'Abell 35-', Greek releases review (+compilation)

Abell 3565, Abell 3574 and Abell 3521 are three of the most massive galaxy clusters of 'Laniakea Galaxy Supercluster'.

'Abell 35-' is a selection of releases from the Greek heavy underground scene with a duration of less than 35 minutes each. All of them were released during 2016, either on physical or digital form.

These releases occupied my player's list a lot more than others, so I took the opportunity to present them to you in brief.

They aren't sorted in any particular order.

At the bottom of the page you will find a mixcloud compilation made out of these releases.

 Dəem - _

The guitarist and the drummer of 'Darnakes' left Greece and they are currently living in Stockholm, Sweden. There, they created a new project with the name 'Dəem' and created this experimental, psych-folk album using bouzouki, bass and drums. A very special release, highly recommended for everyone that likes folk experimentation projects.

(bandcamp  page)

Screaming dEAD Balloons / Birthday Kicks - Tonight at Vault Relics (7” split)

'Birthday Kicks' and 'Screaming dEAD Balloons' are both from the city of Larisa. They joined their forces under the label of Vault Relics and released a very nice split EP. Birthday Kicks did a garage style cover on the Ramones song "She talks to Rainbows" and Screaming dEAD Balloons offered a two-minute-psych-garage dynamite under the title "Last minute hero". A very very decent split that you can never have enough of it due to it's small total duration.

(Birthday Kicks bandcamp  |  Screaming dEAD Balloons bandcamp)

The Curf - Royal Water

After a long hiatus and nine years after their first release 'The Curf' come back from the dead with this 4-track EP to shake the (royal) waters of the Greek heavy underground scene. A psych-doom release, slow, solid and heavy enough to wake your darkest instincts. Recommended to anyone that loves a classic doom touch.

(bandcamp page)

Instant Boner - Outburst

Two years after their first EP, Instant Boner came back with "Outburst" to show us how they evolved their sound and musical attitude. With the sax now permanent in their compositions, 'Outburst' is very nice mixture of 70's rock, blues, funk along with heavy riffs, distorted guitars that tend almost to metal in sudden 'outbursts', with the raspy vocals being one of their strong spots.
(p.s.: the last track is a cover of J.Hendrix's "Foxy Lady")

(bandcamp page)

KALPA - Dissociation

In this album KALPA presented a different version of themselves. Vocals were added and the music became more harsh, a mixture, probably of most of the influences that the band members have, creating a distinctively particular result. Musical styles defined years ago are thrown into the blender to create one 'thing' that could redefine them in the present.

(p.s. band's message on the back side of the album: "Kalpa strongly stand against nazism/fascism, racism, sexism, homophobia, state/police violence and any kind of damage imposed from one human to another.") \m/

 (bandcamp page)

Blind Them With Science - This is not scientifically proven, Donald​.​.​.

Featuring members from "Fuzzy Nerds" and "Their Methlab", 'Blind Them With Science' recorded this 4-track release in a one session-live studio recording, the 3rd of October 2015 at Yellowstone Studios, Ioannina, Greece.  This mini-album is a pretty special piece of experimental, post-rock music with a cinematic feeling in most of its length.

(bandcamp page)

 Movement Of Static - Novelty Seekers

Counting almost 4 years since they begun their composition efforts, 'Movement of Static' gave us their first release last October, a 4-track EP.

'Novelty Seekers' is an instrumental post-rock EP that in many cases 'reaches out to touch' post-metal. After listening to 'Novelty Seekers' for several times I started to think of it not as a 4-track EP but as a 4-part journey.

Highly recommended.

(bandcamp page)

The Dandelion Fields / Six Steps Above The Earth -  In A State Of Hallucination

Featuring members from Allochiria, Vygotsky Circle, Afformance, Bella Fuzz, Lazy Aftershow και Mother Turtle this 'project' was released in a split cassette (limited to 50 copies) and it is a unique piece of dark, acoustic, drone, post-rock. The title reflects their point of view for the world today and the lyrics describe in a 'dark' way some thoughts about today's reality and problems of society.

(bandcamp page)

Living Under Drones - Living Under Drones

Another very nice post-rock release coming from the city of Ioannina. Living Under Drones were formed in a basement in Ioannina during the autumn of 2014 and this is their first release. I think that best way to describe their music is what they have written about themselves:

"The band is attached to an instrumental basis, balancing between compulsive melodies and experimentation with violent layers of noise."

(bandcamp page)

.sotos.

listen on mixcloud

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tracklist:

01. Birthday Kicks - She Talks to Rainbows (Ramones cover) (4:02)
02. Screaming dEAD Balloons - Last Minute Hero (2:18)
03. Instant Boner - The Messiah (5:44)
04. Dəem - Digital Paganist (6:07)
05. The Curf - Paperbag (Recycled) (5:38)
06. Living Under Drones - Drone Fucks Drone (7:48)
07. Kalpa - Plunger (6:13)
08. Blind Them With Science - Little lady Mary Jane in need (6:12)
09. Movement Of Static - Telomeres (6:57)
10. The Dandelion Fields - I Command You Black Sea (7:44)

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