Where do you live and with whom?
I’ve been living in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for the past ten years, on my own.

What did you have for breakfast?
A bowl of oats with whey protein, honey, peanut butter, frozen bananas and blueberries, cinnamon – and a cold espresso, because traditions are important.

Describe your perfect day
Practising drums, hitting the gym, listening to music, spending time with my girlfriend, and playing a concert.

Best book ever read?
An easy one: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. It completely changed my perspective on life.

Best childhood memory?
Stealing my parents’ jazz records and listening to them for hours.

What is always in your fridge?
Eggs, 0% fat Greek yogurt, chicken, Coke Zero, and golden kiwis.

What music are you listening to in the car at the moment?
Two albums on constant repeat: Even in Arcadia by Sleep Token and Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard by Gerald Clayton.

What’s your spirit animal?
The panther – because of its ability to adapt with ease in any environment.

What are you most proud of?
Moving out at 17, serving in the special forces, then pursuing jazz studies in the Netherlands – and today, making a living doing what I love.

What movie scene has really stayed with you?
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Anakin’s attraction to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader reminds me how easy it is to forget our better nature and let power corrupt our thoughts. It keeps me humble and reminds me where I started.

If you could pick anyone (alive or dead) to go out with for the evening, who would it be?
There are at least five jazz drummers I could name right now, but honestly, I’d choose my grandmother, who sadly passed away. Spending a day with her again would be a blessing and a reminder of why I started this journey in the first place.

If you could time travel, when and where would you go?
Ancient Greece – to sit with the great Stoic philosophers in the Stoa of Athens’ agora.

What is your greatest fear?
If this interview had taken place a year ago, I would have named at least three. Today, I don’t fear anything specific – whatever life brings is part of the journey.

What would you say to your 18-year-old self?
Stay curious, stay humble, work hard, and enjoy the ride.

Name the one thing that would stop you dating someone.
Narcissistic behaviour.

If the world is ending in 24 hours, what would you do?
I’d take my girlfriend on an exotic trip and experience everything together.

Johny is a drummer under the stage name Sonic Explorer. Born and raised in Limassol, he began playing at eight, was shaped early by jazz, metal, and later military discipline, and ultimately committed himself to jazz and improvisational music. Now active on the Dutch and European scenes, he leads Art of the Messengers, performs in avant-garde and indie projects and teaches at Kunstenhuis Idea Music School.
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