CHAOS W MOJEJGLOWIE (Polish Fanzine)

 


In the first question I have to ask about the covid-19 situation. How is it in Greece, in Athens? Do the people comply with the restrictions and prohibitions introduced by your government or are they opposed to restricting their freedom? Is the pandemic a huge threat or is it a conspiracy of the world's financiers and governments? What do you think about it yourself?

We could say that the Pandemic is divided into three phases and respectively into three mandatory Lockdowns. It was about last February when we started hearing about the first deaths  and we started thinking that the days when we will be locked down  are near. Too many believe in conspiracies and secret agreements and have acted in disbelief. But the events we live in have been repeated in the circles of history and many things are difficult to avoid.

So somewhere in the middle of March 2020, another dark and cold period for humanity begins. If you have read history you know that this period will pass with millions of dead, with a lot of pain and death. In one way or another, measures were implemented that sometimes less and sometimes more necessarily violated laws and rights that have been conquered by sweat, blood and struggle. Unreasonable schedule bans and assembly bans have become commonplace, causing people to get tired quickly and react violently or even turn to conspiracy theories. But all with a common denominator the collapse of his physical but mainly of his mental health.

Unfortunately, these events are so shocking that after a similar Marshall Plan that we will experience relatively soon and the moneyrain  that will follow, it is very likely that even more wars will follow, even more terror worldwide. Let us hope that we will all be strong.

A few people have passed through ARXI TOY TELOYS over the years, but Kostas (guitar) and Giannis (vocals) are in the band from the beginning. Tell us the story of your friendship from the classroom, about life in the 90s in a poor suburb of Athens, about the old playground where you used to hang out ...

The project was started by Kostas (Guitar) and Giannis (Vocals). Two classmates who were not very popular at their school. We grew up in the western suburbs of Athens which is, let's say, the poor side of the Capital. Nevertheless, we lived in the '90s, which was a decade when in Greece it rained money from the banks trying to trap people with cheap or expensive loans, so the changes around us were sudden and violent. The problems that the whole situation would bring we would face in front of us some years later as adults, employees, heads of families, taxpayers etc... Situation that led to the ten-year recession and economical destruction of Greece sometime in 2008.

We both sat at the same desk and spent most of the day together. It helped that we were just a few blocks away from each other. So after school we spent hours and hours watching the films of Larry Clark, Gus Van Sand and others that we still admire even today and at night we ended up in the grandstands of an old basketball court. There we sat and talked for hours about what was bothering us, smoking and listening to music.

It did not take long for these reflections to acquire sound and appearance on paper when we started to bring an acoustic guitar with us, capturing our first ideas and composing our first songs. We were 16-17 years old then and we met with a drummer a few months later but even today we consider our band-birth those nights at the old court of Amilla Peristeriou (the local  team that used trained there).

How was your first encounter with punk rock? Did you hear Greek or foreign bands first? Which Greek hardcore punk bands from the 80s would you recommend to our readers?

We grew up listening especially to the local bands that at that time were easier to find and not so foreign. Some names that come directly to our mind are METRO DECAY, CHAPTER 24, DING AN SICH, the bands of CREEP RECORDS, the SOUTH OF NO NORTH but also several from the Hardcore Punk scene such as ΑΡΝΗΤΙΚΗ ΣΤΑΣΗ (NEGATIVE STANCE), XAOTIKO ΤΕΛΟΣ (CHAOTIC END), ΘΑΛΑΜΟΣ ΑΕΡΙΩΝ (GAS CHAMBER). Somewhere in the mid 90s there was also a label called ZNORT TAPES with copied cassettes by Greek and foreign bands and luckily got familiar with bands like CURRENT 93, COIL, NURSE WITH WOUND something that opened our horizons and taught us to do not get stuck in some kind of music. However, since you ask about the punk scene, I think that from the 80's we would single out STRESS, EX HUMANS, GULAG. Of course, to be honest, we did not turn our backs even on the sound of our time. So you can imagine that we often listened from R.A.T.M. to electronica music.

When you founded the band, you were 16-17 years old - what inspired you to play back then - I'm not just asking about music, because it was not only punk rock ... You composed your first songs on acoustic guitars, but soon you met your first drummer, who was 13 years old and was, I think, a strong inspiration for you, but with a different taste for music - tell us about it.

That is right, George was also a classmate of ours and he was only 13 years old when he joined our band. He especially listened to the extreme metal sounds with his favorites Black and Doom Metal. Despite his young age, he was a solid - as a rock - drummer who played correctly. This helped us a lot by improving our technique and playing at the correct time and meter. We kept this element throughout our releases as you can understand and it was the A and the Ω of our compositions.

ARXI TOY TELOYS (ΑΡΧΉ ΤΟΥ ΤΈΛΟΥΣ) - what does your name mean? And why did you give this name to your band? Didn't you want the name in English? I suspect that people from Europe have the same problem saying your name and the names of Polish bands, hahaha.

This is true, we often find it difficult to read or even pronounce bands that have chosen their mother language. However, we fully respect the choice of each band and this is a problem in understanding the lyrics. The Greek language is very rich and poetic. You can find 4 or 5 words for the same meaning. Unfortunately our vocabulary in English is not so good and we can say that we do not feel comfortable using a language whose paths we can not walk. Our name "BEGINNING OF THE END" (pronounced ARCHI TOU TELOUS, means BEGINNING OF THE END) is a typical phrase used to describe that the end of a period is really near. When we were young we were fascinated by the idea of ​​the Circle of Everything. So we chose the name because it was so easy to remember but also because every single spot of this shape is both the beginning and the end. Just like things are in life

You played as a trio because you couldn't find a bassist, right? You even recorded the first demo in three, but then there was also a bassist - Panagiotis, who stayed with you for a long time and recorded a few demos with the band - tell about him and about these recordings. Did it come out on cassettes or CDs? Did you play any concerts then?

Αs a trio, we did our first rehearsals, trying out several bassists in the beginning. Well...that didn’t go good with anyone and so we walked alone for a really long time. Formed as a trio and with the absence of bass we released our first Demo on audio cassette sometime in 2001. The cover was a black and white collage. A technique we used a lot in posters, releases and anything else that had to do with our aesthetics.

 A little later, Panagiotis took  his place of the bass player, with whom we immediately became brotherly friends and we played together for about a decade. It was the era of CDR and a new world opened up for D.I.Y.  bands. Of course, this would largely evolve into a path of ease and sloppiness, something that we certainly followed, influenced by the whole situation. Of course, as teenagers we grew up under tones of audio cassettes, so it was impossible not to have corresponding releases. We did concerts, perhaps more often than today in self-organized venues, squats and small local clubs, distributing our demos alone, many times hand in hand and not in an organized distro. Many times we saw the poster from a concert and cut cardboard without writing anything on it and put a photocopy with a random design and the titles of the songs… hahaha it was fan.

On your bandcamp I see something like six demos and some compilations - tell us about these early recordings, because I think they sound harsher and songs are played faster than in later years. Were you looking for your own sound and style back then? What inspired you then? Do you remember what bands you shared on compilations with?

The truth is that the first decade of our musical journey found us moving from one genre to another. Many things would change over the years but certainly not the fact that we always tried to evolve the sound from release to release. We released 6 demos, on cassette and on CD. Our sound went from punk to more post forms and structures, even going through Hardcore or even Metal in some cases.

 I think one can easily distinguish all of the above if you listen to our first album which is actually a collection of the most characteristic songs of our first decade.

As the years go by, however, we believe that we play more and more simply, we find more meaning in experimentation and atmosphere than in the more technical compositions. There should be no restriction on music as at all levels of art. It's very easy to write an album like our previous ones but this will have no value for us. When the ground is getting muddy, nothing stands out and everything is worth the same.

Of course we remember some of the names with which we entered collections, many are well known and respected for their music and action. Specters, Iskra, Warcollapse, Rudimentary Peny, Filth of Mankind, even our beloved  Black Trinity are important bands for the global underground

Ιn 2008, George leaves your band and decides to fulfill himself in the band SHATTERED HOPE - this band was some local legend, right? Your next drummer is Vangelis, who plays and played in many famous Greek bands - which ones? And whose you consider to be one of your best drummers - why? What is so unique Vangelis has brought to your music and your band? Which of yours recordings did he appear on for the first time?

A few more demos followed until 2008 when George left the band after “ΘΡΒΣ(NOISE / CD,2009)   recordings following Shattered Hope (a classic Death / Doom band with a long history on the local scene) and was replaced by Vangelis. Even today we consider Vangelis as one of the greatest drummers we ever seen or played with. An ideal combination of an athlete musician who listens to punk hardcore and studies jazz techniques. You will meet Vangelis in many local bands such as Chain Cult, Gutter, Lifewreck, Mammock, TimeTrap, BlackListed, Junkheart, Ramdat and I am pretty sure that we forget some.

If George (our first drummer) taught us to be stable and solid, something that you can see on our first album "ΘΡΒΣ" Vangelis released us. The more static playing became dynamic and fast and so we released three albums where the 7 or 8 minute long compositions have been replaced by 2 or 3 minute songs.

In 2009 you made your own CD "ΘΡΒΣ" ("Noise"). I think this is the moment when you found your own music style. There are songs that are 4, 7, 8 minutes long ... Was that when you started playing proper post punk? Were your lyrics then political? What were they about, who wrote them and what were they inspired by? What was the response on the Greek DIY scene to this album?

We would not say that we stand at the top of the D.I.Y. pyramid hahaha. You know we have our ideals and we play where we think we should play. We think people have largely misunderstood the meaning of the do it yourself movement. So when a band starts playing and just before wearing D.I.Y.'s armor. should go in front of the mirror and wonder if it is D.I.Y. because he has chosen it or because it cannot be something else.

We see concerts starting with the new and unknown band and ending with the older and well-known one that has acquired Rock Star behavior over the years. Something that goes against the logic of the support and headliner band that should have existed. We also find it unpleasant that people for the most part turning their back on the music part and turn their attention to the costume design. An endless stylistic frenzy that has turned a claiming vehicle into a need for tattoos and clothes.

At some point this movement will have to make a harsh self-criticism and look back at the mistakes of the past if it  really wants to save that particular subculture. Of course, as in all levels of life, there are remarkable and quality projects such as fanzines, bands and socio-political groups that consistently and consistently express concern and anxiety for our world.

A very simple example that comes to mind is the following: through  the pandemic was a movement of solidarity and support for artists because the state aid has been scarce all these months. A lot of these people were accusing the artists for years and years for being sell outs performing on small clubs for living. This is so paranoid.  So let us stop saying “NO” to everything, let us have critical thinking and a free spirit. Not all zebras are the same.

In 2013, you put out the cassette "Πτώση" ("The Fall"), which was released on vinyl a year later - who released this album on vinyl? Vasiliki, known from several bands, but mainly from ΨΥΧΙΚΉ ΑΠΟΝΕΎΡΩΣΗ, has joined your band for bass guitar. She plays bass, but also plays keyboards in your band. Tell us about her, where you met her and what Vasiliki brought to ARXI TOY TELOYS. Has her melodic bass guitar playing made your music darker or more "hit"?

Τhe puzzle could not be completed if in 2013 and after the release of our second album "ΠΤΩΣΗ" (The Fall, 2013, Scarecrow Records, Cassette  and Vinyl) Vasiliki did not come as a bass player. We met Vasiliki on road back in 2009 when we had a mini tour opening for the US legends Witch Hunt (Burning Bridges to Nowhere era).  A pure Rock and Roll personality and an exceptional and moral person with whom we have been walking for several years. Definitely this period is the best and most productive of the group.Vassiliki gave the dynamics she needed on stage and took us out of introversion. We do not have the reputation of the most social band. We think he is the right person to bridge any gap that may exist.

Earlier, I asked about your lyrics on the album "Θρβσ", but in 2016 you released another album "Καθαρση" ("Katharsis") - your music on this album has gone strongly towards post punk, although we can still hear the strong influences of old Greek punk bands such as GENIA TOU XAOUS, ADIEXODO or EX HUMANS. You have the same darkness, sadness and cold atmosphere... What are the lyrics on the album "Καθαρση" about? Are they more personal or still socio-political?

"ΚΑΘΑΡΣΗ" (Katharsis, 2016, Scarecrow Records, Vinyl) is probably the period when the band reached 100% the level we wanted, playfully, synthetically and lyrically. But this does not mean that we are not happy with the rest of our releases. Special mention should be made to the production of the album which took place at Ignite Studio and he fully understood what we had in mind. It is true that it can bring to mind the bands you mentioned above and maybe subconsciously we have such an icy and dark aesthetic as you mention, which is strange for a country like Greece if you consider that we have summer almost ten months a year.

 However, at that time we particularly listened to the approach of the American school and bands such as Wipers, Funeral Parade, and Estranged and our beloved Canadians The Organ. In “ΚΑΘΑΡΣΗ”, as in any of our other albums, the lyrics acrobatic between our experiences and our perspective on the world. Many times they refer to historical events or even mythology using them with metaphors to describe things of today. The lyrics are written by Giannis and we all process them together before finally dressing them with music.

In 2020, you released your last album "Η Φθίνουσα Σκιά Της Θλίψης" ("The Descending Shade of Sorrow"), which in my opinion is more mature, more polished, very cold and sad, but also melodic. And the most atmospheric! What is the matter with the instrumental piece "Στις Κατακόμβες"? It has its own unique mood and atmosphere! Tell us about working on these songs and what inspired you. I noticed more keyboards than on previous albums ...

We're glad you liked our new album. We tried to follow a more lyrical path in our compositions. It is true that it is the least aggressive but at the same time our most atmospheric and multidimensional album. Many compositions are inspired by the styles of other genres. One of them is Black Metal, bands like FORGOTTEN WOODS, IN THE WOODS and ULVER have always provided food for thought and study with their perception. We try to write the guitars on the bass that we mainly write first to have the general idea of ​​the structure of each song. Then we try to have harpsichords or lead guitars and get away from the trivial logic of simple chords. We used to write the lead points with the logic of synth - characteristic melodies that will act as an eerie carpet. In this release, however, we put synths that we thought served the purpose better. The composition belongs entirely to Vassiliki who took over this too. We are lucky to have her since the perspectives she gives us often take us out of the quagmire. About the "Catacombs" song you mention is obviously influenced by the old school Dungeon Synth and Ambient bands and artists like Jim Kirkwood, Secret Stairways etc. It is an instrumental that we wanted to be different and really contribute to the coherence of the album. A  deep breath for the second half of the album and not just a filler.

I love your music but I don't know what you sing about… Most bands in Europe translate their lyrics into English, but Greek bands rarely do it - why? Maybe you will think about it on your next album? We want to share your sorrow with you!!!

This is true. However, we do not think that it is done for reasons of elitism. Rather deep inside us we believe that no one else is listening to us outside the borders hahaha. However, on platforms of our time such as Bandcamp, most people now put the lyrics and with a simple translate you can understand (well, or not) what they want to say.

Did you do a lot of shows before the pandemic? Did you only play in Athens or also in other Greek cities? Were these shows in squats and in independent clubs or do you also play concerts for larger audiences? With which bands have you played gigs so far? Have you played gigs outside Greece?

We can not say that we are a band that has travel a lot. If we could count the number of our live appearances, it would be limited to just a few tens since we do about 4-5 concerts per year. Unfortunately, as we get older, things become even more difficult and due to everyday life, it becomes more and more difficult to arrange things that will be set up almost from scratch. Unfortunately in Greece many people confuse D.I.Y.  by not playing in clubs. We can not say that we particularly agree with this logic. We play in independent venues and basements because it is our choice and not because some rules have imposed it on us. We would especially like to have made our own amplifiers and instruments, as well as the beer we will drink at a concert but we know we can not. So as a band we have chosen not to be judges of everything. Regarding the audience, we think that the easiest way to play in a large audience is to follow the D.I.Y.  Paths. For at least a decade, many live shows have gathered from hundreds to thousands of people. We remember the live shows we went to when we were younger or even the ones we set up ourselves. At that time it gathered only a few dozen people. I do not know if it is good or bad we will prefer what many say Angel to some, Demon to Others. We have played abroad only once, in 2009 for the release of our first album and that it was in Germany. Hopefully we can do it again soon.

I love Greek crust bands such as PANIKOS, HIBERNATION, CHAOTIC END, NAFTIA, FORGOTTEN PROPHECY and many others and I have the impression that Greek punk, crust and post punk bands sound similar. They can generate this specific Greek sadness and regret in their music, and in the background the wind blows and the sea rustles - what is it all about?

The history of Greece, like that of all the Balkans, is full of political upheavals. This, as was normal, is emphatically reflected in all art forms, as it was in music. Punk was born in the country in the early 1980s, a few years late due to a seven-year dictatorship.

A long list of bands and artists from then on are considered to this day remarkable and pioneering. The bases were in place and several releases are still classic and popular. With a better period, perhaps, that of the early '90s, of which several bands you mentioned above.

The covers of your last two albums are collages, and you also used a collage on the earlier demos - who is the author of these covers and graphics? Why this form? I also like the cover of "Θρβς" - I can say that it is typically post-punk and dark for sure. And what is this sculpture on the cover of the album "Πτώση"?

We could say that every album, musically and lyrically works thematically as a Concept. In "ΘΡΒΣ" for example we cauterize the problem of communication between people for this and we chose this pattern with the antennas from the roofs of apartment buildings in Athens. In "FALL" we chose a shot from the "three girls one boy" statue of the River Spree in Berlin, mentioning the social decay as well as the isolation of the individual. "KATHARSIS" revolves around self-criticism and our daily choices, while "THE DESCENDING SHADE OF SORROW" refers to how important or insignificant man can be in universe, raising concerns about his faith and evolution. We choose our artwork according to what concerns us every day. Man is a political being, and so we must act at all levels. In our work, in our social relations, in our family, in our bed. We consider the artwork an integral part of the circulation. The cover is so important that it starts almost simultaneously with the music and the lyrics.

The second guitarist Dimitra joined your band ARXI TOY TELOYS - who is she and what does she bring to the band's music? Has she played in any other bands before? Have you played any gigs with him?

Dimitra is a 20-year-old guitar virtuoso. A young girl raised in classical music with her diplomas and everything hahaha. We hope she gives us the extra boost we need right now. She has energy and her perspective on music will take us to the extra mile. she plays in another band called “NTEKA” for some years with whom they have not released anything yet. We could describe them as mixture of noise rock and experimental sounds. Hopeful and full of energy as it is, we expect a continuation commensurate with their capabilities.

The positive side of the current pandemic is a lot of free time. Are you preparing songs for a new album? Will it be in a similar atmosphere to your last album or are you trying to look for new sounds? Will the new songs be darker or will we rather hear more melodies?

Yes, to be precise, you are succeeding at a point where we are slowly gathering our ideas to move on to the basic ideas of the songs on our next album. We collect pictures, lyrics, read books and look for information about periods that interest us historically. We will try to create something completely different again.

 Our ambition is to trace the previous century, perhaps the most violent in human history. We study large chapters of history such as the two World Wars, the famine of Ukraine and India, the Iron Curtain period and the Cold War fear,  the building of cities such as Nowa Huta, the exploration of Antarctica and the Conquest of space are so many that stigmatized the world we were born into. It is a really interesting project because the views of each other differ and we think that it is really daring to try to give something with such historical weight but at the same time balance. We do not know if we can promise something audio since depending on how the material will look to us we will make the corresponding changes. It could be a Noise / Ambient album, it could be Garage Punk.

How do you spend your time during lockdown? Are you working? Have you found time to do things that you never had time to do? Overdue books, films, planned cleanups?

For our good luck almost all of us work and this is something that helped us keep a routine in our daily lives. To a large extent we tried to stay away from the tv  and the insanity of social media. We found time and maybe the appetite and energy, if you prefer to read things that we might not have been able to do under different circumstances. Either way, maybe something good came out of the whole adventure. Who knows,; life itself will show.

Tell us about the Greek scene. We probably all know this 80s punk scene (STRESS, ANTI, ΕΧ HUMANS, PANX ROMANA). We are more interested in the music scene from the 80s and 90s related to post punk, dark wave, new wave, cold wave. Which Greek bands influenced your band? Which of these bands do you consider the most important in Greek music? Which DIY bands would you recommend to us?

We started with as a reference point mainly the part of Post Punk and Dark Wave of the Greek scene. The bands of Creep Records., Yell o Yell, Reporters, South of no North, Clown, Chapter 24 are some of our initial influences. Surely you can find several of them in our pieces.

We respect a lot of bands from the D.I.Y. scene  since as a behavior we had a corresponding one over time playing in respective basements, squats or participating in respective political groups. Bands like Antimob, Chain Cult, Χωρίς Οίκτο, Παροξυσμός function as beacons in the dark times we live in. However, this has never stopped us from making decisions that express us and make us feel good about ourselves. There can be no big "We" unless there is a healthy "I" first. We can not be unhappy with following an informal code of operation with which we do not always agree. We have never apologized for any of our choices before and we do not think we will in the future. In any case, we are all judged by the time and the consequences of our choices.

We do not want to be nostalgic for the past. Every season has its heroes and every season gives birth to quality bands and releases. Among the latest bands we would recommend Convex Model, ΟΔΟΣ 55, Era of Fear, Cold I, ΣΚΟΤΟΔΙΝΗ, Chain Cult, ΠΑΝΔΗΜΙΑ, Hekate

I think we had an interesting post punk/new wave scene in Poland in the 80's. Do you know any Polish groups from those years? Do you know any Polish bands at all?

Of course. It is impossible not to recognize the value of bands like Siekiera and Brigada Kryzys. Especially the first ones we think are one of the most emblematic and special - musically and not only - of the European Sound. We would also single out No Smoking and 1984 whose vinyl was found recently hahaha. Of course, we have to admit that our first ear-contact with the Polish scene was much later and with a not so post punk band. I am referring, of course, to Homomilitia and a little later to Filth of Mankind.

I also have a personal question... A lot of people on the European DIY scene are vegetarians and vegans, while in Greece they are still very few. What is it related to? With Greek culture, with traditional cuisine? For you, is the fight for animal rights and not eating meat important aspects of an independent culture?

The relation between to man and animal it’s a long  chapter and maybe a whole discussion should be devoted around it. In recent years a great effort has been made to promote this type of diet (the vegan one). Nevertheless, we all understand that as a country, Greece is behind in this part. Maybe it's our fault that our diet is directly related to the consumption of meat, fish and their derivatives. In the part of D.I.Y. though, there are artists who hold the vegan's arm firmly, such as "ΜΑΥΡΟ ΓΑΛΑ". As a band we have experimented from time to time studying different habits. Some of us even went vegan or vegetarian but it did not prove that we were strong enough to hold on. However, we believe that the exploitation of animals, especially to the extent that it is done by modern man, leads to major changes which are related to climatic, social and not only consequences.

Is reading zines still popular in Greece? Are there any long-term zines still coming out? Do you read any zines yourself?

There was a golden age for zine and that was the 90's. Unfortunately, the evolution of technology has taken us away from the logic of paper and scissors with blogs replacing this subculture to a great extent. In recent years we have seen an attempt to revive this independent format of circulating information and opinions. There is a retro lust in all media which is transferred to the fanzines as well. We like to read independent publications. We will not recommend a specific one so as not to offend anyone, however you can visit fanzines.gr and discover some essentials work.

Time to move on to the policy questions… Has Greece recovered from the 2010 economic slump? I suspect the coronavirus pandemic has made the situation even worse… How is it today? How does a Greek citizen live on a daily basis?

If we take a time machine and travel a few decades later focusing on today's Greece, surely these two periods will not stand out much. Many people were strained during the decade of recession. People close to us collapsed, or even ourselves. An estimated 6,000 people committed suicide during the economic downturn. The problem was no longer in Africa and far away. It was not just a picture on TV it was on us, our families and our friends. In the last 2-3 years, slowly and mainly due to tourism and food industry, the local economy has raised its head, but it does not mean that many are not stressed even today. We will be able to see what the pandemic period will leave in a few years or even earlier. In capitalism, always after great disasters, there is endless financing that fatally leads to new economic holes. We will be here to face them again.

Some time ago, the media reported about the largest lawsuit in Greece: the Golden Dawn party was recognized as a criminal organization! Tell us how it happened that Greek society allowed Golden Dawn to enter politics and the Greek parliament. Who is supporting this organization?

It's a very black page in the daily political scene of this place. Golden Dawn has always expressed the extreme right-wing beliefs of their like-minded people through criminal acts. Its history begins in the mid 80's.

In the decade of economic recession which coincided with large migratory flows that passed through Greece due to geographical location, if you want we can translate this into cheap labor that Europe needed to hit the Chinese market and products.  This had the effect of absorbing people who were desperate and confused through, say, a hypocritical and social behavior and defending the interests of the Greek people.

So the 0.1% in a few years exceeded 8% and a wave of black terror spread throughout the country. Going back a few decades is something that has happened over and over again. From France to Balkans, from Oswald Mosley's in the UK to the rise of the NSDAP. The propaganda of the press, the feeling of extreme national arrogance. Hundreds of incidents of violence were recorded from end to end. The Golden Dawn trial ended after years of litigation with it being branded a Terrorist Organization.

Its percentages have returned to very low clothes and now its supporters have been absorbed by other right-wing parties. The snake egg unfortunately exists. All that remains is to see when it will find the right conditions to hatch and break.

Recently, in the Exarchia, district of Athens, the situation has become very tense ... The Greek government has declared war on squatting and the alternative community, there are many demonstrations, fights with the police and protests in the streets. Tell us about the Exarchia district, its history and its specific atmosphere. Tell us about the current situation and why squats are being evicted in Athens. How is the autonomous community across the country reacting to government repression?

It is an area where we live, work and frequent from young children. It is a very special area and you understand that when you enter it. Major political events in the country, such as the fall of the 7-year dictatorship or even the December battles (the month of 1945 that marked the Greek Civil War) but also many more recent events such as the Assassination of Michali Kalteza in 1985 and Alexandros Grigoropoulos in 2008 sensitized many people and began to create free social centers. The action of all these people and places in the dissolution of the Golden Dawn played a big role.

 Nevertheless, many times in the most beautiful and pure ventures they find refuge morbid elements as well. So as you can easily understand incidents of violence (gender or not), drug trafficking etc. stood as an occasion for mass evacuation of spaces by the right-wing government of New Democracy after the July of 2019.

However social centers  that had a more structured operation over the years. Those who operated consistently and continuously all these years remained open due to the support and solidarity they received from the common people.

Finally, please tell us, when will your next album be available? Do you plan to visit our country when it will be possible to travel freely around Europe? Would you rather play in Poland at some big DIY festival or a tour around squats and clubs? The last word for Polish readers!!!

If you think that we have taken advantage of the months of inactivity and we have already advanced our new ideas quite synthetically, maybe we will not have to wait as long as our previous albums. Of course many times you hear something again and again after a few months and you want to change several things hahaha. It would be really nice to visit your country. Hope this crazy period end up soon and our next destination will be Poland. Thanks a lot for the chance of having this wonderful conversation.

 





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Μετά από παρακίνηση της Scarecrow Records, με την οποία συνεργαζόμαστε αρμονικά εδώ και χρόνια, αποφασίσαμε μετά από 21 και κάτι χειμώνες να κυκλοφορήσουμε τα πρώτα μας μπλουζάκια. Το σχέδιο είναι δικό μας και επηρεασμένο από το υλικό που δουλεύουμε για τον επόμενο μας δίσκο. Θα κυκλοφορήσει σε λευκό και μαύρο σε όλα τα μεγέθη. Μπορείτε να στείλετε γα pre-order στο mail μας arxitoyteloys@gmail.com  ή στην Scarecrow

Ελπίζουμε να τα πούμε σύντομα και από κοντά.
Να προσέχετε ο ένας τον άλλον.
Α.τ.Τ. (05.21)




Special gift, very special friend.

 Δεν ξέρουμε αν ήθελες να καταλήξει στα χέρια μας αυτό που έφτιαξες ωστόσο σε ευχαριστούμε μέσα από τη ψυχή μας. Ελπίζουμε να αντέξουμε σε αυτές τις σκοτεινές εποχές και να τα ξαναπούμε από κοντά. 




New Album alongside the top Hardcore/Punk albums for 2020

Ευχαριστούμε το Rocking.gr για την αναφορά του στην "Φθίνουσα Σκιά της Θλίψης". Το νέο μας άλμπουμ συμπεριλήφθηκε στα καλύτερα Punk/Hardcore album για το 2020. 

"Αν έπρεπε να διαλέξω μόνο ένα πράγμα που να με γοητεύει στους Αρχή Του Τέλους, αυτό θα ήταν η διαφοροποίηση των συναισθημάτων με κάθε δίσκο. Η προ τετραετίας "Κάθαρση" μια από τις καλύτερες εγχώριες κυκλοφορίες των τελευταίων ετών, περιείχε λυτρωτικά τραγούδια, ειλικρινή. Η "Φθίνουσα Σκιά Της Θλίψης", ρίχνει τις ταχύτητες, παραθέτει πιο ασφυκτικούς στίχους, ενσωματώνει περισσότερες επιρροές, και το αποτέλεσμα είναι, λιγότερο άμεσο μεν, ιδιαίτερα πολύπλευρο δε. Οι Αρχή Του Τέλους σε ωθούν να βυθιστείς σε περισυλλογή, να αναζητήσεις που στέκεται ο εαυτός σου στη σύγχρονη κοινωνική πραγματικότητα και να βρεις δύναμη στη θλίψη."



New album just arrived. Available from the band

 Μόλις έφτασαν τα βινύλια από το νέο μας άλμπουμ. Διαθέσιμο σε μαύρο και πράσινο splatter (περιορισμένο). Για αποστολές σε Αθήνα, επαρχία και εξωτερικό στείλτε μας mail στο arxitoyteloys@gmail.com.  

Για τους φίλους και τις φίλες που ρωτάνε για παλαιότερες κυκλοφορίες δυστυχώς δεν έχουμε άλλες κόπιες. Συγκεκριμένα:

1.Η Φθίνουσα Σκιά της Θλίψης/ 2020 (Διαθέσιμο 200 black, 100 green splatter)
-

2.Κάθαρση / 2016
(Sold Out, 300 Κόπιες LP, Scarecrow Records)
3.Πτώση / 2013
 (Sold Out, 300 Copies Audio Cassette,
Sold Out 320 Copies Vinyl, Scarecrow Records)
4.Θόρυβος / 2009
(Sold Out, 500 Copies, CD, Self Released)


Review (Against the Silence/Mpampis Coltranis)

 

Μια κάποια εισαγωγή για μπάντες όπως η Αρχή του Τέλους φαντάζει αχρείαστη, όχι μόνο γιατί έχουμε αναφερθεί ξανά στη γοητεία των ολοκληρωμένων τους δουλειών, αλλά και γιατί ο ίδιος ο χαρακτήρας τους αποκαλύπτεται με άμεσο τρόπο από την πρώτη κιόλας νότα του οποιουδήποτε τραγουδιού τους. Το να ξεχωρίζει ένα σχήμα με τη μουσική του είναι ένα προτέρημα που δουλεύεται μέσα στο χρόνο, αλλά οπωσδήποτε χρειάζεται και ταλέντο, κάτι το οποίο οι συγκεκριμένοι αναμφισβήτητα διαθέτουν. Τι συμβαίνει όμως στο νέο τους δίσκο που σκάει μετά από τέσσερα χρόνια δισκογραφικής απουσίας;

Καταρχάς, η μπάντα δοκιμάζει να βαθύνει τον ήχο της, να χαμηλώσει ταχύτητες και να εμφανίσει μια απρόσμενη υποτονικότητα. Μπορεί αυτό το στοιχείο να μην αφήνει τις περισσότερες συνθέσεις να εκραγούν, όπως αυτό συνέβαινε στο προηγούμενο τους δίσκο, αλλά το πάθος τους παραμένει ανεξίτηλο. Οι στίχοι, οι συγχορδίες , το βλέμμα προς τα πίσω και προς τα ενδότερα παραπέμπουν σε αυτό ακριβώς που θα περιμέναμε από τη συγκεκριμένη μπάντα. Τα καινοτόμα στοιχεία που φέρνει η νέα εισαγωγή μιας επιπλέον κιθαρίστριας, η ορχηστρική πάχνη του “Στις Κατακόμβες” και το εντελώς cold wave “Γραμμή Καρμάν” πιο πολύ αποτελούν σημεία που οφείλει να επικεντρωθεί η μπάντα στη συνέχεια, παρά παρενθέσεις στιγμιαίας έμπνευσης.

Ραδιοφωνική παρουσίαση και συζήτηση για την "Φθίνουσα Σκιά της Θλίψης" στον Locomotiva Radio 15.10.2020

 

Τέσσερα χρόνια πέρασαν από την τελευταία μας κυκλοφορία και είκοσι από την πρώτη μας πρόβα. Η ανάγκη και η επιθυμία για δημιουργία, όχι μόνο δεν περιορίστηκε καθόλου, αλλά μεγάλωσε και δυνάμωσε μέσα μας, λειτουργώντας σαν ασπίδα στους σκοτεινούς καιρούς που αναπνέουμε.
Το ταξίδι αυτό έχει δρόμο ακόμα και δυστυχώς η πραγματικότητα είναι πολύ πιο ωμή και σκληρή από ότι φανταζόμασταν όταν ήμασταν μικροί. Το πρόβλημα δεν ζει πλέον κάπου μακριά, στο ημίφως μίας οθόνης, αλλά κινείται και αναπνέει γύρω μας, στο σαλόνι μας, στο δωμάτιο μας.
Την Πέμπτη 15.10 με μεγάλη μας χαρά θα φιλοξενηθούμε στο στούντιο του Locomotiva-Cooperativa.org και παρέα με τον Γιάννη Μάντζαρη θα κουβεντιάσουμε γύρω από τη νέα μας κυκλοφορία, την εγχώρια σκηνή και τις μπάντες της, τις επιρροές μας και την γενικότερη κατάσταση που επικρατεί.
"Δημοκρατία, ιδέα ειρωνική
στη βάση των Πληβείων
Ψευδαίσθηση ισότητας
στον κόσμο των θηρίων"
Γιάννης, Κώστας, Βαγγέλης, Βασιλική.
Α.τ.Τ. (Οκτώβριος 2020) 
Δείτε λιγότερα

Η Φθίνουσα Σκιά της Θλίψης (21.05.2020)


Τέσσερα χρόνια πέρασαν από την τελευταία μας κυκλοφορία και είκοσι από την πρώτη μας πρόβα. Η ανάγκη και η επιθυμία για δημιουργία, όχι μόνο δεν περιορίστηκε καθόλου, αλλά μεγάλωσε και δυνάμωσε μέσα μας, λειτουργώντας σαν ασπίδα στους σκοτεινούς καιρούς που αναπνέουμε. 
 Το ταξίδι αυτό έχει δρόμο ακόμα και δυστυχώς η πραγματικότητα είναι πολύ πιο ωμή και σκληρή από ότι φανταζόμασταν όταν ήμασταν μικροί. Το πρόβλημα δεν ζει κάπου μακριά, σε μια οθόνη, αλλά μέσα στο σαλόνι μας. Συνεχίζουμε με το κεφάλι ψηλά. Δεν ψάχνουμε πλέον για δράκους και ιππότες, μονάχα την αλήθεια."


Ευχαριστούμε τον Γιώργο Χριστοφορίδη στο Ignite Studio για την ηχογράφηση, το Σωκράτη Βότσκο για τη συμμετοχή, Χάρη Παππά για τη βοήθεια και την Scarecrow Records για την επερχόμενη φυσική κυκλοφορία του άλμπουμ.


Αρχή του Τέλους  - Η Φθίνουσα Σκιά της Θλίψης  (2020)
https://arxi-tou-telous.bandcamp.com



*Για προ-παραγγελίες του βινυλίου, μπορείτε να στείλετε στο
mail της μπάντας arxitoyteloys (at) gmail (dot) com. Υπάρχει και σχετικός λογαριασμός στο Paypal.

**Λόγω της πανδημίας και των οικονομικών δυσκολιών  που αυτή επέφερε, βάζουμε το αντίτιμο των 5 ευρώ για τους πρώτους μήνες της ψηφιακής κυκλοφορίας, ώστε με την βοήθεια των φίλων της μπάντας να στηρίξουμε την φυσική μορφή του άλμπουμ σε βινύλιο.



Screaming in Digital (21.05.2020)


Η νέα μας κυκλοφορία με τον τίτλο "Η Φθίνουσα Σκιά της Θλίψης", θα κυκλοφορήσει σε ψηφιακές πλατφόρμες στις 21.05.2020 ενώ ταυτόχρονα θα ξεκινήσουν και τα pre-order του δίσκου. Το άλμπουμ θα βγει κάποιους μήνες αργότερα και σε μορφή βινυλίου από την ίδια την μπάντα και την Scarecrow Records (SCR47).  

arxitoyteloys@gmail.com


Προς το πικρό τέλος. (H Φθίνουσα Σκιά της Θλίψης)


Με όση χαρά μπορούμε να έχουμε σε αυτούς τους σκοτεινούς καιρούς που διανύουμε θα θέλαμε να ενημερώσουμε πως είμαστε μόλις λίγες στροφές από την ολοκλήρωση του νέου μας άλμπουμ με τίτλο "Η Φθίνουσα Σκιά της Θλίψης". Τις επόμενες εβδομάδες θα ανέβουν στο Bandcamp και το Blog της μπάντας τα πρώτα κομμάτια, για να κυκλοφορήσει λίγους μήνες αργότερα από εμάς και την Scarecrow Records σε 300 αντίτυπα. Ευχαριστούμε ιδιαίτερα τον Γιώργο Χ. και τα Ignite Studio για την υπομονή και την ενέργεια του όπως και τον Χάρη Π. για την βοήθεια του με τα Spaceship Beats Studios. 

Υπομονή & υγεία.
Να τα πούμε σύντομα από κοντά.

Α.τ.Τ. 
Απρίλιος του 2020


Heads over heels.



Finaly we are very close to finish our forth album. So many months have passed by, being split up and facing down our own nightmares and demons. Now we are back and ready for an agressive groove attack! Hold on and walk through the Fading Shade of your Grief.




26.01.2019 Kallidromiou 94 Basement (Coming home)

Σάββατο 26.01.2019. Στη φυσική μας έδρα, στο υπόγειο της Καλλιδρομίου. Cold I (παρουσίαση δίσκου), Αρχή του Τέλους, Kolida Babo. Ξεκινάμε νωρίς - τελειώνει νωρίς. D.I.T./D.I.Y.



Chaos Control Festival #1 Athens Law School








Thank you George (once again)

23.11.2018 Athens Law University



23.11.2018 Athens Law University

Horror Vacui (Italy)
--


Chain Cult
Αρχή του Τέλους
Ghostland
Cold I

27.10 Xanthi


27.10 In Xanthi we open for the legendary Omega Tribe (Anarchopunk, UK) along with beloved friends.


DIY Conspiracy Zine Report (A list of local sad heroes)


A short list of what one has to hear from today's domestic scene. With great honor, we participate in it. Thank you Dino


There’s a big paradox in Greece: weather here is sunny and warm as hell but people of the underground music scene seem to dig a lot the dark-wave, synth, post-punk & dark punk sounds. There are tons of bars, venues, parties and collectives dedicated to this scene and it’s now really common to hang out and shake your body under the sign of darkness on a random Saturday night.
This summer, I even had the chance to dance in a dark-wave discotheque found at the isolated Cycladic landscape of Anafi island, just in the middle of the Aegean sea. Crazy! And the history of this music itself is also very interesting. There used to be an amazing Greek post-punk / darkwave scene back in the 80’s accompanying the local punk explosion of the same era, with many great bands included such as Χωρίς Περιδέραιο, Metro Decay, Villa 21, Clown, Alive She Died etc. (Find them on YouTube!)
However, it soon got forgotten during the ’90s under the reign of the legendary Greek DIY hardcore / crust of that period and of course Greek rock, both mainstream and underground, with a comeback to follow later during the ’00s, but in a way too-goth-for-my-taste style and maybe too commercial, without an attitude able to inspire.
We’re now at the end of the decade reaching out 2020 and Greek post-punk more than ever seems it has returned back home, to sweaty basements, occupied places, squats, the DIY scene and the local anarchist & counter-culture movement. I’m really happy to be involved in this scene and even happier to share some good local bands with a collaborative zine, sharing the same ethics with this network, as DIY Conspiracy is!
So, here’s my list of essential Greek post-punk bands in 2018!

Αρχή Του Τέλους has been active since the early 00’s but in my opinion the best moments of their discography can be traced after 2010. “Πτώση” LP is a nightmare of urban dystopia I really cannot stop listening to, with guitars building a very uncomfortable feeling and vocals borrowing elements of Greek ’90s rock with a glimpse of hip hopfirst time I say this!, as they just sound as reciting the lyrics, in a very distinct and interesting way. “Κάθαρση” is a bit more smooth and rockish than “Πτώση” but still with amazing songwritting and top-notch tunes.

Era Of Fear was the first band to introduce again, in a large scale, dark / post-punk within the Greek DIY punk scene. Hailing from a very north area of Greece, these punks quickly managed to connect the name of their small city Xanthi with the local post-punk revival, booking similar bands from abroad and of course doing the Macabre Dance Night, an annual celebration fest of DIY dark music. The key element of their music is definitely the use of keyboards, establishing their debut 7” “Μιζέρια / Πίσω Απ’ Τους Τοίχους” as a now classic record of the scene. There’s also a split LP with Πανδημία from Athens, and several split cassettes mainly including already released tracks.

It’s nice because every band of this article plays similar music but in its own unique way. Cold I’s tempo is a bit lower, with riffs focusing on building a bigger story in each song. The main structure is repetitive and the band chooses to unleash its big moments in the choruses, a thing that makes everyone dance at their gigs. Add the excellent bass playing and the poetic lyrics to the whole and you end up with a result worth to pay attention. They already have a full-length called “Κακός Άνεμος” and they’re about to co-release a new mini LP at our local Scarecrow Records.

Πανδημία is not around anymore but it has been one of the most important Greek bands of this decade. They’re not exactly post-punks, they actually played anarcho-punk but they’d been always hand in hand with post-punk groups. Their debut LP “Μοντέρνα Πανούκλα” is a milestone of the 3rd golden era of Greek punkas I’m used to call itand a must-listen for every person digging early 80’s UK anarcho-punk.

Skotodini’s hometown is a beautiful but very isolated city of the Greek west, called Ioannina. This place has never been really the home of Greek punk but these young anarcho-punks have managed to bring this area on surface, with various projects they’ve been involved in, and make it a must-stop for touring bands visiting Greece. As Ivan Shentov already mentioned, they self-record, self-produce and self-release all their music and I really admire this passion which definitely is radiated in their unique dark punk and female-fronted sound, including constant guitar shredding and super catchy parts. They have two full-lengths with melodies you should really be aware of!

Chain Cult has been around for just a year or so but quickly managed to establish its name within the new blood of the international DIY punk scene. It consists of three individuals who, after years of involvement in the local scene: booking of both Greek and foreign acts, embroilment in squats / collectives & DIY spaces, and experience in several hardcore / crust bands, decided they just needed to play post-punk, but this in a more punkish and radio-(un)friendly way. It’s dark energetic music about dystopic themes, personal dead ends & political concerns, with dance melodies and sing-along refrains. They have two releases out by UK’s finest La Vida Es Un Mus.

This band is an essential one for those who dig underground electronic music dressed in synth punk. Actually, as what I’ve many times stated, what I really like about the records of this group is that they’re completely punk even if there’s a total lack of common rock instruments use, you know drums, guitars etc. There’s just synths, effects, drum machine and desperate cries creating an ultra haunting atmosphere. Οδός 55 along with Regressverbot—check ’em too—are both responsible for a couple of truly emblematic anthems of the current international dark-wave dance scene.