Interview With The Man & His Failures…BY Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…
The Man & His Failures… Pray for a reign of fire… One of the finest bands to ever emerge on the contemporary Greek underground scene… Formed in Athens in 2018 as a solo project by Manos Karakatsanis, a renowned musician and DJ on the dark/goth scene of his homeland, this act/band has achieved wide acclaim and many loyal fans on the Greek goth scene with its dark melodies, videos and shows… Frontman Manos and main members of this dark trio tell their story on the band’s early beginnings, members and new album, upcoming shows and future plans… An interesting in-depth interview on what these darksters are all about… Pray for a reign of fire… The Man & His Failures… By Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…
Tzina: Welcome to Absolution… The Man & His Failures are a relatively new dark electronic/industrial act/band on the contemporary underground scene of Athens… How and when exactly did this act come to life and what prompted you to form such an act/band to begin with? Who are the current members?
Manos: Hello and thank you very much for having us here. TM&HF started in 2018 initially as my own idea, and essentially a few months later, in early 2019, Alekos Sorros and Dimitris Vlasopoulos joined as members. Since then, we have continued as a trio up to the present day, and the band has consisted of the three of us as its core throughout all these years.
Tzina: The name ‘The Man & His Failures’ might bring some doom and gloom (as we say) to one’s mind at first thought… What is the story behind this name? Why such a pessimistic title for your act/band? Does it have some sort of symbolic meaning to you? Can you elaborate…
Manos: The name came about as a need to critique the human species and its failures, as well as a need to acknowledge and accept them, something that can only move humanity forward. That is, when we begin to truly understand where we have essentially failed and finally build, upon this deconstruction, a better society.
Tzina: As I understand you just released your first full length album ‘Survival Kit’ in December last year (2025) after some singles and E.P.s… What is ‘Survival Kit’ all about and what makes it different from your previous work?
Alekos: ‘Survival Kit’ is about the collapse of our civilization and the struggles one has to go through in the crumbling societies of late capitalism. Of course, we don’t have any solid answers to these problems, but we think that acknowledgement is a vital first step. In our previous singles and EPs, it was us trying to find our sound. That search led us to what you hear on the album. So, I guess the main difference is that the album is more sonically coherent.
Tzina: What feedback has ‘Survival Kit’ received by your fans and the music press so far? How happy are you as musicians with the outcome of this album?
Dimitris: The feedback for ‘Survival Kit’ has been really positive so far, both from fans and the music press. What’s funny is that it has somehow reached some pretty unexpected places, like goth clubs on the west coast of the United States, which we definitely didn’t plan but it’s amazing to see. Overall, we’re very happy with how the album turned out. It feels like a strong and honest representation of what we wanted to create.
Tzina: You have also released some music videos on YouTube over the years including one of your most recent ‘Subjects’ in April last year… How important are music videos to The Man & His Failures and are they something you enjoy creating for your fans? Do you believe the visual side of a band is as fundamental as the musical side? Can you elaborate…
Manos: Yes, exactly. We believe that music and lyrics on their own, without visualisation, are an incomplete piece of work. For us, videos, graphics, photography, and everything else are extremely important as part of a broader artistic project. Fortunately, we’re lucky because around the band there is an amazing team of artists who work on these aspects and bring our ideas to life.
Tzina: The Man & His Failures are quite an active live band on the Athenian circuit with a number of shows under your belt so far, including the participation at the ‘Death Disco Indoor Festival’ in 2024 sharing the stage with some of the finest names on the goth scene of today (Twin Tribes, Suicide Commando and Diorama just to name a few)… Do you have any upcoming shows planned for the rest of 2026? Are there any particular cities across Europe that you would like to play in? Are there any plans to play abroad in the near future?
Alekos: As we speak, there are four shows booked in various cities in Greece for 2026 and one in Rome, Italy, for the beginning of ’27.
In general, we are willing to play anywhere (in Greece or abroad) as long as it doesn’t go against our values and we are treated respectfully.
Tzina: As I understand Manos, you also own and run the record store ‘Syd Records’ in the heart of Athens for the last decade or so… Do you believe there is some sort of vinyl revival happening at the moment in the dark/alternative music industry? Do you believe genuine music fans have a thirst for physical copies of their favourite artists in this modern digital world? Can you elaborate…
Manos: Yes, that’s correct. I’ve noticed a real increase in people’s desire to own music in physical form, both within our scene and more broadly, whether on vinyl, CD, or even cassette. For me, as a member of TM&HF, that’s something wonderful. Online platforms can very easily put you out there and give anyone access to listen to your album, but it’s only through a physical copy that someone truly supports a band and tangibly brings the music into their home.
Tzina: What are your ambitions for The Man & His Failures? Where would you like to see your act/band in the next decade from now? Do you believe it is difficult for a band to survive the course of time in this digital music world of today?
Alekos: Well, we hope that we will still exist as a band 10 years from now, which is a hard thing to achieve nowadays. Not because of the digital music world, but because of life itself. Managing the demands of everyday life and a band has become very difficult, especially for people like us who have to work day jobs for a living.
Tzina: How do you view the underground scene of today? Do you believe it has changed dramatically since the good old goth days? Do you believe it differs in your homeland and Athens in particular from the rest of the world?
Dimitris: Right now in Greece we feel like the whole darkwave and goth scene is rising again. For some reason we cannot fully explain, there is new energy and more people getting into it, more shows, more interest overall, and we really enjoy seeing that because it has been good for us as well. In general the underground has definitely changed compared to the old goth days, mostly because of the internet and how music spreads now, but at the same time the core feeling is still there. In Athens especially there is something very alive at the moment, a bit raw and spontaneous, which makes it stand out in its own way compared to other places.
Tzina: Thank you for your time… Anything else you would like to share with your fans? What can they expect from The Man & His Failures in the near future? Any messages to your fans, baby bats in particular?
Manos: We would like to thank them one by one for all this support in every possible way. Without them, we would have no reason to continue. We will try to play as many shows as possible in the upcoming period, both in Greece and abroad, and we look forward to seeing everyone in person, sharing the new album with them. We also promise that the next one will come sooner. As for the baby bats, we would say: always be yourselves and take care of those you love.
The Man & His Failures is on Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube…
