Heterotopia, released by Underflow Records in 2019, is a variety of vocalities from different places and eras, transformed through a contemporary perspective. Vocal idioms of different traditions are blended with electroacoustics, sampling and free improvisation to create sonic landscapes of undefinable geography. Appalachian bluegrass and throat singing, Lebanese lullabies and prepared piano treatments, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Medieval tunes, extended vocals, electronics, sampling and resynthesis of voice and acoustic instruments are elements that constitute a place where the singing voice crosses the barriers of style and celebrates its multi faceted nature.
SIDE A
1. Heterotopia 4:20
Anna Linardou: Voice
Giorgos Varoutas: Voice treatments
2. Apopse sto spitaki mou 5:34
Folk song from Athamanian Mountains, Greece
Anna Linardou: Voice
Giorgos Varoutas: Voice treatments, fife, percussion, melodica, sampling
3. Yalla Tnam Rima 4:02
Lebanese lullaby
Anna Linardou: Voice, prepared piano
Giorgos Varoutas: Piano, treatments & sampling
4. Ahmedo 7:01
Kurdish love song (as heard from Nîzamettîn Arîç and Aynur Doğan)
Anna Linardou: Voice
Sofia Efkleidou: Cello
Nikos Fokas: Modular Electronics
Giorgos Varoutas: Voice and cello treatments, no-input mixer, sound design
SIDE B
1. Alla campagnola 2:53
Love Song of Ferroletto
Anna Linardou: Voice
Giorgos Varoutas: Acoustic guitar & treatments
2. Little Sparrow 6:20
Appalachian song
Anna Linardou: Voice
Stelios Romaliadis: Flute
Giorgos Varoutas: Resonator guitar & treatments
3. La harpe de melodie 4:10
Jacob de Senleches (14th century)
Anna Linardou: Voice
Giorgos Varoutas: Voice treatments
4. Rosa's tune 4:59
Lyrics and music by Rosa Eskenazy (original title “Sti filaki”, 1930)
Anna Linardou: Voice
Fuad Ahmadvand: Santur
Giorgos Varoutas: Sequenced feedbacks & treatments
Produced by Anna Linardou & Giorgos Varoutas
Recorded by Panagiotis Chountas
Mixed by Alex Bolpasis & Giorgos Varoutas
Mastered by Taylor Deupree
Artwork & graphic design by Vicky Aggelopoulou
credits
released June 20, 2019
"My Heterotopia is a place where I've often gone to play as a little girl. A place where the fascinatϊngly multi-faceted human voice often draws me in to listen, to imitate, to understand. This album is my wish to share some of my wanderings. Though almost each track originates from a certain vocal tradition, my intention was not to create renditions of traditional songs. I am aware that to serve a tradition in an authentic manner, one has to become communicant of its ethos and life experience. I am a person of my time and what I can really share are my impressions -inevitably subjective- of voices. Voices so diverse, that they captivated me for some unknown reason and made me want to “absorb” them. So, I welcome you to this personal land of undefinable geography.
Ι'd like to express my gratitude to all the artists who contributed in this album. Also, many thanks to Panagiotis Chountas, Haig Yazdjian, Seyit Aldogan, Dimitris Chiotis, Aref Ghorbani, Claire Papamichael, Gustav Penka, Sofia Sarri, Jannis Anastasakis, Vassilis Filippakopoulos for their kind help and support. Special thanks to Giorgos Varoutas."
Anna Linardou
Underflow is more than just a record store or art gallery. We wanted
to create a place where people can find
out about music they have
never known, or about bands and musicians from places that they have
never heard of, or, to put it simply, a place where music is still
relevant and important!...more
The soundtrack to the award-winning film “Freeland” functions beautifully as an album in its own right, with stark, evocative instrumentals. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 7, 2021