Electronic music thrives on evolution, and few artists embody that spirit as vividly as V.A.T. The Thessaloniki-based producer, composer, and songwriter has been steadily carving out a space for himself in the electronic landscape, and with the release of his fourth solo EP Press Play on August 29, 2025, he takes a definitive step forward. It’s a five-track journey that marries rich melodic lines with infectious rhythms, all framed by the soulful vocals of Eljona Sinjari. More than a release, Press Play feels like a manifesto: a declaration that V.A.T’s creativity refuses to stand still, that each project is a new opportunity to push boundaries.
From the very start, the EP sets its tone with Intro, a track that acts as both invitation and prelude. Built on ambient textures and gradually intensifying layers, it feels like the doors to a cinematic world swinging open. The influence of Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre—two giants of electronic music who mastered the art of atmosphere—is immediately clear. There’s a grandeur here, a sense of entering something larger than life. But before the listener can sink too deep into reverie, the beat drops and the EP’s momentum kicks in.
The title track, Press Play, delivers on the EP’s promise of movement. Propelled by driving percussion and glowing synths, it captures the pure energy of electronic music at its most engaging. It’s easy to imagine this track lighting up clubs across Europe, but what makes it stand out is its sense of narrative. Rather than relying on repetition, it builds in stages—verses growing in intensity, choruses exploding with Eljona Sinjari’s soaring vocals, bridges shifting into unexpected harmonies. It’s the sound of an artist who understands not only how to make people dance, but also how to take them somewhere in the process.
If Press Play is the EP’s anthem, How Can I Forget U is its beating heart. With its emotive lyrics and powerful vocal delivery, the song explores themes of memory, loss, and longing. Sinjari’s voice here is at its most expressive, carrying vulnerability one moment and defiance the next. The production underneath is carefully balanced: a bed of synths that swell and recede like waves, basslines that give weight to the emotion, and subtle percussion that keeps the track moving without overwhelming it. It’s electronic music as storytelling, proof that dance tracks can also carry deep emotional resonance.
On Loosing Control, V.A.T leans further into the raw power of rhythm. The track’s pulse is relentless, built on a foundation of driving bass and dynamic drum patterns. It’s a song that embodies its title—unspooling tension into release, pushing listeners to let go of restraint and surrender to the sound. Hints of The Prodigy can be heard here, in the way energy is layered and amplified, but V.A.T keeps it distinctly his own by weaving in melodic motifs that prevent the track from collapsing into chaos. It’s structured wildness, a carefully designed moment of abandon.
The EP closes with Feel The Night, a track that has already emerged as one of its standouts. It’s a celebration of nightlife, of the communal joy that comes when music, bodies, and atmosphere converge. Yet, like much of V.A.T’s work, it’s more nuanced than a simple party anthem. The lyrics evoke not just movement but connection, the way nights out can transform into moments of intimacy and memory. Musically, it’s a perfect synthesis of the EP’s elements: lush synths, pulsating rhythms, and Sinjari’s enchanting vocals working in harmony. It ends the record not with a fade but with a flourish, leaving the listener charged and craving more.
Behind the scenes, Press Play represents a milestone in V.A.T’s career. Not only did he compose and produce the entire EP, but it also marks his debut as a mixer, proving his versatility and commitment to mastering every element of his craft. Recorded in his personal studio and finalized by sound engineer Antonis Keramidas at X Classic Studio, the project carries both the intimacy of a homegrown vision and the polish of professional finishing. The result is a record that sounds expansive yet personal, ambitious yet grounded.
What ties all these elements together is V.A.T’s philosophy of music as journey. His influences—Vangelis, Jarre, The Prodigy—are not just audible in the sounds but present in the ethos: the belief that electronic music should be more than entertainment, that it should transport, transform, and leave its mark. Press Play achieves this by blending the hypnotic pull of beats with melodies that linger in the mind long after the track ends. It’s music designed to move you physically and emotionally, to remind you of the power of sound to connect us to ourselves and to each other.
For V.A.T, this release is also a turning point. After years of experimentation, collaborations, and steady growth, Press Play feels like the culmination of lessons learned and visions clarified. It’s bold without being pretentious, accessible without being generic, and above all, authentic. The presence of Eljona Sinjari is key here, her vocals not just complementing but elevating the compositions, adding a human touch to the synthetic textures. Together, they’ve crafted an EP that resonates on multiple levels.
As the electronic music scene continues to evolve, artists like V.A.T are essential. They remind us that the genre’s true strength lies not only in its ability to make us dance, but in its capacity to make us feel, reflect, and dream. With Press Play, V.A.T has created a record that does all of that and more. It’s an EP that invites listeners to hit play again and again, each time discovering new details, new emotions, new reasons to move.
Released on August 29, 2025, Press Play isn’t just another entry in V.A.T’s discography—it’s a landmark moment, proof that he is ready to step onto larger stages and into wider recognition. For now, it stands as a vivid reminder of what happens when passion meets craft, when inspiration is matched by execution, and when an artist dares to press play on their boldest vision yet.
