Naxatras is a three-piece band, John Delias, guitar, Kostas Harizanis, drums and John Vagenas bass and vocals, from Thessaloniki, playing a heavy psy with an oriental flavor and some african inspirations. They've been around since 2012 but got most noticed since 2015 when they're debut album was released, giving us songs like Waves or Shiva's Dance.
In 2016 when the trio released II, ( take a close listen to Garden of the Senses, Proxima Centauri or The Great Atracttor), they were already in the circuit with many other bands, but III released in 2018 was the true confirmation of the outstanding creations the trio was doing for quite some time and we can listen to it in songs like On the Silver Line or Land Of Infinite Time. The three albums together resemble a trip from oriental sights ( I, 2015), to Africa ( III, 2018 ) with a slight stop at sideral space ( II, 2016)!
In 2016 when the trio released II, ( take a close listen to Garden of the Senses, Proxima Centauri or The Great Atracttor), they were already in the circuit with many other bands, but III released in 2018 was the true confirmation of the outstanding creations the trio was doing for quite some time and we can listen to it in songs like On the Silver Line or Land Of Infinite Time. The three albums together resemble a trip from oriental sights ( I, 2015), to Africa ( III, 2018 ) with a slight stop at sideral space ( II, 2016)!
Last year they gave a amazing show at SonicBlast Moledo, and they are now returning to Portugal with two shows, first in Lisbon next friday, April 19th with the portuguese band Jesus The Snake at RCA Club, and saturday at Hard Club in Oporto featuring the portuguese Talea Jacta on the opening act.
If you saw them at SonicBlast you know you can't miss this if you didn't saw them last August, you definitely have to come and listen to them live!
If you saw them at SonicBlast you know you can't miss this if you didn't saw them last August, you definitely have to come and listen to them live!
Songs to Nowhere - Could you introduce us to Naxatras and tell us how you three got together and started playing?
John Vagenas - John and me met at the Film School of Thessaloniki, talked about music we liked and decided that we had to jam at some point. John brought his childhood friend and former band member, Kostas, to play the drums. We became a band quite fast actually.
STN - What led you into music?
John Vagenas - Family, friends, radio, movies. All kinds of stuff. We liked to listen, so we had the urge to play as well.
Naxatras - I - Space Tunnel
STN - Was Naxatras your first band?
John Vagenas - No. I used to play bass with some bands in my hometown, one band was funk rock, the other doom metal, the other more blues/hard rock. John and Kostas hard a rock band too.
STN - Are you involved in any other bands or artistical projects?
John Vagenas - I have an electronic music project called Ni Moya, John Delias has his own blues/jazz solo project, we both will release our first official material really soon. Kostas has a band, Movement of Static, they have released two albums in post-rock vibes.
STN - What are your major cultural references?
John Vagenas - The psychedelic scene of the 60’s, the 70’s in general, music and cinema especially, the 90’s stoner scene and lots of other stuff too.
Naxatras - III - 2018 - On the Silver Line
STN - You usually use the same image on all your álbuns, and the álbuns have been named after the Latin numbers, why is that?
John Vagenas - The face was done by Chris RW and we really liked it, it fit with the band so well that we decided to keep it in different incarnations. The album titles are like this, mainly, because we did not know what else to call them.
STN - Your recordings are fully analogous, despite the fact that music technology has evolved with unmeasurable speeds. Why this decision?
Naxatras - II - 2016 - Proxima Centauri
John Vagenas - It is more organic, spontaneous and cosy usually. That’s our experience with it at least.
STN - Which were the main differences between the first recording of your EP and III in 2018?
John Vagenas - In “III” we worked more, we went for more precision and a better sound quality, the compositions are more complex as well.
STN - How do your songs develop? You jam endlessly until you feel right or is there a person in the band who writes and then you develop over that?
Naxatras - Waves - Official Live Video
John Vagenas - Both, some songs like that, some songs like the other.
STN - You’re from Thessaloniki , how’s the music scene there and in what ways has it influenced you?
John Vagenas - There are not many stuff going on, especially in rock music it’s pretty quiet. We were influenced only in the manner of “not” wanting to be like this scene, we wanted to do more.
STN - What bands influenced you more?
John Vagenas - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Kyuss, My Sleeping Karma, The Doors.
Naxatras - Garden of the Senses - Official Live Video
STN - Is music your main occupation? What other occupations, jobs or hobbies do you have?
John Vagenas - Cinema for me and John, Kostas plays football and he’s also a physiotherapy graduate.
STN - From what I read, began to play in 2012 at the beginning of the economic crisis that affected Europe and mainly countries peripheral regions such as Greece and Portugal. In what ways has this austerity affected your creativity?
John Vagenas - We didn’t care much, we were students at that period. We were free from society’s idea that you must be this or that, with the crisis, all this had no meaning at all.
STN - Spanish director Miguel Cano made a documentary about the Greek rock scene with the bands 1000mods, Tuber, Naxatras, Puta Volcano, Villagers of Ioannina City, Planet of Zeus & Nightstalker could you disclose a bit more about it?
John Vagenas - We met Miguel in Berlin, he’s a great guy and a great director. He managed to capture the spirit of the rock scene in Greece I think. All these bands are cool.
STN - Name the last song or álbum you listened to that really left an impression on you!
John Vagenas - Wooden Shjips - V. Listened to it countless times, super mellow stuff.
Greek Rock Revolution - 2019 - Official Trailler
Greek Rock Revolution is a 95-minute documentary movie, from the Spanish director Miguel Cano, about the rock scene in Greece featuring 1000mods, Tuber, Naxatras, Puta Volcano, Villagers of Ioannina City, Planet of Zeus & Nightstalker.
STN - Are you already working on a new album?
John Vagenas - Yes, but we are on the early stages yet.
STN - Your show last year in Sonic Blast Moledo was amazing, what can we expect from these upcoming shows in Portugal?
John Vagenas - This, and much more! Can’t wait to start this tour, see you all there!
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário