Search - Kristi Stassinopoulou :: Secrets of the Rocks

Untypically good greek pop for intelligent listeners...

Takis Tz. | InYourHead | 08/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a seriously surprising album. Beyond its quality on its own there is also the inevitable comparisons with other music for the masses you might come across from the greek scene (warning: avoid like the plague).

This one though, with its initial feel of commerciality has all kinds of underlying qualities that reveal themselves slowly as you listen to it. First of all, the music. It's basically conteporary electronic and contagiously trippy music, made up of spacey beats and floating melodies and complimented with Stasinopoulou's voice which has a way to take you travelling with her to the places she's been. It would be no exaggeration at all to claim that this album is unfairly unknown when loads of other LPs with generally common themes but much poorer in feeling, pathos and execution are monopolising the spotlight. Think for example Morcheeba with an exotic and more authentic touch and you have Stasinopoulou's album.



Speaking of that, and if you read the back cover of the album, you'll find out that the songs are inspired by some seriously special places on the greek islands, places that people with an extra sensitivity will go out of their way to discover. Knowing the places she mentions means a lot and explains a lot.



She basically sings about the mystique of those intriguing and hidden from the common and uncurious eye places, and she does so as if she's offering a tempting invitation.



Great music to chill out to, but more importantly to ponder, think and dream along with. As a caution though, dreams have no value if they stay dreams.



A really cool and surprisingly modern album from Stasinopoulou, one that proves that there's life indeed in domains one might've considered dead."

Music of the rocks

N. Aggelopoulos | 05/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes it is very difficult to talk or sing about beautiful things. Sometimes it is impossible to dream. And sometimes reality is like a beautiful dream. It is strange when it happens. This music is a bit like that.



The music has been carefully produced. The ambience of some of the tracks reminds a bit of Cafe del Mar or Morcheeba sometimes with a Greek folk undercurrent. The nearest thing that comes to mind is actually David Gilmour's "On an Island" in terms of the musical connection and mood, though I would say the "Secrets of the Rocks" is even more of an experience. On the other hand, needless to say, the electric guitar here is much more understated, if played confidently. Kristi Stasinoloulou's voice is beautiful and unaffected. The lyrics range from the mystical to the ridiculous in a satyrical sort of way. There are continual plays of ideas and arrangements, overdubs of for example Stasinopoulou mimicking a radio annuncement of ferry departures to the Greek islands, synthesized sounds as if of lashings of snakes' tails or scorpions' stings in the tracks with the relevant themes, an occasional easy pop tune, a sense of plenty of sunlight and Kristi's soaring voice over "Amoryiano mou Perasma".



The songs also sing of something that perhaps is no longer there, something that has mostly been lost in the wake of the islands' development. In that way the music is connected to the islands. If you have spent a few minutes just looking at the empire of the blue ("autocratoria tou galaziou") the music may bring to life the world "beyond the cape the world that still exists without me". Kristi Stasinopoulou has also written books about Amorgos, that have even been translated to various languages. This CD is probably the most easily available example of her work.



Secrets of the Rocks was No 1 in the World Music Charts in Europe, January 2003"