9000UK – Independent Artist, PRS Member & Ivors Academy Member

Our Story

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My name is Ioannis Ntizoglou, the independent artist, songwriter, and producer behind the project 9000UK. I am a registered songwriter with PRS for Music and a professional member of The Ivors Academy. My work brings together human written lyrics with modern AI assisted music production, guided by a belief that technology should extend creativity, not replace honesty, emotion, or authorship.

9000UK is rooted in family history. Its origins trace back to Istanbul in the 1960s, where my father Vikentios Ntizoglou and my uncles Yiorgi Nikolaidis and Thomas Bogiaris formed a band called Martılar. As teenagers, they performed across Istanbul and the Princes’ Islands, keeping Greek culture alive through live music in clubs and tavernas. Their journey shaped the environment I was born into and the values I carry forward.

After political and financial pressures forced my family to leave Istanbul, music slowly disappeared from daily life. My father redirected his creativity into shoe design for theatre, film, and stage performers in Athens. I grew up surrounded by artists, craft, and storytelling, even while music itself became something unspoken. My uncle Thomas remained a constant musical presence through his bouzouki, especially at family gatherings. His death from cancer left a lasting mark on me and reinforced the importance of preserving creative legacy.

On 16 January 2026, my father passed away. His absence changed everything. His spirit, discipline, and unfinished musical journey live within 9000UK. This project is my way of continuing what he and my uncles began, using the tools available to my generation.

Although I am not a traditional vocalist or instrumental performer, I have written lyrics since my teenage years. AI assisted production finally gave me the means to release those words as music. On 1 January 2025, I completed my first AI assisted track. Since then, I have released over 1747 original pieces under the 9000UK name, spanning electronic, rap, pop, experimental, and soundtrack driven forms.

9000UK exists to honour overlooked voices, preserve memory, and prove that independent artists can build meaningful bodies of work without labels or gatekeepers. This project is not driven by financial ambition. It is driven by purpose, family, and the belief that stories deserve to be heard.

I continue this work as a writer, a creator, and a voice shaped by those who came before me.

Dream Loud!
Ioannis Ntizoglou

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Legacy, Family, and the Purpose Behind 9000UK

Credentials

PRS for Music – Member (IPI: 1278246330)
The Ivors Academy – Professional Member

These memberships recognise my work as a legitimate songwriter and composer, and they reinforce the value I place on creative integrity.

But 9000UK began long before AI or digital platforms existed.

Its roots lie in Istanbul in the 1960s, where three Greek teenagers born in 1949
my father Vikentios Ntizoglou (bass, vocals),
my uncle Yiorgi Nikolaidis (drums, vocals),
and my uncle Thomas Bogiaris (guitar, bouzouki)
formed a band named Martılar (“Seagulls” in Turkish).

At only fifteen, they were performing in small clubs and tavernas, keeping Greek culture alive through music. After completing their military service in Turkey, they reunited and became a well-known act in the Beyoğlu (Péra) district of the city. Their main venue was the legendary taverna Χρυσό Βαρέλι (Gold Barrel), with regular appearances in Yeşilköy (Agios Stefanos) and the nearby islands they travelled to by ferry.

They played across:

• Kınalıada (Proti)
• Burgazada (Antigoni)
• Heybeliada (Halki) – where my mother was born
• Büyükada (Prigipos) – the spiritual centre of the Greek Orthodox Church

It was on Halki that my father met my mother, and our family’s story expanded from there.

In 1974 my uncle Yiorgi moved to Germany with his wife Hellen. One year later, my father and Uncle Thomas left Istanbul and settled in Athens. Financial pressure pushed my father away from music, and he poured his talent into shoe design, eventually crafting custom footwear for famous singers and actors. I grew up watching artists visit our shop in Glyfada, getting measured for shoes designed for theatre stages, concerts, and films.

Uncle Thomas never let go of the bouzouki. His music filled every family gathering, especially in summer when all relatives came together. His passing from cancer left a hole that never truly closed, but his influence is something I carry with me every day.

I believe he can see what I’m doing now – continuing the legacy he and my father began.

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Why 9000UK Exists

Many talented musicians from past generations disappeared from history simply because they lacked access to support, labels, or a way to record their art.
9000UK exists to make sure my family’s story – and stories like theirs – are never forgotten.

Even though I’m not a professional singer or instrumentalist, AI finally gave me the tools to release music built on the hundreds of lyrics I’d quietly written since I was seventeen. On 1 January 2025, I made my first AI-assisted track – and it changed everything.

Since then, I’ve released over 1,619 tracks, driven by the spirit of my father, my uncles, and the culture that shaped us.

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What This Journey Means to Me

This project isn’t about financial success.
It’s about honouring my family, creating purpose, and sharing stories that matter.

Through 9000UK, I finally feel I’m living the role I always carried inside me:

A writer. A creator. A voice for others.

I will never ask for donations, though many people have insisted I add a link.
Any support, whether through:

• liking and commenting on my music, or
• purchasing 9000UK products

…helps me uplift young, talented individuals who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and simply need someone to believe in them.

Thank you for being part of this ongoing story.

Dream Loud.
Ioannis Ntizoglou (9000UK)