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.
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
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.»
Eponymous
CD
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
DISCOGRAPHY
2004: The bacchic dance
of the Nymphes - Tyrvasia (new edition)
2002
: Daemonia Nymphe- Prikosnovénie
2000: Tyrvasia mcd
1998: The Bacchic Dance of the Nymphs LP
*
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 Nikos Brass , an instrument constructor
who has managed to reproduce almost every ancient Hellenic instrument
by using his artistic skills, starting over from the year 1980 up to
nowadays. Daemonia nymphe ,Nikos 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 Medieval 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‰ .
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 October 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
Hellenic Instruments .
In May 2003 they released a cd which the band co-operates with other
Prikosnovenie acts such as LOUISA JOHN KROL , Francesco(Gor, ATARAXIA)
and Lys , in a Cd which is entitled „Love Sessions. The same period
they participated in the new cd of Atmospheric band from London , Seventh
Harmonic as well in the debut Cd „Arcane Elitism By Symphonic Neoclassical
Project xARKANEx from Athens.
In June 2003 DAEMONIA NYMPHE played live at National Hellenic Research
Foundation In Athens .They also played in a big gothic /Electro Festival
in Athens Called Elfentanz Fest in September along with NEUROTIC FISH
and AND ONE , as well as some more gigs in some small venues in Athens
and last but not least a gig with Louisa John Krol at Mylos club in
Salonika in November the 12th.
MEMBERS:
Spyros Giasafakis, Evi Stergiou, Maria Stergiou, Christos Koukaras,
Dafni Kotsiani,Baggelis Pasxalides
Order CD
Listen to the album & download it 'fairly'
Buy
MP3
: 
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".