Stages A/LIVE presents In Trance 95 at Universe Multivenue
“They sound like Kraftwerk, but they’re from Greece.” That is how the once influential - though now defunct - MTV introduced In Trance 95 back in 1988. Thirty-eight years later, the duo that shaped minimal synth and coldwave in Greece remains active. On Sunday, February 22, tune in to the Onassis Channel on YouTube, at 21:00, for an atmospheric live set from Universe Multivenue, directed by Christos Sarris.
Photo: Pinelopi Gerasimou
While most people were listening to guitars, garage, and punk, In Trance 95 were making music with synthesizers and drum machines. Active since 1988, the duo formed by Alex Machairas and Nik Veliotis in Athens is considered one of the first Greek acts to move deliberately into minimal synth and coldwave. Four decades later, their unmistakable sound, unchanged to this day, will be heard loud and clear on Sunday 22 February at the Onassis Channel on YouTube.
With the signature frostiness of the 1980s and landmark songs such as “Desire to Desire” and “Brazilia”, In Trance 95 approach electronic music as a system of precision and restraint, where exact form coexists with an underlying, human intensity. Structure, repetition, and analog synthesis function as core tools of expression and creation, not to create distance, but to condense emotion. “We grew up within post-punk and new wave, where electronic music, from synth pop to experimental forms, was an organic part of our aesthetic. We were the only purely electronic band,” they note.
The band’s name comes from two different sources of inspiration: “95” refers to the basement studio at 95 Lykourgou Street in Kallithea, where the first recordings took place, while “In Trance” points to a science fiction book in which special chambers allowed access to a state of ecstasy, in which one could experience the future or the past.
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The first historic appearance of In Trance 95 took place on January 3rd in 1989 at An Club, while already in 1988 they had released a video clip, a rare practice by Greek standards of the time.
In the early 1990s, the band moves into a more fluid phase. Nik Veliotis steps away temporarily to follow his own path, which includes collaborations with Giannis Aggelakas and MMMD (together with ILIOS and Coti K). Machairas continues with In Trance 95 until 1997, together with Giorgos Geranios and with occasional help from Coti K.
Almost twenty years later, their official reunion follows in 2010. In Trance 95 collaborated with Minimal Wave, the legendary New York label of Veronica Vasicka, which took on the reissue of their older material as well as the release of new recordings, creatively bridging past and present. The albums Cities of Steel & Neon (2011) and Shapes In A New Geometry (2012) were released then, while their track Presidente was included in the compilation Minimal Wave Tapes Vol.2, one of the most characteristic of the genre.
In 2025, In Trance 95 made their first live performances in the United States and Canada and released the EP “The Move.” The same year, they completed new material scheduled for release in 2026, alongside the announcement of a comprehensive reissue of their catalogue with extensive archival material.
The appearance of In Trance 95 at the Onassis Channel on YouTube is a rare opportunity to experience their sound again as it was born: live and raw, but with subtle shifts and tensions that emerge when archival material is reactivated in the present.
Photo: Pinelopi Gerasimou
Universe Multivenue is a contemporary, multidimensional cultural and live events space in Athens, designed to host experiences that move beyond the conventional boundaries of concert and artistic production. With architectural flexibility, advanced technical infrastructure, and a clear aesthetic direction, Universe was created to bridge the gap between very large venues and small, limited-capacity stages, offering a new field of freedom for artists, producers, and audiences.
The space unfolds across multiple venues of varying capacities, capable of supporting everything from intimate live performances and theatrical productions to large-scale concerts, events, and hybrid cultural projects. The philosophy of Universe is grounded in minimalism, functionality, and absolute adaptability. With a clear focus on music, art, and culture, Universe serves as a platform for creation, encounter, and expression, aspiring to establish itself as a point of reference for high-quality productions in Greece and across the broader European landscape.
More about the duo
CREDITS
Concept & Curation: Christos Sarris
Audiovisual Producer: Elena Choremi
Audiovisual Line Producer: Angie Avgeri
Production: Onassis Stegi
IN TRANCE 95
Words & Music: Alex Machairas, Nik Veliotis
Alex Machairas: Vocals, Yamaha CS01 synth, Korg MS20
Nik Veliotis: Dreadbox NYX, Dreadbox Erebus, Moog Minitaur, CS01 synth, Rhythm Programming & Vocals
UNIVERSE MULTIVENUE
Giannis Nikolakopoulos: Universe Multivenue Director, Project Manager
Stavros Nikolakopoulos: Live Sound Engineer
Sofia Trandela: Sound Technician
Dimitris Tegousis: Light Technician
Dimitris Ziakos: Light Technician
FILMING
Director: Christos Sarris
Assistant Director: Dimitris Zivopoulos
Cinematographer: Filippos Zamidis
Camera Operators: Koralia Dogani, Giorgos Kolios, Andreas Markou, Filippos Zamidis, Dimitris Zivopoulos
DIT: Giorgos Kolios
Key Grip: Vasilis Charatzoglou
Audiovisual Equipment: DK Rental House, Rent Photo Video
Lighting Design: Alex Hills, Vangelis Moundrichas
Lighting Operator: Alex Hills
Sound Mix: Jacopo Fokas
Editor: Tryfon Karatzinas
Colorist: Manthos Sardis—Α10 Post Productions
Still Photographer: Pinelopi Gerasimou
ONASSIS FOUNDATION
Artistic Director: Afroditi Panagiotakou
Executive Director: Dimitris Theodoropoulos
Head of Communication and Content: Demetres Drivas
Campaign Manager: Haris Giakoumakis
Content Leader: Alexandros Roukoutakis
Copy Editor: Evangelia Kolaiti
Website Editor: Despoina Kalyvi
Social Media Manager: Vasilis Bibas
Social Media Editors: Alexandra Sarantopoulou, Daphne Skolarikou
Creative Head: Christos Sarris
Senior Motion Graphics Designer: Constantinos Chaidalis
Graphic Designer: Thomas Tsoulias
Media Officers: Vaso Vasilatou, Katerina Tamvaki
Junior Media Officer: Nefeli Tsartaklea-Kasselaki
Media Specialist: Maria Chalkia
Onassis Technical Department
Technical Manager: Antonis Kokkoris
Deputy Technical Manager: Giannis Ntovas
Head of Lights: Vangelis Moundrichas
LEGAL SERVICES
A.S. Papadimitriou & Partners Law Firm
