Viktor Mastoridis: Official Music Biography

In the 70s I drew from several streams of musical influence:

1. The folk songs of the republics of Yugoslavia, which we would sing in the streets on summer evenings, at parties, weddings, and just about anywhere.
2. Ex‑Yu, American, and British rock listening sessions with friends — immersed in total silence, one long‑play record at a time, followed by analysis and discussion.
3. The amazing collection of rock, funk, and other great records my cousin brought from New Zealand after working at a Sony record label there.
4. The blues, which I started to learn on guitar, earning my first nickname: Viktor Slowhand (from Eric :-) ).

In the 80s, I began composing and forming bands in Skopje, Yugoslavia — first a blues band, which later evolved into a prog‑blues and rock outfit.

The first major success came with a band called Super Nova, combining rap, funk, and rock. Our uniqueness lay in the fact that we used Yugoslav languages for our rap songs.

We performed at major indie festivals like Subotica and Zaječar, creating a few songs that became hits in indie circles.

While in Holland with my family, the Yugoslav civil war began, forcing us to stay for several years.

I attended the School of Audio Engineering, learning to record music — especially at home — using a DAW (computer recording software).

More importantly, it was in Holland that I came to fully appreciate Balkan music and began composing Balkan Fusion pieces.

Having my first child also inspired me to start composing children’s music during this time.

Upon returning to Skopje in the mid‑90s, I released my first Balkan Rock/Blues Fusion album with a few friends — Мостови (Bridges) — under the name Viktor and Super Nova.

Two years later, I moved to London, soon set up my computer‑based studio, and began recording, mainly to develop my music production skills.

One day I was invited to compose and record bouzouki music for the British TV series Under The Sun.

This is where I discovered the magic of bouzouki playing in thirds and started composing both traditional‑style Greek instrumentals and Greek bouzouki fusion pieces. I also continued composing Balkan Fusion and recorded many of the compositions from my Holland years.

Much of my music was sent to libraries around the world and ended up on channels like National Geographic.

In the mid‑2000s, helping a friend sell an item on eBay sparked the idea to produce and sell my own CDs — designing covers, printing discs, and fulfilling orders myself.

Soon after, I discovered CDBaby, which brought my releases to Spotify and other platforms. I published traditional and newly composed Macedonian and Greek music, as well as children’s songs and Balkan Fusion.

These were my music theory and band years in London.

I had studied music theory for years, though never formally, and remained fascinated by the way music works.

Drawing from classical and jazz theory, I gradually developed what became a Balkan Music Theory — an extension of Western systems.

Although I long wanted to publish this knowledge, I never found a format I was happy with.

Meanwhile, Valkania was formed in 2010 as a trio and evolved through several line‑ups. The core style was always Balkan Fusion with blues and touches of jazz.

We released two Bandcamp‑only albums and one via CDBaby, and played many gigs, including Jamboree and similar venues.

The band lasted until 2017, when I almost went bankrupt.

Covid arrived at the start of the decade, and during the lockdowns I created Streams of Songs and Stories — a weekly programme featuring Balkan or Western music themes.

It streamed on Facebook for about a year, with my daughter Nadezhda, then 8–9 years old, performing one song each week.

The events in Gaza — particularly the mass killing of children, supported by European countries — had a profound impact on me. For the first time, I stopped composing for a while.

In 2024, I began writing Orthodox Christian liturgical music. At first it surprised me, but it became the only way I could respond to and cope with the Gaza situation.

In 2025, several key moments took place:

1. I launched my Patreon Balkan site, publishing:
   • Tabs and notations of my own music
   • Balkan Music Theory resources
   • Balkan Music Exercises (developed over years of guitar and bouzouki teaching)
2. I restarted Valkania, version 4.
3. I opened a Patreon page for my Orthodox music resources.
4. I created a meaningful “official website” — this one.