Gyros, sea, islands, enormous national debt, financial crisis, orthodoxy, birthplace of Democracy, Tsipras & Syriza are just some of the things that pop in our minds when we think about Greece. And what about music? Except for a couple of bands from metal genre (Septicflesh, Rotting Christ), and some singers from which Balkan artists steal lyrics and music, Greeks are not so well known on the music map of the world. After this article, their recognition in the world of music probably won’t rise in some tangible magnitude. But, when you hear beats as good as this, elementary moral code commands you to share them with a broader auditorium of potential listeners. So, what’s this all about?
We are talking about Moderator (yeah, that’s his artistic name), a young musician from a former great country of Greece. The guy is a music producer, and in their core, melodies he makes are a fantastic mixture of hip-hop, chill out & trip-hop made for the sole purpose of transporting you in a parallel dimension where life is truly delightful, if just for a trice of time. If you are familiar with Gramatik, Slovenian music alchemist who makes some seriously rad tunes you will know what I’m talking about, if not, keep reading. Moderator’s latest album is called “The World Within” and Moderator himself describes it as: “Two worlds: the outer world and the inner world. Silence is the world within. Sound is the world without. If Silence is the seed then Sound is the fruit. Silence eternally is. Sound eternally becomes.” Even i could not describe it better.
The album itself is made out of 9 songs and total length is around 40 minutes. Songs have their own flow, are unified in one big harmony, and the best way to enjoy this album is to just surrender to it and listen to it in its entirety. The songs are not too long; they easily get stuck in your mind and just begging you to listen to them again & again. You get drawn into music with the first tune and then the journey starts, a musical ride that, like all good things, every time ends too swiftly.
Slow motion hip-hop beats accompanied with old school R’n’B female vocals in the song Blind You to My Spell. I'm Sorry I'm Lost, an instrumental track with atmospheric post-rock vibe made for the purpose of causing a crash while crossing the street due to unconscious attention you give to the music that’s playing from your headphones. Dreamlike meditative ride of the Words Remain give you the urge to listen to it while walking by the deserted beach during the midnight, hip-hop perfection embodied in the Locked In A Feeling, and one phenomenal remix (Harlem River by Kevin Morby, neo-blues-folk-pop tune which somehow shines even brighter in Moderator’s arrangement), make this record a must listen for all venerators of good music out there, regardless of their preferred genres. Music that is made for listening while you drink your morning coffee while you’re out on a late evening stroll, or when you are stuck in your apartment studying for that big exam tomorrow. A piece of music worthy of your attention. Try it now, and you will be thanking me later.
