Mixology Katerina Fotinaki

• 1 Kiss off (Punk Meeting Rebetiko) 04:29
• 2 Polyphonies D'eros 04:09
• 3 If Barbara Met Peggy 03:34
• 4 Death by Water 02:40
• 5 Les enfants dans les champs 02:47
• 6 Prends garde à toi 02:37
• 7 Europe 05:44
• 8 Cachés dans cet asile (berceuse) 02:21
• 9 Tambourin invisible 01:38
• 10 Septembre 03:35
• 11 Gardens of Love 07:16
• 12 Cocaïne 04:13
• Total Runtime 45:03

Info for Mixology

Since I started composing music I have been finding it very difficult to answer the question : « what kind of music are you making »? If I was obliged to give an answer it would never be a sigle word, it would come with asterisks and « not exactly... but I would more say ..» etc. Because of being greek in Paris, my music has been classified as Word Music, which many times led to embarrassing occasions, like being invited to Festivals and having people actually waiting to hear some bouzouki and Zorba kind of music, though I was there to play my songs, composed on poetry of Odysseus Elytis or Dionyssios Solomos. When I started composing on poetry of foreign languages, like William Blake and Edna St. Vincent Millay in English, or Louise Labé in French, and being inspired by diverse periods and styles of music – medieval, contemporary, blues, jazz, punk – I then realized that it was completely useless to try to answer this question any longer.

I therefore understand this question and the reasons behind it. That's why I have decided to invite people that listen to my music, to consider it as an experience relevant to that of tasting a cocktail. A margarita is a margarita, nobody has to know if it is made of tequila or brandy, if it contains lemon or lime. A mojito is a mojito, noone would order « rum with shaved ice, brown sugar, mint and sparkling water ».

Same thing counts for the songs of this album. Some of them are the mix of different ingredients that all come from a profound desire of expressing myself; and that only by using these ingredients I could do so. Some others contain only one ingredient, like a whiskey-dry. Some others make a whole story with beginning, and end, containing many ingredients separately and stylistic ruptures, like a B52, in three layers clearly visible, in a narrative line containing different parts.

The whole disc, with it's many aspects aims in communication through the sensations only, regardless the language, style, orchestration, period of music, and hopes to awaken memories and let grow the imagination. Like when someone offers us a new cocktail to taste and we ignore it's ingredients.

In order to assure that this album would have a unity, I decided to record it practically all by myself (I played all the instruments) with a few exceptions; the participation of Evi Filippou and Gaspar Claus in some parts. Of course, the pandemic came to seal this option of solitude.

I am inviting you to listen to this album with open ears and... minds! Cheers! Katerina Fotinaki

Katerina Fotinaki, vocals, guitars electric, classical, baritone, acoustic, prepared guitar, tzouras), bass (acoustic and ukelele), percussions (cajon, daf, drums, xylophone, woodblocks), melodicas, harmonicas
Evi Filippou, marimba, vibraphone, percussions, drums, vocals
Gaspar Claus, cello
Ninon Valder, bass flute

Katerina Fotinaki
(1979) studied classical literature at the University of Athens and vocal technique at the Institute of Vocal Arts, with baryton Spyros Sakkas. She is the artistic director of many projects in Greece and received many prizes in composition contests. She moved to Paris in 2006, invited by the composer Angelique Ionatos and creates 3 different shows with her as well as a CD/DVD of their duet. She was a resident of “Cité des Arts” for many years. In 2011 she wins the 1st prize for the National Songwriting Contest in Athens, and be- gins her solo discographic career with the disc Tzitzikia (Accords Croisés/Harmonia Mundi) that was received with great enthusiasm by the French press (a fff-valuation of Télérama Music Magazine, 4th best disc of the year 2014 according to Le Monde). In addition to Greek music and poetry, Katerina Fotinaki studied contemporary music with composer Bernard Cavanna at the Gennevilliers Conservatory. Since 2014 she is teaching at the National Theater of Northern Greece.

Evi Filippou
(1993) started taking percussion lessons at the age of 7. In 2009 she gave her first recitals in Athens with a scholarship from the Friends of Music. Two years later, she graduated with a first prize and moved to Berlin to start her Bachelor studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler. She performed a.o. with the Bolshoi Ballet Orchestra, Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of Konzerthaus Berlin. Evi is a founding member of the Opera Lab Berlin, an independent ensemble that specializes in music theater, with which she premiered a piece by Salvatore Sciarrino in the Staatsoper Berlin. In 2015 she played a solo concert in the series Welcome young Artists! in Athens. Together with saxophonist Hayden Chisholm she founded a duo, playing contemporary as well as original compositions. They perform around the world and they just released their Duo Album Blowslap. Evi also plays in many pop, jazz and theater projects.

Booklet for Mixology