DefKaz Catalogue

About: Defkaz is dedicated to releasing contemporary, experimental and Avant Garde music. It does not prefer to use labels for their productions, as this results in the production of music that is not characterized by fashions and trends, but has however, many aspects and quality at all levels. It is an affiliated company of Polytropon Record label and is founded by Iannis Koufaelas and Thanos Kazantzis in 2006.

FREECALL "Montage for the Lost Time"

Music produced by Freecall is based on improvisation with a variety of different aesthetic approaches: it explores elements of jazz, electronic music and the symphonic Avant Garde, maintaining aspects of Dadaism as what is produced in performance cannot probably be repeated.

Through the CD recording “Montage for the Lost Time� improvisational creations are captured which carry the stigma of the group and their work: as an audiovisual group they create soundscapes where anything from basic emotions to complex constructions can be interwoven into co-existence.

Notions of time and sound are not seen as a means of creation but as autonomous mediums of a mosaic. It is thus an experiential music, in the sense that it is instantly produced through the aesthetic character of each member with the aim of a unified sound. The outcome is achieved without aesthetic limitations, in collaboration with the visual art work of video artist Vinsky. 68 minutes of music is divided into two parts and 7 tracks, included is a 7 minute art video with music created for the specific work. Vinsky has designed the CD triptych cover.

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Lakis TZIMKAS - Nektarios KARANTZIS "Bass to Bass"

Two great bassists “bass to bass� for the first time exploiting the new soundscape of two acoustic basses competing each other, frequently exchanging roles on their own compositions, as well as on well-known jazz standards!

Yannis BALAFOUTIS "Yerma"

The Mediterranean atmosphere with the Byzantine layers gives in a special characteristic to this album. The playing is not derived by the effect of technique but have is aiming to a journey that could anyone do in personal spiritual destinations. In this full of atmosphere music labyrinth, soul from inside melodies looks for placidity and clear conscience. This is a unique work in texture and quality in which the sentiments and the memories of composer are emerging through his music.

LYNX "Lynx Fux Fox"

Lynx started in 2004 and is a doubledrumleadrhythmsectionpowerband. Based on Antonis' compositions the music is developing in collective improvisations. Combination of arithmetical structures and spontaneous decisions. Hypnotic melodies, ecstatic drumming and extended sound trips. Studio prize 2005 of the Culture Senat in Berlin! Cool dark sounds in Jazzy and Latin ways!

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Serge ADAM - Yula MICHAIL "Synomilia"

Synomilia presents a sound trip which made effective the voice and the trumpet sampled on the real time, nourishing new spaces. This environment is animated by different beats and new materials creating a natural support for the improvised instrumental play development. It is a real musical narration/story built around a dynamic at a precise moment, creating previous images, like a script oneself could imagine in its own temporality. This record is enrols in the continuation of several concerts in Athènes and Thessalonique, using the same musical process. From one piece to another, the sampled voice – in live or upstream – acts as a framework for the musical architecture and is developping in the same way/linearity. The voice is completed with a bass introducing drums, keyboards and trumpet samples, and interacts with the musician. Free of electronic composition limits, the musician can let his instrumental talk run wild. Samples are transformed into a random way using a slicer, producing flood more than rhythmic and emphazises the resonant talks, exchanged in a same atmosphere.

Sakis PAPADIMITRIOU - Christos YERMENOGLOY "Orthopetalia"

Sakis Papadimitriou and Christos Yermenoglou are closely collaborating since 2002 in concerts where music is combined with song, poetry and cinematography. They have performed in the festivals of Smyrni (Turkey) and Luxenburg, in the festivities of "Thessaloniki - Olympic City 2004", in "Dimitria", in the Festival of Patra, in "Strange Screen" etc. Among others, they have presented thematic concerts on Bertolt Brecht, Samuel Beckett, Musica Lontana, Open Routes, "Sound of the Screen".

As a duette, they suggest the presentation of sound straight from its source and the immediacy of the acoustic instruments. Piano and percussion are presented in familiar and new timbres and soundscapes, in conventional and contemporary modes.

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SOMA "Σώμα"

The duo σώμα (soma) was founded in Berlin in 2005, being the outcome of a long artistic partnership between the musicians Antonis Anisengos and Thymios Atzakas.

The duο’s work focuses on the creative fusion of composition and improvisation, where links between experienced and ideal sound are constantly being formed and deformed.

This double cd reflects the two dimensions of σώμα. The first cd presents the close musical liaison between Anisengos and Atzakas, along with three additional trios with Michalis Siganidis. The second cd features guest musicians, Savvina Yannatou, Maria Thoidou and Michalis Siganidis, who form trios, quartets and quintets with Anisengos and Atzakas. The cds also include two quicktime videos of a complete concert by σώμα with Chris Dahlgren, Michalis Siganidis, Savvina Giannatou and Maria Thoidou, held at the international music community Music Village in 2009.

This is the duo’s first recording, made live in Thessaloniki in Polytropon studio, and it reflects their full expressive palette: from brief and dense dialogues between the two musicians to the need to reach out into a broader community of musicians, a need which came into expression in various live performances of σώμα. During the last four years, a number of exceptional musicians have performed live with Antonis Anisengos and Thymios Atzakas. Some of them, such as Sokratis Sinopoulos (kemence), the Iranian Βijan Chemirani (tombak) and the Chinese Wu Wei (sheng), represent internationally recognizable music traditions.

The recording has been made in collaboration with the organizers of the music community Music Village

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