It’s time begin the week with another new single, but this time it’s a real treat for all who love traditional sounds and classic literature, or simply embrace the culture. Curios about which? Read on to learn more!
Coral Caves is the music alias of Christos Pappas, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer. Deeply interested and passionate about the traditional music of the Balkans and Greece, Pappas has previously released his debut LP “Labyrinth’s Path”, which saw traditional sounds remodeled through his own postmodern prism. This was 10 years ago, and today the artist is back and ready to present his new musical direction. That means – a new single!
This new song, titled “Moiroloi”, continues the artist’s love for the traditions of Greece. The song’s title is Greek for “Lament”, which is a passionate expression of grief coming from regret or mourning. This lament takes on a more nostalgic path, feeling as if I’m listening to an older person ponder about life. The song begins with a shimmering choir of string instruments singing traditional melodies, which accompany his deep narrating voice. The percussive elements add intensity like an approaching thunder, as the lyrics speak lines from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”.
The artist tells us more about the musical and visceral directions in this song as well as the background of it:
“I grew up in Epirus (region), Greece and this land in unique in its music from polyphonics traditional pieces to traditional festivals where the band is playing folk songs but in a different attitude, tempo and pace from elsewhere…also music historians mention that Epirus’ music goes back to ancient times / also pentatonic elements. As was little and a rocker back then in these traditional festivals where my mother’s village is every night in the Summer (had to) listen to this music in weddings or festivals where clarinet has the 1st role accompanied by lute a singer and percussionist (defi). So little by little even if didn’t want to this traditional folk sound of slow pacing rhythms and melodies grew up in me and became a part in me…also In the musical traditions of Epirus, the Moiroloi is commonly accompanied by the clarinet is often performed at these folk festivals and weddings, in the former case to acknowledge those who ‘went away’, having either migrated or ‘passed away’, and in the latter to honour the bride who is about to leave her family. For me such performances that others find peculiar coz in a fest people there are ‘mourning’ – act as ‘group-music-therapy, where loss and grief are expressed, and the soul emptied to make space for new emotions, enabling the subject once again to feel, communicate and express joy’. The ‘Moiroloi’ is usually then followed by a more rhythmical song of a ‘Dionysian’ character, leading to state of ‘ecstasis’. Later when was playing in bands as guitar player in the start and then also singer in rock / blues & alternative this music really kicked in and started composing themes and melodies that were far away from the music I was into! I called it lute technique on guitar in the beginning and composed my Moiroloi with a Saxophone instead as a solo instrument and gave to sound a more cinematic/ambient approach as for me this one of oldest song forms ‘lament’ generates images and memories. I started the Coral Caves as my main project back then in Leeds, UK where I was doing my MA in Music Production / Composition in Leeds Conservatoire. Later though this Shakespeare’s Macbeth was in my selves for years that I have red back then it just came to me that this beautiful and powerful line by Shakespeare – ‘life’s but a walking shadow’ it sums up all the feeling I was trying to express with Moiroloi in my studio producing it in late 2020 start of 2021 and thought to have spoken vocals in there where I also approached in a minimalistic way and a bit detached emotionally as these are already powerful words so didn’t want to over do it.”
With “Moiroloi” now released as a second single, Coral Caves also reveals his future plans:
“Coral Caves will continue in this way of refashioning Greek & Balkan music traditions in a post modern context as in the moment and as writing this for you am producing in the studio the next track which will come up in 2 September and will be the 3rd of the coming LP album!”
That will most definitely be worth waiting for!
Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Facebook, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also check out his official website.
You can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Chill – Folk – Acoustic, and 12 New Songs This Week.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you can subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists that we have presented here!!!
This coverage was created via MusoSoup #Sustainablecurator