Music is abundant in Greece. Since the beginning of
their time, the Greeks have loved to dance. Traditional folk & classical
Greek music goes face to face with the harshest of Greek black death gothic
power metal. However, being the Contrarian that I am (as well as
narco-anarchist & high as the sky) I decided to touch on two other ends of
the spectra.
Psych-trance breakbeat-acid electronics goes face to face
with 50s rockabilly & 60s garage rock.
Sentna is an electronic audio project functioning under the
techno producer Apostolos Karalis. Sentna experiments essentially with the
sounds of psychedelic techno-trance. Sentna’s vision is to deliver his own
unique audio styles to the electronic musick community: combining cutting edge
audio technologies & methologies; blending both hardware & sofware
applications; experimenting with tech-groove rythms, industrial sound fx,
mechanized atmospheres, inflated bass loops & razor distorted synths.
He is always attempting to invent new
sonic formulas for the best acoustic results so that his tracks will give you
an inward stimulation of your most eclectic neurons.
Sentna believes in FREE MUSICK. He believes that the meaning,
the purpose & the true value of music can gradually & easily be lost
when being used as just another selling product. After all, at the beginning of
human culture & even now in some so-called ‘primitive societies’, when
man's mind & conciousness were or are pure & not alienated by today's
global system of depression, humanity uses music & arts for celebrations, ceremonies,
inducing trance states, without the use of money, trade or any dealing method
for its production. They were or are simply exploring the sound by observing
the effect to their brains & the influence that it had to their lives, through
living experience, not motivated by money, profit or self success.
Sentna – Nuhlimkilaka (Bringer of Confusion), Psychotropic
Records – PSTRO1, 2009.
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Tracklist –
Kahos Ekenza
The Way Back to the Center
4 Dimensions
I Think You do Care
Ant Dance
Etenoha
Nuhlimkilaka
Grandfather Peyote
StrangeZero are SteliosZero - Στέλιος Φανουράκης (Stelios Fanourakis) & Io-V - Γιάννης Βασιλάς (John Vasilas), from Greece, traveling with machines,
dreams & whispering screams. These two young scientists, Doctor John Vasilas & economist Stelios
Fanourakis with musick as their “hobby”, a hobby that has translated their passion
for music into a most remarkable discography series in the electronica /
ambient / experimental scene.
They first met in 1984. They stayed in touch because of
their tastes in music. In 1990 they started writing under various names using
just a sampler & an Amiga 500. They made field recordings, taping rain
sounds & sounds from the places wherever they travelled. They combined these
samples with breakbeats, acid tunes & guitars. In many tracks they used
vocals. All these tracks still exist in audio tapes & DAT.
For several years their music was put on hold. Stelios was working as a radio producer while Io-V went off to Beograd to study medicine. They got together again in 1998, when they decided to form a more stable unit, an electronic band. They named the band StrangeZero, a name that basically went out as a rallying call to all minorities or outsider groups, usually referred to as Zero’s. It is meant to signify that a Ø can become something when it’s strange, that it can have a unique identity.
For several years their music was put on hold. Stelios was working as a radio producer while Io-V went off to Beograd to study medicine. They got together again in 1998, when they decided to form a more stable unit, an electronic band. They named the band StrangeZero, a name that basically went out as a rallying call to all minorities or outsider groups, usually referred to as Zero’s. It is meant to signify that a Ø can become something when it’s strange, that it can have a unique identity.
StrangeZero were influenced by old Harthouse & Eye Q
(techno recording Sven Väth’s Harthouse, a sub-label of Eye Q), strong acid 303
trips (Roland TB 303 - the 303s sound is affectionately referred to as ‘acid’
& it is the leading instrument in ‘acid techno’, a form of music that often
focuses on one ‘pattern’ that evolves over the course of the track, from a low
grumble all the way up to a distorted screech, achieved by the ‘tweaking’ of
the 303 knobs), & experimental ambient sounds. They produced mainly spheric,
trancelike music with an excellent choice of spoken words. A great example is
the outro "All of Us". They have mixed the speech of a child, Severn
Suzuki, at the UN Earth Summit in 1992 into the most appropriate musical framework.
Dynamic music, produced professionally, sometimes with a slightly melancholic
tendency.
Some people might write this release off as being too
simple. & it is quite simple. Despite being filled with sensory overload, every
note is given plenty of time to breathe & grow. Nothing is cluttered. The
Music relies more on subtlety than forcefulness to work its magic. Every rise
& fall, every ebb & flow is allowed to be relished & savored in its
own time. The little story contained within the confines of these 13 tracks is
a delight to hear unfold. If Newborn
Butterflies tells us one thing, it’s this: the story tellers have
returned with more fine wares to sample.
StrangeZero – Newborn Butterflies, StrangeZero self-released
005, 2010.
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The Blue Jeans are definitely the most well known rockabilly
band that ever came out of Greece.
The Blue Jeans were formed back in 1984 by Alex Berekos initially as a four piece
band playing mostly covers. After two years of constant gigging they are offered
their first chance to release an E.P. for the Wipe Out recording label. The
E.P. features two original songs plus a cover of the instrumental surf tune
"Wipe Out". Today this release is considered a collector's item.
In 1990 the band went through a lot of changes both in their
line up & with their sound. They added an upright bass player & turned
toward a more authentic Rockabilly style while keeping much of their signature
sound. The new band was rapidly accepted. Gigs were well received by an ever
increasing number of fans. The Blue Jeans soon became one of the hottest live
bands in Greece.
In 1991 Angelos Michalopoulos joins the band on saxophone.
They are picked to open for both The Cramps & The Ramones shows in Athens. There is not much
time for anything but live club & festival dates. Finally the band gets
some time to hit the studio, & in 1992 at last they release their first
full album HARD TIMES. One of the album's songs, “You Better Watch Out”,
is picked up for a UK Nervous Records/ Fury compilation called Streets of Fear released
in 1994. Because of fans in England,
they get to play at the Hemsby Rock’n’Roll Weekender #15 in 1995. Back in Athens after the festival,
the band decides to stop playing live
for a while in order to concentrate on their future plans. They take a short
break that lasts up to this day.
The Blue Jeans are: Alex Berekos – guitar & vocals; Stelios ‘Boogie Boy Steve’ Berekos – double
‘trouble’ bass & Fender bass; Zafiris ‘Jeff’ Karpozolotas – drums &
precussion; & Angelos Michalopoulos – saxophone.
The Blue Jeans – Hard Time, Studio II ST II 03, 1992.
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The Sound Explosion is a garage rock band formed in May 1991
in Athens, Greece. They got together in order
to play garage punk & have great live shows, reviving the lost party days
of the mid 60’s.
The line-up was: John - vocals, 6 & 12 string Vox guitar, & harmonica;
Jim - Eko bass & backing vocals; Stelios - Farfisa organ, maracas &
backing vocals: & Stavros – drums & tambourine. They disbanded in early
1997 but in 2009 they got back together again.
The line-up now is the same except for the organ, which is now handled by Stelios Askoxylakis, who replaced Stelios Drissis, who now resides in Belgium. They still play that old 60's styled garage/punk.
The line-up now is the same except for the organ, which is now handled by Stelios Askoxylakis, who replaced Stelios Drissis, who now resides in Belgium. They still play that old 60's styled garage/punk.
Thanks to their releases through foreign labels they
encountered fans in several countries all over the planet. It was in
1993 when The Sound Explosion came up with the release of their debut 7”
single “Hangover Baby/Some Other Guy”. Their next single release came through
an American label, Dionysus Records in 1994. “I’ll Shake the Universe/Why Can’t
You See?”. Their one & only LP was released through the German label Music
Maniac Records in 1994, titled The Sound Explosion – Teen Trash vol. 14 from
Athens-Greece on the label’s Teen Trash Series. They supported several
foreign bands such as The Fuzztones, Dead Moon, Marshmallow Overcoat & The
Others. In 1995, a third single was released: “Another Lie/Misirlou the Greek”. Even though they
called it quits in 1997, they succeeded in releasing one final 7” in 2000, the
four song ep The Last Recordings.
The Sound Explosion - HanoverBaby/Some Other Guy 7”, Pegasus Records – PEG 010, 1993.
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Dionysus Records – ID074557, 1994.
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Music Maniac Records – MMLP 88014, 1994.
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Side A –
Inspector Clouseau in Outer Space / State of My Mind
Send a Message
She’s One of a Kind
Hopeless Endless Way
Don’t Turn Away
Side B –
Lost in Tyme
No!No!No!No!No!
My Baby Went Away with the Midnight Train
The Last November
In the Past
We’re the Sound Explosion
The Sound Explosion - Another Lie / Misirlou the Greek 7”,
Studio II Records – ST II 08, 1995.
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The Sound Explosion - The Last Recordings 7” ep, Το
Δισκάδικο – S-01-A, 2000.
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A1 The S.EX. in Outer Space
A2 You’d Better Shake Right Now
B1 Watch Yourself
B2 She’s Sorry
Rock on & party hardy,
NØ
Sentna
ReplyDeleteZff650GflW5iH629mUkyZjjy8BBQIU5BaovPtZw8zeY
StrangeZero
JgqVrzxmDPldzeI_-SFrrzoyvO1buhm4VdAW9qhlhdM
The Blue Jeans
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The Sound Explosion
Hangover Baby
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I'll Shake vthe Universe
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Teen Trash vol. 14
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Another Lie
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The Last Recordings
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Another project from Greece worth hearing
ReplyDeletehttp://fantastikoihxoi.blogspot.com/
to icastico,
DeleteSo much good musick from Greece.
Just one hella musick loving country.
Thanks for the heads up about this group.
I try to make time to check them out as
I hustle to fill in the last few countries
in Europe.