Cretan discography is perhaps one of the most fast-growing in the country. Not only because there are numerous talented artists in Crete, but also because of their openness to new sounds, experimentation and (national & international) collaborations, while remaining committed to the musical roots that set the ground of Cretan music production of the past and present. We propose five new releases of the Cretan - in a broad rather than strictly "traditional" sense - discography that should not be missing from your collection.
“7 Fish” – Kelly Thoma
The new album of Kelly Thoma consists of eight compositions and ... 7 fish! Each "fish" is a composition, while the eighth, titled "S", musically describes the movement of fish in the water. The compositions of Kelly contain timbres of different musical traditions, performed by 11 outstanding musicians: Kelly Thoma, Ross Daly, Zohar Fresco, Pedram Khavarzamini, Yiorgos Manolakis, Efrén López, Aris Kornelakis, Sophia Efklidou, Taxiarchis Georgoulis, Pavlos Spiropoulos, Yiannis Papatzanis, Miriam Encinas Laffite. Most of them are already well-known to the fans of Labyrinth and the legendary Houdetsi Festival. The artwork is equally fantastic, as well as the 'fairy' photos of Kelly, with the fish of CretAquarium in the background.
Composition and orchestration: Kelly Thoma
Production: Kelly Thoma (kellythoma@yahoo.com, www.kellythoma.com)
Where to find it:
www.kellythoma.com/discography.php
www.cdbaby.com/cd/kellythoma12
“Bulgari” – Yiannis Paximadakis, Evgenia Toli
An album with 12 remakes of the “diamonds” of Cretan music. Yiannis Paximadakis is a skillful bulgari player and Evgenia Toli has an exceptional voice. Together they give a fresh twist to classic Cretan songs, plucked from the depths of tradition. These old Cretan melodies are adjusted to contemporary ears, and the album ‘bulgari’ becomes a tribute to the homonym instrument and its greatest representatives: Foustalieris, Lagos, Piperakis, Koutsourelis, Mpernidakis.
Orchestration: Yiannis Paximadakis
Production: Cretan Musical Workshop - Aerakis
Where to find it:
www.aerakis.net/teleutaia-proionta/paximadakis-toli-bulgari.html
“To Simpan” (The Universe) - Yiannis Xylouris (Psaroyiannis)
The musical universe of Psaroyiannis fits everything: from purely Cretan sounds, inspired by the mountains of Crete, to ‘urban’ melodies, the so-called “tangoes” that dominated Cretan feasts in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Psaroyiannis initiates a musical journey from the unruly mountains to the elegant lowlands of Crete with the company of Elias Zoutsos (lyra) and Panagiotis Katsikiotis (percussion) in this all-inclusive album.
The “tangoes” danced by our grandmothers:
Orchestration: Yiannis Xylouris
Production: Cretan Musical Workshop - Aerakis
Where to find it:
www.aerakis.net/teleutaia-proionta/yannis-xylouris-psarogiannis-to-simban.html
Soundtrack: "A Family Affair"
The soundtrack of “A Family Affair”, a documentary that captures the life of the most famous musical family of Crete, is finally released. As expected, the album features original recordings and live performances by Psarantonis, his son Psarogiorgis and the third generation of Xylouris family (Nikos, Antonis and Apollonia). But there are also a few surprises in the soundtrack, like two traditional Irish songs, and songs of other Cretan and Australian artists like Jim White (Dirty Three).
Mixing & mastering: Coti K.
Production: Anemon Productions
Where to find it:
afamilyaffairsoundtrack.bandcamp.com/releases
And finally…it might not be among the newest releases (it is out there for about 4 months), but we couldn’t skip the album “Goats” by Xylouris-White, as it is without a doubt one of the most original and unique musical creations of “hybrid”-we would say- Cretan music out there!
“Goats” – Xylouris White
What happens when an Australian post punk drummer meets a skillful lute player of the Cretan music scene? Jim White and Yiorgis Xylouris (psarogiorgis) transcend all boundaries, musical and geographical, and combine lute with drums and Cretan melodies with a different (sometimes jazz, punk or even psychadellic) sounds. The international audience went wild with this bizarre collaboration, the reviews in Pitchfork and New Yorker were also enthusiastic, and the world tour of the unconventional duet continues with great success!
Get a taste:
Production: Guy Picciotto (Fugazi)
Where to find it:
www.othermusicrecordingco.com/products/goats
www.aerakis.net/xylouris-white-goats.html