Tuesday 27 December 2011
στις
18:50
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
These days I've been listening to tons of music and been dancing around my house alone. While I'm dancing, I switch through various facial expressions. All of them have something in common. They are all a mix of query and disgust. That's because I'm mostly listening to old stuff and can't believe how fucking good music they made back in the days. Here's a song I've been dancing to. Janko Nilovic's "In the Space". Guess who has sampled it... Enjoy...
Jay Z - D.O.A
Janko Nilovic - In the space
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. This post is dedicated to my good friend Nikos (robotikos) for sharing his vast knowledge of music with me.
Monday 26 December 2011
στις
20:55
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
To everyone out there, who for the past 4 years thinks Fink is their musical messiah, here's a christmas surprise. John Martyn published his album "Solid Air" in 1973. Yep...1973... If you haven't heard of this record, just quit what you're doing right now and listen to it. Over and over... I don't need to say something else... You'll immediately understand what I mean... Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. I don't wanna know 'bout evil, I only wanna know 'bout love...
Trummor & Orgel are an organ driven duo from Sweden. They remind me of some great 60's bands like Procol Harum and when I listen to their songs I feel the urge to drink some Vermouth. Enjoy...
My neglected blog is always there for me. Been really busy. Been sleeping for three hours a day... 5 hour rehearsal with Dimitra Galani and Haris Alexiou. 8 hour rehearsal with Anna Vissi and the Wedding Singers... Planet of Zeus writing songs for their third album... Every day.. Add to that some serious life changes and you'll get the picture.
In the meantime I've been listening to tons of music. That's what kept me alive. Listening and digging mostly 70's psychedelic rock... Norwegian, Swedish, you name it. Listening to albums none has heard of and to artists, that don't even have a wikipedia page.
My latest addiction is Bo Hansson. Bo Hansson was a swedish musician and composer who published four instrumental albums in the 70's. One of them was inspired by Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". Really deep shit. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. This album is way ahead of its time. Tortoise sound like this nowadays.
Saturday 3 December 2011
στις
18:42
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
Matmos and So percussion performing "Water"...
Let's say a greek composer or band had been invited in one of ΕΡΤ's (Greece's national Tv) radio or tv shows to perform his pieces of music. Let's say, his performance used water as a sound source like Matmos do. A sophisticated team of 5 cutting edge sound engineers would be responsible for the sound's broadcast. Engineers that don't have a clue of what an EQ is and work for ΕΡΤ, because an uncle of theirs had once eaten kokoretsi (delicious greek recipe) with one of the government's members. The two men had burped simultaneously and thus a bond between them emerged and evolved and now their bond rules all of us poor people.
These 5 sound scientists would come and demand, that all pots filled with water should immediately be removed from the studio, because they might ruin their expensive microphone collection, that is daily being used for housing homeless spiders. An ambitious project and example of charity financed by the "Elpida" club.
The artist would argue for hours and hours with the sound engineering team, but both parties wouldn't back off. Suddenly, when all hope had vanished, a phone would ring and a producer would announce, that a permission for using the water had been granted. You see, the artist's uncle had once scratched the back of a higher government official than the previous one, when the latter was having a serious back itch.
The artist would finally return to the studio to perform his masterpiece only to realise that all water had evaporated along with our hopes.
"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egotism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions." In 1984, Orwell added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we fear will ruin us. Huxley feared that our desire will ruin us."
I knew, that there is huge number of people out there, that are complete douchebags... Especially, in the States. But now I have some facts to support my thesis.
Just type the words "inspirational" or "motivational" in youtube's search engine and you'll get an idea of what I mean. Hundreds of videos, that were created in order to inspire us. Stories about fat people who decided to take part in the marathon, athletes who despite being injured crossed the finish line etc... People seem to have serious problems... Such as brain damage. The fact, that most of these videos are of american origin isn't random.
American people are really socially sensitive. That's the reason why they keep giving hundreds of awards to documentaries and movies with politically correct themes such as minorities, people with cancer, people who are different but in the end society accepts them etc. Movies about ethics, persistence and dreams. I'm almost certain, that movie writers gather around a table, eat chinese food and hundreds of fortune cookies until they find the right one. The one with the great universal message... And then they start writing. Fuck off... Enough is enough...
The following video is probably the worst video I've ever seen... Urine and puke on the creator's grave... That's a quite universal message. Spread the word. Urine and puke on the creator's grave... Urine and puke on the creator's grave... Urine and puke on the creator's grave... Urine and puke on the creator's grave... Urine and puke on the creator's grave... Urine and puke on the creator's grave... Urine and puke on the creator's grave...
Here's a really motivational and inspirational video for you motherfuckers... Enjoy...
Been really busy these days... I love you all... Master John Riley talks about the gift. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. John Riley is probably my favorite educator out there. If you have time, study his DVD "The Master Drummer" and of course his outstanding books, "The Art of Bop Drumming", "Beyond Bop Drumming" and "The Jazz Drummer's Workshop".
Ps1. Please, if you are planning to go abroad and study drums leave the M.Is and the Berklees alone and check the Manhattan School of Music, where John is teaching.
Monday 7 November 2011
στις
17:14
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
The scientific community hasn't yet understood, that Jay Dilla was the greatest artificial intelligence scientist in the history of this field of research. Making machines sound human since birth. They should even name a scholarship program after him...
Thursday 3 November 2011
στις
15:50
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
Pino Paladino is one of my favorite bass players... I can't figure out how the hell a musician who during the 80's played a fretless bass with chorus pedals and delays evolved in the most laid-back , fat sounding, minimal bass player in the whole world. Check him out. If you are a bass player and you don't know who Pino Paladino is, just quit. Take knitting lessons...Or buy "How to paint" dvds. Enjoy...
Bobo Stenson is a great pianist and composer. He has published some great albums, as a bandleader, like "War Orphans" and "Serenity". My drum teacher and mentor Nikos Sidirokastritis first introduced me to his music, when I was 19. Since then, my friend Minas and me have enjoyed numerous rides with his car, listening to Bobo's music.
Yesterday, I watched the following concert and was completely mesmerized. Bobo Stenson's trio, with Anders Jormin on bass and Jon Falt on drums playing live in the middle of a forest for a swedish television broadcast. I wish we, Greeks, had similar TV programs. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. If you enjoy such concerts, you should definitely subscribe to this youtube channel.
Ps1. I can't figure out this forest's acoustic properties... If I closed my eyes and listened to the music, I'd swear I'm listening to music performed in a room.
Sunday 30 October 2011
στις
17:57
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
This a post about Nefeli Liouta, one of my favorite musicians out there, one of the biggest talents Greece has ever produced (along with Nicos Galis) and one of the most beautiful human beings, that grace this world with their existence (along with Byron Theodoropoulos and Beoll Sarakinos).
We are not close friends, but one day we 'll be. Maybe I'll play some drums for her too.
Nefeli has published her first album under the "Nefeli Walking Undercover" nickname. The album title is "Τα μολύβια-κομάντος", which in English would probably be something like "Pencil-comandos". You can listen to or download the whole album here.
This is not an underground album... If some lazy, uneducated music editor-journalist labels it by using this word, don't believe a wordof what he's saying. This term has in our days evolved from just a word to a huge cloud protecting the masses from reality, honesty and sincerity. This album shows to us listeners how Greek pop music should sound. Songs, that should be filling the airwaves. And just to prove, that I'm totally serious about what I'm talking about, I swear in front of my loyal readers, that I'll find his address and personally buttfuck him all night long... And I'm not even gay. Enjoy...
Ps. I know nobody is going to watch these 4 videos. I did. Frank Zappa's testimony at the PMRC Senate hearing on rock lyrics. The famous "Parental Advisory" stickers campaign driven by Tipper Gore (Al Gore's wife) ,among others. Al Gore is the world's greatest democrat who will save the world.
I hadn't listened to Donny Hathaway's live album for a long time. I had totally forgotten what a masterpiece it is. Do yourself a favor and find it... Enjoy...
Antonio Sanchez, with Pat Metheny and Christian McBride in Lugano... Great taste. Outstanding technique and chops. Enormous musicality... And yet so humble. I'd certainly like to have a tequila with Antonio... Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. Here's another video of Antonio, from his great educational DVD called "Master Series".
Ps1. If you're a drummer and haven't still subscribed to the Hudson Music channel in Youtube, you certainly have a serious problem... Do it...Do it now...
Rich Redmond is a drummer I learned from Modern Drummer magazine. He was voted "Best Country Drummer" in MD's annual poll. He plays for a guy called Jason Aldean, who I suppose is huge in the USA. He is actually a really good drummer and he seems like a cool person too.
Watch him track down an awful song on his first take. Learn from this video, even if you don't like his playing. Watch how focused and relaxed he is... Watch how the years of playing and recording experience influence his studio fills and playing... He knows what will sound good and big in the mixing process. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. Here's an other video of him recording an awful song...
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