is always a goal for us. In other words, the space — we always want to place the listener in a certain space, and this goal is both musical and production-oriented. For sure, one could describe us as a dark, melancholic band. Also, because there’s a lot of repetition in our music, we rely heavily on the concept of loops and recurring elements that appear over time, perhaps altered, but always with continuity. This approach gives the listener space to think for themselves about how they’ll feel. It’s music that’s more open to introspection.
Where is the band at right now? Are you preparing your new album, have you recorded, or are you planning to record?
No, we’re earlier in the process than that. We’re at a stage where most of the ideas that will eventually form an album have been presented. At this stage, we’re trying to enrich them further and bring them into even clearer shapes. We might end up changing them in the end… we’re still in the composition phase right now. We’re looking for a seed that we’ll develop, but that’s not exclusive, because sometimes, often, a fuller, more complete structure may come in as an initial idea, which will likely change a bit along the way.
How do the tracks you’ve prepared so far sound?
It’s hard to say, really. It’s very difficult, because the choices that will be made, let’s say, in production — like which parts we keep and bring to the forefront, and so on — could ultimately lead to a very different listening experience. There are many possibilities that could emerge.
Have you decided who will handle the production, mixing, and mastering?
Ehh, let’s not get into that just yet, haha!
I respect that! … Are you still with Pelagic Records?
Yes, yes, it’s almost certain that the next album will be released by Pelagic.
So far, has your collaboration been good?
Yes, I’d say very good, not just good. Of course, we’ve had our disagreements and reservations from time to time, but so far, they’ve shown that for the main reason we chose them — which was to open up more to the European scene and present our unique sound under the best possible conditions — Pelagic has really helped make that happen.
You’ve toured both in Greece and abroad, and played many live shows. Do you feel proud of your live activity?
In the last few years, all of us feel a bit proud that we’ve managed to build a band that, by our own quality standards, stands with dignity. I’m not exactly proud that we’ve played a few more shows abroad, but I really enjoyed the experience. I don’t feel pride about it, but I feel happiness for having lived those beautiful moments.
Would you say that live shows are an important aspect of the band, both for you and for your fans?
Yes. If I were asked which we focus more on, live shows or albums, I’d say we care about both. And indeed, in our live shows, we present the material that people will hear on the album with much more depth. We always pay a lot of attention to the lighting as well, always considering the budget.
You’ve opened for bands like Nine Inch Nails, Anathema, Riverside, and others. Were those great experiences?
Our concert with Nine Inch Nails stands as an achievement for the band, but the experience itself was quite difficult. It took place in the Netherlands, under tough conditions… a very tight schedule, harsh security around us — I wouldn’t say we had a fantastic time at that show. With Riverside, it was a great experience, even though we were quite fresh at the time, I’m not sure if our first EP had even come out yet, maybe it had just been released. The Riverside show left a big impression on me. The many shows we did with The Ocean, I think, have remained a truly incredible experience, and we really had an amazing time.
In a few days, you’ll be performing live at Piraeus Club Academy. How do you feel?
At this point, because I have a lot of work to do for this live, I’m a bit stressed, but I think once everything is ready and we go on stage, we’ll have an amazing time.
What should we expect from Playgrounded at this live show?
We’ve titled it “Athens. Gravity. Death”, as a reference to all our releases so far. So, I think we’ll be showing a current version of the Playgrounded sound, while looking back at everything we’ve recorded. We’ll be doing something different with the lighting, so the mood will be different from what the audience might be used to, or rather, the mood will remain the same, but the techniques will be different.
If you had the opportunity to collaborate with a famous musician on a track from one of your albums, who would you choose?
I can’t really think of anyone, because if there was someone, we would have already made it happen… What can I say… maybe we could collaborate with a member of Tool, since they’re my favorite band? Or with Karnivool, whom we mentioned earlier. Something like that, but I can’t think of a specific part of a track or what instrument that musician would play.
During your journey as a band, you also went through the COVID-19 period. How did the pandemic affect Playgrounded?
The last album we released, “The Death of Death”, was created and completed during the toughest conditions of COVID-19. Fortunately, we managed to record during the first summer when things had “opened up” a bit, and we were recording in Athens… I would say that for this particular album, we were a bit lucky because the music industry had largely frozen, but the right people found the time and interest to listen to what we had created during that period and gave us a platform when things started to reopen.
What is your opinion on the use of AI in music?
It’s a very, very big and open topic. The “making music with AI” aspect doesn’t concern me at all. Okay, it will likely affect the next generations, but it doesn’t interest me. What matters to me in music is the human connection and communication. I’m not interested in something created solely by a computer. As a tool, though, on a deeper level, if you’re using AI to create a sound or manipulate something you’ve already created, but with artistic direction and intention, I’m not against it.
What are your ambitions for the next few years?
I think for the next few years, we would like to stabilize a situation where we can tour Greece and Europe once or twice a year to play our music. At this stage, we’ve made a first, definitely significant, opening, but it’s just the beginning. I don’t think it’s stable yet, so I’d like the band to find a way to enter a more consistent cycle.
If a producer asked you to compose music for a film, would you do it?
Yes, yes, of course, depending on what kind of film it is. We are probably a bit strict about what we would want to do artistically, but in general, we would definitely be interested.
As a band, you pay great attention to the visual and aesthetic aspects, such as album covers, videos, and live shows. Will this continue with your next album?
It’s still too early to answer that… Although we care a lot about the visual aspects, the music and the ideas we want to communicate are at the center. Any work we do around the band always focuses on the messages we want to convey and the overall quality. So, the visual aspects of the upcoming album are something we’ll address later. We will strive for the best, as always.
Would you like to send a message to our readers?
Yes, we’ll see you all at Piraeus Club Academy on May 9th. Don’t hesitate to come and chat with us after the show. Okay, we might seem less approachable during the concert with all the lights and darkness, but we’re always up for a conversation after the live!
Is there anything you’d like to add for the end?
Yes, the support for our live on May 9th will be Part of the Theory.
Yes, amazing band! … Thanks a lot, Michael!
Thank you!
