In Greek mythology, the Kouretes were gods. They were creators of rustic arts such as beekeeping, metalworking, hunting and shepherding. The Kouretes lived in the wild mountainside. They also originated the first orgiastic war-dance performed by warriors and gods. It was a dance done by the young people in Euboia and Crete.


In the light of the full moon at an altitude of 1535 meters you'll find  Psarantonis performing live at the sacred cave of Zeus (Ideon Andron - Ιδαίον Άντρον). The largest and one of the most important sacred caves of Minoan Crete. 18/08/16

The sacred Cave of Zeus (Ιδαίον Άντρον - Ideon Andron) is located on the slopes of Mount Ida, on the island of Crete, Greece. The deep cave has a single entrance and features beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. In antiquity it was a place of worship, because it was believed to be the cave where the titan Rhea hid the infant Zeus, to protect him from his father Cronus who intended to swallow him like the rest of his progeny. It is one of a number of caves believed to have been the birthplace or hiding place of Zeus. According to a variant of this legend, the Kouretes, a band of mythical warriors, undertook to dance their wild and noisy war dances in front of the cave, so that the clamour would keep Cronus from hearing the infant's crying. Excavations have revealed a large number of votive cult offerings on the site.

His music comes from deep within his gut. The rhythm whips up a storm and then suddenly comes the serenity. That's Psarantonis, a leading international exponent of Cretan folk music.

Track duration: 10min18sec / Written story to follow.

Kouretes EP

Ψαραντώνης - Δίας (Διόνυσος Edit) Kouretes EP

διαλογισμός = contemplation / meditation

Meditation is a practice where an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content.

The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force (qi, ki, prana, etc.) and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity, and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any life activity.

"Following the torches as they dipped and swayed in the darkness, they climbed mountain paths with head thrown back and eyes glazed, dancing to the beat of the drum which stirred their blood…. In the state of ekstasis or enthousiasmos, they abandoned themselves, dancing wildly…. and calling 'Euoi!' At that moment of intense rapture they became identified with the god himself…. They became filled with his spirit and acquired divine powers"

Κικλήσκω Διόνυσον, ἐρίβρομον, εὐαστῆρα, πρωτόγονον, διφυῆ, τρίγονον, Βακχεῖον ἄνακτα,  ἄγριον, ἄρρητον, κρύφιον, δικέρωτα, δίμορφον, κισσόβρυον, ταυρωπόν, Ἀρήιον, εὔιον, ἁγνόν, ὠμάδιον, τριετῆ, βοτρυηφόρον, ἐρνεσίπεπλον. Εὐβουλεῦ, πολύβουλε, Διὸς καὶ Περσεφονείης, ἀρρήτοις λέκτροισι τεκνωθείς, ἄμβροτε δαῖμον.  

I call upon Dionysos, the loud-roaring, who cries out "Evoah!", primordial, of two-fold form, thrice begotten, sacred Bacchic king: Rural, ineffable, enigmatic, two-horned, two-formed, with ivy crowned, Bull-faced, ebullient, pure, and martial, Triennial, bearer of the vine, endued with counsel prudent [Eubouleos] and divine, whom the leaves of vines adorn, of Zeus and Persephonei occultly born. immortal force of nature.

Documents

Διόνυσος - διαλογισμός (The Dionysian Mysteries)

"Following the torches as they dipped and swayed in the darkness, they climbed mountain paths with head thrown back and eyes glazed, dancing to the beat of the drum which stirred their blood…. In the state of ekstasis or enthousiasmos, they abandoned themselves, dancing wildly…. and calling 'Euoi!' At that moment of intense rapture they became identified with the god himself…. They became filled with his spirit and acquired divine powers"

Κικλήσκω Διόνυσον, ἐρίβρομον, εὐαστῆρα, πρωτόγονον, διφυῆ, τρίγονον, Βακχεῖον ἄνακτα, ἄγριον, ἄρρητον, κρύφιον, δικέρωτα, δίμορφον, κισσόβρυον, ταυρωπόν, Ἀρήιον, εὔιον, ἁγνόν, ὠμάδιον, τριετῆ, βοτρυηφόρον, ἐρνεσίπεπλον. Εὐβουλεῦ, πολύβουλε, Διὸς καὶ Περσεφονείης, ἀρρήτοις λέκτροισι τεκνωθείς, ἄμβροτε δαῖμον.

I call upon Dionysos, the loud-roaring, who cries out "Evoah!", primordial, of two-fold form, thrice begotten, sacred Bacchic king: Rural, ineffable, enigmatic, two-horned, two-formed, with ivy crowned, Bull-faced, ebullient, pure, and martial, Triennial, bearer of the vine, endued with counsel prudent [Eubouleos] and divine, whom the leaves of vines adorn, of Zeus and Persephonei occultly born, immortal force of nature.

διαλογισμός = contemplation / meditation

Meditation is a practice where an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content.

The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force (qi, ki, prana, etc.) and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity, and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any life activity.

Διόνυσος - διαλογισμός (ὠμάδιον edit) (The Dionysian Mysteries)

Since antiquity, Ithaca has been identified as the home of the mythological hero Odysseus.

Ithacas could be nearly anything. They can represent the processes involved in reaching a goal or in recovering something we’ve lost. They might even symbolize the act of transitioning through life, from beginning to end, and to finally returning to one’s origins. In an illuminating, seemingly simple poem, Greek poet Constantine Cavafy speaks of the importance of enjoying the road to our own Ithaca (wherever that may be), because the journey is much more exquisite than any arrival at a final destination.

“Ithaca” by C. P. Cavafy - 1911

As you set out for Ithaca
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon — don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon — you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaca always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaca to make you rich.

Ithaca gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithacas mean.

Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. 


The poem Ithaca seems to be spoken to the hero Odysseus, during his return home (the hero’s path we all symbolically travel during life), but in Cavafy’s rich, universal language, he speaks to all of us, too. And here he graciously provides advice which seems simple but which we too often ignore. Immersed in lives of haste, and easy, instantaneous rewards, it’s easy to forget that the path, or any kind of process, is not only that which can teach us the most but that which is also the most enjoyable. It’s a metaphor that can be extended to many of life’s processes.

This live mix consists of pure shamanic sounds made by Διόνυσος & Amanda, layered with a vinyl only recording mixed by Διόνυσος.

ITHACA breakdown: 

Earnest Berk / Electronic Music For Two Ballets - Gemini
Amanda - Intro Whistle
Έλλη Λαμπέτη διαβάζει Καβάφη - Ιθάκη
Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch / An Attempt To Draw Aside The Veil - The Two Paths
King Gong / Voices - Sixian Miao Choir
Διόνυσος & Amanda - Shamanic Drum 1st Movement
Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch / An Attempt To Draw Aside The Veil - Final Initiation
Amanda - Singing Bowl
King Gong / Voices - Haoshendd
Διόνυσος & Amanda - Shamanic Drum 2nd Movement
Xylouris White / Goats - Psarandonis Syrto
Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch / An Attempt To Draw Aside The Veil - Concerning The White Horse
Amanda - Bells
Prokofiev / Romeo And Juliet - No. 1 Montagues and Capulets
Διόνυσος & Amanda - Shamanic Drum 3rd Movement
Cosmic Baby / A Tribute To Blade Runner - L.A. 2018 Main Title 
Vangelis / Music From The Original Soundtrack - Rachel's Song
El Mahdy Jr / Ghost Tapes - Side B
Jeff Mills / The Director's Cut - The Homosapien Sapiens
Carmel / The Drum Is Everything - The Prayer
Xylouris White / Goats - Old School Sousta
Διόνυσος - Cretan Sea (Field Recording)
Amanda - Outro Whistle

Amanda: www.builtfromthefire.com

ITHACA (live mix)

On the A side, label head Dionysos (also known as Denny Kem) has recreated the atmosphere of Anogoianos Pidihtos – (the war dance that originates from the ancient mythical deities Kouretes back in the Minoan time) and incorporated physical instruments such as frame drums, bells, singing bowls, a tabla and qraqebs paired with heavy kicks coming from the monstrous machines that are Roland TR-808 and Roland TR-909. The original samples of Psarantonis’ music as well as his spoken words come in harmony with the overall composition – making this 10-minute track a slow burner, gradually unfolding, with focus to take the listener to a transcendental journey. Just as Psarantonis has done with his music for almost 7 decades now.

Psarantonis - Dias (Dionysos Rework)

On the flip side Wareika have succeeded to transform the initial rework and made it their own, taking the journey a step further than the A side of this record. With their signature sound, Wareika have created a dancefloor focused masterpiece with bold improvisation spanning across 12 minutes. Henrik’s custom-built Oud comes in place from an early stage, Jakob’s never-ending mastery on the MPC commands the overall track and Florian’s unique percussive explosion adds a new essence to Psarantonis’ original samples of Dias and Afou Eheis Allon Stin Kardia. The analogue synthesizer pads are deep, moving organically – just like the state of someone who is practising meditation. The glue that holds everything together is the baseline which will take you to soundscapes familiar with Wareika’s own world and personalities. The result of their rework is pristine and will capture your imagination in a way that only Wareika could have achieved. Let’s put it this way – there simply couldn’t be anyone else out there to do the job the way Wareika have. Including their interpretation on our maiden release could only add artistic value of the highest calibre to an already monumental artist such as Psarantonis.


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Psarantonis - Dias (Wareika Rework)

AKU MUSIK - Introducing Greek Beatology.

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Ἄκου • (Ákou) • Listen

The word music comes from the Greek word μουσική (mousike), which means "(art) of the Muses". 

In Ancient Greece the Muses included the goddesses of music, poetry, art, and dance.

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