ALKYONE
May 2023
Thessaloniki, Greece
Images by Vincent Moon
Sound by Thanos Pantsos
Vocals, keyboard: Alkyone
Cello: Thodoris Papadimitriou
Recording engineer: Sotiris Noukas
Recorded live at Underground Sound Studio, Thessaloniki
Mixed by Alkyone & Sotiris
Special thanks to Thanos and Marianna
Xenitemena mou poulia (an Epirus traditional song)
Nanourisma (an Asia Minor traditional lullaby)
'I went looking for new Greek music. A few days before my arrival, I received a link from a local friend to a traditional song reinvented in a flamboyant way by a young singer, Alkyone, from northern Greece. I didn’t even get to the end of the song that I was already looking for her contact information. Two weeks later, I was landing in Thessaloniki completely hallucinated after a pilgrimage to Mount Athos. On the bus back to the city, I managed to get in touch with Maria (that's her name) and ask her to meet me that evening to prepare a piece or two. She's a little unsure of herself, but she knows Blogothèque well and finally takes the plunge. We get to a friend’s studio, where Thodoris is waiting for us on cello, and the two of them launch into a gentle, epic performance, building steadily towards a finale of insane intensity. We do two takes, no more, it's in the box, I'm capsized. I'm back on the road, the magic has happened and all that's left is to share it. When the traditions of yesterday become entwined with such a young and sublime voice, unheard-of tomorrows open up once again.'
Thessaloniki, 2023 Petites Planètes CC BY-NC-SA