Golders Green

STM 046 is a substantial compositional audio collage that presents current avant-garde and experimental scene in Athens. Worldwide critically acclaimed composers such as Iannis Xenakis, Nikos Skalkottas, Jani Christou and Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri are standing in the front of this chef-d’oeuvre and carrying a fundamental message about longevous solidity and influence of Greek contemporary music scene.

The author of the mix is Byron Christodoulou (b. 1986) (a.k.a. Golders Green), a Greek publisher, sound artist and graphic designer who lives and works in Athens. Christodoulou was studying classical music in the National Conservatory of Greece since his childhood. He also graduated from London School of Sound, Music Production course. While residing in London, Christodoulou and his friends established a non-profit independent art platform Felt that focuses on physical format music releases and visual arts. Recently emerged in the intellectual music scene with the cassette record “Suite No°2 In Drone Major” (BLWBCK), Christodoulou is continuing to work on his new album called “Numbers Station” and a collaborative album with Pleq and Saåad.

STM 046 is a truly ideological and academic musical selection that equivalently connects 13 expressive records created in the last 50 years period by both classical trained Greek composers and nowadays sound experimentalists. The basis stands on the progressively shifting sweeping atmospheres, encoded noise interruptions and subtle micro-activity in the bottom of the layers of compositions that are full of rich and thrilling content. The background is full of abstract and schizophrenic structures, extensively deformed melodies covered with the weirdest musical ambience and accurate usage of technological devices. Perceptibly improvised instrument accompaniment, bizarre field recordings cuts and artistic intention enrich the polished wholeness. There is a lot of space for unexpectedness and joy of exploring the whole architectural ‘object’. Close attention, silence, comfortable seating and glass of noble drink is highly recommended.

Records and connections

STM 046 is like a meaningful Giorgio de Chirico metaphysical art painting “Mystery and Melancholy of a Street” where the enigmatic beauty of the dreamlike surroundings create in some way claustrophobic space and possible action intrigue that recalls an Epicurean paradox. At least the precise Christodoulou’s balance between solitude, existence, Modern, sound fundamentals and analysis of subconsciousness in this recording prove his competence as a tonal harmony teacher and as a gifted music artist.