Villagers of Ioannina City

A few weeks ago, while a mediocre melodrama was being staged in Greece (actually in whole Europe), I searched for any music reflecting possible rage and confusion of Greek society. Besides several old and new politically oriented sounds, the unique recipe of a band from the northern Greece was the most euphonious one: Villagers of Ioannina City.

Their debut album Riza is one of the most interesting albums that easily overcomes the tricky business of blending different genres. Sounds of stone rock, post-rock, psychedelic rock, local Greek folk music form the unique atmosphere of their work but the outcome is much more than all.

The band originates from the north-western city of Greece, Ionnina (not surprisingly). Probably the mountainous geography of the region was hand in hand with deep sociopolitical turmoil of Greece while members were blowing their feelings into their music. In addition, almost three century-long occupation of the region by the Ottoman Empire must be noted, probably which led to hybridization of Balkan, Greek and Anatolian sounds. Traces of such a historical hybridization can be easily been heard in their album.

The band was formed in 2007 and in course of time their sound evolved form mainstream stoner/psychedelic rock from into a sound dominated by clarinet or “clarino” as it’s better known in Greece. Clarinet is a vital component of traditional folk music in a geography extending from Anatolia to Klezmer Bands, and it’s heavily used in occasions such as weddings and celebrations.

Sound of the album roams from Pink Floyd to Pearl Jam and in the meanwhile the song can steadily pass into a traditional motive. However, regarding Riza as a highly experimental album will be misleading. There are slow rhythms, heavy guitars and at the same time heavy use of the traditional tunes. Especially clarinet creates a feeling of freedom and uprising both of which have historical roots in the culture of the region. Moreover, the majority of lyrics is in Greek northern dialect and derives from traditional songs from Epirus (part of northern Greece). Riza (meaning root in Greek) is so rooted in Greek tradition that it even includes a track (“Tabourla”) that is in a nutshell the history of Ioannina. Most probably the band is not politically oriented but to some extend reflects the "radical" context of Greece. They are one of the most wanted bands of the political festivals in Greece.

As a result of the above, Riza is an album that is highly recommended not only to fans of stoner/psychedelic rock but also to fans of traditional Greek songs which have been processed in a unique way.

Villiagers of Ioannina City | Riza | Mantra Records 2014