Krataia Asterope
2007

S/T-
2002

Daemonia Myspace

The Sound of Greek Antiquity

Style: Ancient greek music
References: Lisa Gerrard, Dead Can Dance, Enya, Elend
2007 - 11 Tracks

After the success of their 1st Album in the French Prikosnovenie Label, here is the new opus of the pagan folk band. Composed of 3 Female Nymphs singing and 3 gifted musicians, the Greek tribe sing Orphic, Omeric hymns, Sappho¹s poems for Zeus or Hekate.
Daemonia Nymphe tries to recreate the sound of Greek Antiquity. Musicians use incredible instruments like lyra, varvitos, krotala, pandoura, double flute... made by the legendary Greek instrument maker Nicholas Brass.
These ancient songs are sung by balkan choirs and bewitching female voices. Their music is a kind of World music mixing Folk, traditional music and Rock.
The ancient Greek instruments are still present here combined with contemporary instruments.
The powerful male choirs could illustrate Mythological Epic battles fromŒIliad and Odyssey¹ and the heavenly female voices (reminding Enya) the 'Sirens' voices of Ulysse.
The band invites Psarantonis (Antonis Xylouris) a legend for Cretan music to sing on this new album.
This new album 'Krataia Asterope' could be the original soundtrack of a Fantastic Greek Peplum.

Titles : 1 : Esodos, 2 : Krataia Asterope, 3: Daemonos, 4: Nocturnal Hekate, 5: Mouson, 6: Dios Astrapaiou, 7: Divine Goddess of Fertility, 8: Sirens of Ulysses, 9: To Goddess Mnemosyne, 10: Hymenaios, 11: Ecstatic Orchesis


MP3 : Esodos

MP3 : Nocturnal Hekate

MP3 : Dios Astrapaiou

Order CD

Listen to the album & download it 'fairly'

Buy MP3 :

This is the second album of the Greek band ‘Daemonia Nymphe’, it is made of 2 rare limited editions CD : The Bacchic dance of the Nymphs and Tyrvasia.
The greek band ‘Daemonia Nymphe’ tries to recreate the sound of Greek Antiquity. Musicians use incredible instruments like lyra, varvitos, krotala, pandoura... made by the legendary Greek instrument maker Nicholas Bras…These ancient songs are sung by balkanik choirs and bewitching female voices. They were part of the Wave Gothic Treffen 2004.

«This is our black and white period. It is our first attempt to use Orphic Hymns in our music firstly using acoustic instruments in a way that could
possibly remind of the ancient sound at least what we believed it sounded
like. When Nicholas Brass listened to our music he wondered if the sound came from ancient lyres. Then he gave us his collection of reproductions of ancient Greek instruments. But why is it so important for us to approach the ancient sound? If you realise that these instruments haven't been heard for more than 1500 years you can imagine how fascinating that experience is. But the truth is that we don't really want to approach the music of our ancestors, it’s impossible but also of no interest to us. Of course we are inspired by the atmosphere of the ancient temples and statues but our main goal is to compose new music that can possibly have elements of our past (memory) and our present (action) and the hope to be heard also in the future.
In general this music refers to the Nymphs Satyrs, Pan and Dionysus, Divinities of the woods, lakes and mountains which are so much connected with this sacred land "Hellas".» Spyros Giafakis (D.N leader)

Titres : 1 : The calling, 2 : The bells of Archeron, 3: The bacchic dance of the Nymphs, 4: Calling the twelve gods, 5: Summoning Pan, 6: Divined by trophonios, 7: Tyrvasia


MP3 : The Bacchic dance of the nymphs

Order CD

Listen to the album & download it 'fairly'

Buy MP3 :

REVIEW :
«The core of DAEMONIA NYMPHE are Evi Stergiou and Spyros Giasafakis. They first started writing in 1994. Sometimes one can not adequately describe such music, it is intricate and complex, not over elaborate. It seems to stretch over its own range of moods, sometimes sounding melancholia yet slowly building in to a more confident serenity. Each of the Tyrvasia’s tracks works to a distinct rhythm. The CD makes one more convinced of the validity of the band's vision of Greek Antiquity.
As a Medievalist I remember reading how the group RED IRIS used to study 13th and 14th century art, examining how musicians were holding their instruments, the number of strings on each item, and then tried to imagine the tuning that they would use.DAEMONIA NYMPHE are embarking on a similar mission, trying to use music to evoke the spirit of the Past.»

Style: ancient greek music
References: Dead can dance
September 2002 - 9 Titles - 60'

Daemonia Nymphe are trying to recreate the sound of Greek Antiquity. They are working with legendary Greek instrument maker Nicholas Bras.They also use instruments that few of us have heard of : lyra, varvitos, krotala, pandoura, syrinx, keras, seistro, samviki, anyone? besides slightly more ordinary percussion and some vocal chants. The album is punctuated by distant battle cries, voices that evoque dancers, revellers and people in ritual celebration of Orpheus.

TRACKS:Message horn's enchanting echo/ ida's dactyls/ sumoning divine selene/ hades/ dance of the satyrs/ korai rejoining in antron/ nymphs of the seagod nereus/ hymn to bacchus/ invoking pan

MP3 : Summoning Divine Selene

MP3 : Nymphs of the Seagod Nereus

Order CD

Listen to the album & download it 'fairly'

Buy MP3 :

COLLECTORS BOX -> SEE DETAILS ON COLLECTORS' PAGE

INTERVIEW:

* How has music inspired you? Your musical inspirations?
Music has inspired me to create things that are connected to a positive way
of life. Some of my musical influences are the old 4ad scene.

* Has music helped you through a difficult or traumatic time in your life?
Actually music is helping me every day in all aspects of life. Like in ancient times where there was music for ceremonies, for work, for feasts, for drinking wine, e.t.c.

* Any CD's or songs which are meaningful to you?
There are so many that I wouldn't want to mention any in particular.

* Discuss the creative or songwriting process --
Well, for me music comes from something that is unexplained. In ancient Greece the musical instruments such as the ones we use (lyre, ancient guitar, piktis) were very much connected to the ancient Gods and Godesses, some instruments were also invented by them. So, it could be said that inspiration comes from something that is divine.

* Discuss your feelings about the powerful or life-changing effects thatmusic can have on a person --
It is true that music can heal us as much as it can influence our moods and feelings.It can also change the way we see things, it is so powerful that it can change an image in front of us,we can see it in a more positive or negative way.

BIOGRAPHY :

Daemonia  Nymphe were formed in the year 1994 and after a four years time intense creative period ,they released their debut album in 1998 under the title "The Bacchic Dance of The Nymphs" by the German record label Solistitium rec. This album focuses on a lyrical theme that ranges between the myths of the Hellenic antiquity and music that could easily be described as "theatrical". The same year 1998 finds the project renewed and a strong core of musicians is consisted - musicians who compose music based on the aesthetic and theoretical border of ancient hellenic music. One year later, a co-operation gradually changes the course of the band. We are referring to the meeting between Daemonia Nymphe and Nicholas Brass , an instrument constructor who has managed to  reproduce  almost every ancient Greek instrument by using his artistic skills, starting over from the year 1980 up to nowadays. Daemonia Nymphe , Nicholas Brass and his assistants consist of a team in which the musicians are inspired and create with Lyre , Kithara, Varvitos, and the constructors improve and make the instruments as perfect as possible. Within this co-operation , Daemonia Nymphe played their first concert presentation of the instruments at the Renaissance Festival of Rethymno, Crete. More concerts followed at the Interbalkan European Medical Center, in Tsagarada Pilio and N. Ionia of Volos . Along side they release their first mini Cd entitled “Tyrvasia” .

Video Daemonia Nymphe Live

The next big step in their course becomes reality in 2002 by signing a contract with French Label Prikosnovenie. This record label co-operates with bands from all over the world and Daemonia Nymphe as the first hellenic band in that label has become a vibrant member of  Prikosnovenie’s big international company. In September 2002  , Daemonia nymphe release their new Cd under the homonymous title,an album where a plethora of musicians participate besides the basic core of the band, among them a famous Greek singer Alkinoos Ioannides. In that new Cd the band moves towards into new paths , in a different more recognised sound because the majority of the tracks are played by the replicas of the ancient Greek instruments . In December 2002 they released  a cd which the band co-operates with other Prikosnovenie acts such as Australian Louisa John Krol ,Italian Francesco Banchini(Gor, Ataraxia) and French Lys, in a Cd which is entitled “Love Sessions”.. In June 2003 Daemonia Nymphe played live at National Hellenic Research Foundation In Athens ..On May 2004 Daemonia Nymphe was the first Greek band who performed in the Wave Gottik Treffen festival in Leipzig(Germany) in the Schauspiel Haus theatre and on June of the same year they performed in the Summer Solstice festival in Italy in the castle of Arceto.On July 2004 Spyros Giasafakis releases his debut mcd with the contributions of German Christian Wolz, Louisa John Krol and Evi Stergiou by the French label Cynfeirdd. On August 2004 they re-release their debut album "The Bacchic Dance of the Nymphs" together with "Tyrvasia" in Cd digipack format by the French Prikosnovenie. In the Summer of 2005 Daemonia Nymphe released the Cd "Ghost Fish" a collaboration between Louisa John Krol, Nikodemos Triarides and DN by the French label Prikosnovenie.In the end of 2005 "Daemonia Nymphe Remixed" was released by the Italian label Palace of Worms, the remixers who contributed on this work  are Beefcake, Von Magnet, Supermarket(Alfa P. x-Stereo Nova member),Mimetic Mute, Dani Joss, Peekay Tayloh, Nikodemos and Basilis.

Daemonia Nymphe have composed music for many documentaries among which the documentary "Treasures of Athens and Olympia" for the English Channel five in Summer of 2004. In 2005 they toured Greece with the support of the Greek ministry of Culture. In 2007 they released their Cd “Krataia Asterope” in which famous Cretan musician Psarantonis contributes. In 2008 they performed in Psalm festival(Styriarte) in Austria.         They have performed live in many other countries in Europe.

In 2010 they released they first DVD “Daemonia Nymphe live at La Nuit des Fees” by French label Prikosnovenie.It includes live performance in Clisson(France) and first official video clip directed by French director Mallory Grolleau.

Daemonia Nymphe are :

Spyros Giasafakis and  Evi Stergiou
Live session musicians: Victoria Couper, Evangelos Paschalidis, Robert Archibald
Instrument manufacturer: Nicholas Brass 

Discography
2010:”Daemonia Nymphe live at La Nuit des Fees” DVD
(Prikosnovenie Records) www.prikosnovenie.com
2007 : "Krataia Asterope" CD
(Prikosnovenie Records) www.prikosnovenie.com
2005 : "Daemonia Nymphe remixed" CD
(Palace of Worms Records) www.palaceofworms.com
2004 : "The Bacchic Dance Of the Nymphs-Tyrvasia" CD(new edition)
(Prikosnovenie Records) www.prikosnovenie.com
2002 : "Daemonia Nymphe Δαιμον?α Ν?μφη" CD
(Prikosnovenie Records) www.prikosnovenie.com
2000 : "Tyrvasia" mcd (demo)
1998 : "The Bacchic Dance of the Nymphs" LP
(Solistitium Records)

Collaborations
2008 : La Nuit des fees 2-Messages des Fees box CD+Book (Prikosnovenie Records)
www.prikosnovenie.com
2005 : "Ghost Fish" CD (Prikosnovenie Records)
www.prikosnovenie.com
2004 : Spyros Giasafakis "Improvisation In Ancient Greek Instruments" mcd(Cynfeirdd Records)
www.cynfeirdd.com
2002 : "Love Sessions" CD(Prikosnovenie Records)

www.prikosnovenie.com
www.myspace.com/daemonianymphe
www.youtube.com/daemoniaonymphe
www.myspace.com/ancientgreekinstruments

dnymphe@hotmail.com