‘Hane’ is the follow-up to bassist and composer Apostolos Sideris’ debut album ‘Σummation’. It signifies a different way to make and record music for the artist.
This time, Apostolos was forced, due to the reality of the past year and a half, to create an album based on his own recordings at his home studio. This process gave him the ability and freedom to overdub himself and others, each recording adding up to a multi-layered musical product.
He was able to build his music from the ground up, in a very contrapuntal way. The superimposition of various intricate rhythms and harmonies is what makes this album so special for him. In the process, he invited all members of his Σummation ensemble to participate here and there, in addition to working with a number of added special guests from different musical areas and styles.
The album starts with ‘Hidden Symmetry’, a short modern classical orchestral piece that acts as the intro to ‘Hane’. The album doesn’t waste time moving into very different directions, with ‘Up’, ‘Algorhythm’ and especially with the first single ‘In Between the Lines’, in which Apostolos is putting in effect his’ love for punchy rhythmic patterns. During those tracks, percussionist Sakir Ozan Uygan and drummer Dimitris Klonis are adding their crisp and imaginative percussive parts.
‘Love’s Song’ is possibly the most introspective piece, with it’s dark eastern melody and the beautiful playing by Andrea Romani on the ney, Fotini Kokkala on the kanun and Giannis Poulios on the violin. Compositions like ‘All the Senses Become One’ and ‘Frozen Like the Winter’ show the songwriting and vocal side of the composer’s musical universe. Lyrics in Greek were written by Mr. Sideris himself. ‘Geminal’ is a rather groovy piece on a quite intricate rhythmic pattern, with pianist Leo Genovese adding his fiery keyboard lines. It is also the only piece where Apostolos is the co-writer. Another highlight of the album is the Arabic-influenced ‘Grinding Game’ with Attab Haddad’s powerful and tasty oud adding to the flavor of the performance.
Pieces like ‘Alev’s Dance’ and ‘Work of Body’ are both based on bass and voice overdubs, with their mouth-drum parts painting their own groove. Improvisational jams like ‘Passage’ and ‘Back Beat’ show a more relaxed Apostolos, willing to let go and have some casual fun. The album notably ends with a pizzicato improvisation over a lush set of bowed basses offering a hypnotic drown, almost going back to where it started: The artist having a conversation with himself, slowly setting the rules to the musical game he set to create.
1. Hidden Symmetry (Intro)
2. Up
3. Algorhythm
4. In Between the Lines
5. Love's Song
6. Geminal
7. Kairos
8. Frozen Like
9. Baseline
10. Passage
11. Alev's Dance
12. All the Senses Become One
13. Work of Body
14. Back Beat
15. Grinding Game
16. Epilogue
Apostolos Sideris: upright and electric basses, vocals, drum programming and compositions
Sakir Ozan Uygan: percussion
Leo Genovese: keyboards
Andrea Romani: ney, flute
Giannis Poulios: violin
Dimitris Klonis: drums, electronics
Fotini Kokkala: kanun
Attab Haddad: oud
Costas Baltazanis: guitar
Sarp Maden: guitar
Tamer Temel: saxophones
New album coming soon in all streaming/download platforms
