#18: Giana Rifici (Mantra Sounds/Grim Steez)

The Sleepless Sessions

"Don't forget why you started, enjoy the journey, because if you're constantly looking at the end goal, you're going to forget what got you there, and you're going to be miserable by the time that you get there" -Giana Rifici |
Welcome to Episode 18 of The Sleepless Sessions, and for returning listeners, welcome back! On this podcast we explore the lives of those in pursuit of their passions, dreams, and living unconventional lifestyles!
Today’s guest has since a young age felt a calling towards music and has created two incredible projects Mantra Sounds and Grim Steez that now have a synergistic cohesion when both projects are brought together for a track as well as being able to stand alone expressing their differences. I highly suggest catching one of her sets if you have the chance!
Some topics we explore in this episode are her early life leading into discovering her path into music, the creation of her projects Mantra Sounds and Grim Steez exploring their differences and how they come together at times, her creative process, her new album the seven deadly sins, what goes into creating an album and presenting it to the world, and so much more from this conversation.

The best ways to connect with us, and time stamps for this episode are below. Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy this episode! Thank you Giana for taking the time to record this episode!
Tracks used on this episode in order of appearance:
'Sloth' by Mantra Sounds
'Wrath' by Mantra Sounds
'Pride' by Mantra Sounds
'Lust' by Mantra Sounds
You may hear some slight static in the first 20-30 minutes of the episode, I hope it doesn't detract from your listening experience!
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Time Stamps
(0:00) - Intro
(4:03) - Start of episode, Giana on her early life in NJ
(7:07) - Giana's introduction to music, playing hockey
(12:31) - Giana's first electronic show experience, what got her into electronic music
(15:44) - When Giana started shifting from a fan of the music to wanting to getting into creating and playing music
(19:52) - Giana on transitioning from a path of sports to music
(25:02) - Giana on living in Maine
(29:30) - Giana's first time playing a show, and naming a brand
(38:45) - What the word 'Mantra' means to Giana
(41:49) - Giana's experience working with management
(47:19) - Giana's insight towards artists working with management and vice versa
(51:18) - Giana on the origins of the Grim Steez project
(56:06) - Giana's connection to the characters of Mantra Sounds and Grim Steez
(58:05) - 'The 7 Deadly Sins' album and how it came to life, using both projects on the album
(1:09:48) - Overlooked aspects of putting her album out
(1:12:16) - Working with collaborators on the album release and any potential challenges
(1:16:06) - What’s next on the horizon for Giana
(1:23:50) - Books that Giana recommends
(1:24:32) - Some of Giana’s daily habits and routines
(1:25:20) - What would you say to someone pursuing their passion?
(1:26:51) - What the word ‘Music’ means to Giana
(1:27:43) - Best ways to connect and stay up to date with Giana
(1:28:26) - Closing thoughts and episode end
(1:29:24) - Outro, Giana’s track ‘Lust’