Rewind

Rewind- 1994-2009, is the first 15 years of my journey as a music photographer working for magazines such as Mixmag, DJ, The Face and Defected Records documenting some of the pioneering Dj's and ground breaking musicians of the 90s and 00s.

"Rewind" brings together a dynamic body of work spanning the first 15 years working in the music industry, from 1994 to 2009. Shot largely on film, the photographs document the energy of the UK’s evolving music scenes, capturing a vibrant and formative period in club and youth culture.

Petrou’s images combine portraiture, performance, and candid moments from the dancefloor. Known for her playful and creative approach, she worked with a wide range of emerging and established artists while contributing to influential publications such as MixmagTouchThe FaceSaturday TimesDJMuzikThe MinistryNME, and Defected Records.

The selection includes portraits of Geri Halliwell before her rise to fame with the Spice Girls, Goldie and General Levy at the peak of the drum and bass movement, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Orbital, Fatboy Slim, and Damon Albarn backstage with Blur. There are also more personal and spontaneous images, including Supergrass pretending they were falling out of a plane, and Sweet 75, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic’s band, shot in Seattle.

Soulla says “Editing the images prompted me to ‘Rewind’ the memories of those photographic shoots, and reliving those positive and happy moments kept me sane during the pandemic, and of course most of the work here was shot on films hence the title.”

Soulla sees Rewind as her contribution to preserving our musical history, and particularly our dance music legacy.

© Soulla Petrou - Geri Halliwell (pre Spice Girls) 1994 London UK
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Geri Halliwell (pre Spice Girls) 1994 London UK

© Soulla Petrou - General Levy 1994 London UK for the cover of Touch magazine
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General Levy 1994 London UK for the cover of Touch magazine

© Soulla Petrou - Image from the Rewind photography project
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Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) & John Reid aka Pizzaman , with video dancer and Tim Jeffrery of Skint Records on Brighton Beach. Shot for Mixmag May 1995

© Soulla Petrou - Performers at The Big Chill Festival , shot for Mixmag, London, November 1995
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Performers at The Big Chill Festival , shot for Mixmag, London, November 1995

© Soulla Petrou - Blur 1997 Stockholm Sweden for the cover of The Saturday Times Magazine
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Blur 1997 Stockholm Sweden for the cover of The Saturday Times Magazine

© Soulla Petrou - Image from the Rewind photography project
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Damon Albarn of Blur back stage at the Stockholm Water Festival, shot for the launch cover of Metro Magazine, The Saturday Times new music supplement. Stockholm , Sweden, August 1997

© Soulla Petrou - Supergrass 1997 London UK for Saturday Times magazine cover
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Supergrass 1997 London UK for Saturday Times magazine cover

© Soulla Petrou - Krist Novoselic (former Nirvana bassist) new band Sweet 75 for Select magazine, Seattle, USA , June 1997
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Krist Novoselic (former Nirvana bassist) new band Sweet 75 for Select magazine, Seattle, USA , June 1997

© Soulla Petrou - Air 1997 London UK for The Face
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Air 1997 London UK for The Face

© Soulla Petrou - Underworld 1999 London Zoo UK for the cover of DJ magazine
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Underworld 1999 London Zoo UK for the cover of DJ magazine

© Soulla Petrou - Orbital 1999 London UK for the cover of DJ magazine
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Orbital 1999 London UK for the cover of DJ magazine

© Soulla Petrou - Sophie Ellis-Bextor shot for Ministry magazine cover, London  2000
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Sophie Ellis-Bextor shot for Ministry magazine cover, London 2000

© Soulla Petrou - Bond 2000 Havana Cuba for Decca Records
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Bond 2000 Havana Cuba for Decca Records

© Soulla Petrou - Sum 41 2001 London UK for Just 17 magazine
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Sum 41 2001 London UK for Just 17 magazine

© Soulla Petrou - The Chemical Brothers for Mixmag, London, July 2003
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The Chemical Brothers for Mixmag, London, July 2003

© Soulla Petrou - Mis_Teeq, Alesha Dixon, Sabrina Washington and Su-Ellise Nash shot for Popworld, London, March 2003
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Mis_Teeq, Alesha Dixon, Sabrina Washington and Su-Ellise Nash shot for Popworld, London, March 2003

© Soulla Petrou - Todd Terry 2007 Miami USA for Defected Records
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Todd Terry 2007 Miami USA for Defected Records

© Soulla Petrou - Frankie Knuckles (The Godfather of House) 2007 Miami USA for Defected Records
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Frankie Knuckles (The Godfather of House) 2007 Miami USA for Defected Records

© Soulla Petrou - Party goers at Defected Records Party during WMC (Winter Music Conference) Miami, USA March 2009
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Party goers at Defected Records Party during WMC (Winter Music Conference) Miami, USA March 2009