Organismic Theory – A Space from Spaces (self released, 2024)

By Fotis Nikolakopoulos

Organismic Theory is the Greek duo of Nicolas Skordas on various wind instruments and Selfish Limbs on analogue synth and fx. On this cd they approach jazz and free jazz, from another point of view. As especially Skordas is mostly know for free playing and being an acolyte of free jazz, A Space from Spaces seems quite different –especially for the small Greek scene. On the four tracks of the cd, all mentioning the word space on their title but concerning a different (social, personal, public, intimate) field of what we call space in this age of social media, the listener will find a fresh take, definitely more ambient, take, of the music.

The atmospheres created by the analogue synth allow Skordas’ wind instruments to breathe heavily, resembling many times, with traditional Greek musical patterns. There are some points on the tracks that the music transfers you up on the Greek mountains, where the sound of the clarinet  rises deeply from the soil and the analogue synth provide the wind, the sun, the dust –the whole ambience of nature. 

Expecting, at first, a definitely more “jazz’ approach, I was exposed (not without hesitance) to a whole different universe, one the balances between western musics and Greek traditional surroundings, as in Greece music is deeply rooted with space and geography. As my listening of A Space from Spaces progressed, I came to realize that, at least to my ears, those tracks are also heavily rooted (and relying from) the musicians personal take on this, always risky, part of the musical heritage.

The duo relies on building an atmosphere, sometimes cinematic, that most of the times, brings some memories to those of us living in the Balkans. But, beware, because this cd is definitely not “traditional” in any way.  Aggressively building into a nocturnal drama of the mountains, it bridges a gap between the past and the present, between jazz based musics and traditional Greek music of mountainous areas.

Listen here.