Sigmatropic: Sixteen Haiku & Other Stories
Friday October 10, 2003 – 9:40 pm
SIGMATROPIC: Sixteen Haiku & Other Stories
©2003 Hitch-Hyke (Greece) / Tongue Master (U.K.)
More info • Purchase at Amazon
I did vocals on the track “Haiku 8″. I also sang on “Haiku 1″ which is included on the limited edition bonus disc. Also, my version of “Haiku 4″ is included in the #13 issue of Comes With A Smile magazine (more info). AND, there’s a limited edition 12″ single with yet another track of mine! :-)
Other featured singers include Robert Wyatt, Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab), Alejandro Escovedo, Mark Eitzel, Cat Power, Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Howe Gelb (Giant Sand), Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) and many, many more…
The Greek-vocals version of this album was released in 2001 on the Hitch-Hyke label. The international version was released in September 2003 on Hitch-Hyke, and on October 6th on the Tongue Master label (U.K.).
Rather than try to explain the album any further, I’ll copy something from Sigmatropic’s website…
Back in 2001 SIGMATROPIC had the idea to create a sprawling and magical musical trip: a musical accompaniment to an imaginary journey. The album “16 Haiku & Other Stories” is based on the Japanese chopped up poetry style Haiku. But this isn”t just any poetry. This music is based on the work of the great Nobel laureate GEORGE SEFERIS. His Haiku poetry, in which he had adopted in his early life, was an ideal inspiration to a musical adventure that involves all the elements of nature. The wisdom & simplicity of these short poems float around the embracing music in a carefree manner. Anyone that has travelled through the majestic Aegean and experienced the sea and stars will clearly identify with SEFERIS”S colourful observations. AKIS BOYATZIS is the nucleus of SIGMATROPIC and has created an atmospheric musical odyssey that invites this poetry wordplay. His programming skills weave an ethereal spell full of Spartan peaks and bleak terrains. The voiceovers float around like a magic wand spelling out stories about colours, nature and the seasons. The soundtrack “feel” quality of this recording is grainy and mystical and ideally compliments the masterful poetry.
After this album was released in its original format in Greek, early 2002, spurred on with its success, AKIS BOYATZIS stuck his neck out enough to boldly extend an invitation to overseas musicians: to recreate the spirit of this album, retaining the same music with the same poetry translated into English. And thus here is the English version of his original dream. Eighteen vocalists from diverse musical backgrounds and from far flung cities, each choosing and singing their favourite Haiku. Each individual vocal is a sparkling testament that has enriched this international project, which features an outstanding and diverse range of cult alternative vocalists from both sides of the Atlantic, instantly making this one of the greatest albums ever to come out of Greece.
Together with SIGMATROPIC & AKIS BOYATZIS the full guest vocal line up for “16 Haiku & Other Stories” is a truly awesome musical motley crew.
Click here for a full list of invited artists, plus music samples.
December 5th, 2003 at 9:50 pm
mark eitzel has a website:
http://www.markeitzel.com
December 29th, 2003 at 10:20 am
of course I emailed the U.K. record label that Sigmatropic is on as soon as I read about it on your blog. A few short weeks later i got a copy, with the bonuis U.K. disc (thatthey say won’t be with the U.S. edition). Very good music & haiku.
January 1st, 2004 at 2:13 am
Dear,
Happy New Year, with 2004 haiku for 2004.In a few weeks my first haiku-book ‘KOKORO’ will be edited, included a cd with Singing Bowls-music for reading and writing haiku.
I hope to swap for books and cd’s of other kuyu (haiku lovers). Contact via my website.
GEERT VERBEKE
Leo Baekelandlaan 14
8500 Kortrijk - Flanders
Belgium
January 1st, 2004 at 3:00 am
Dear Edith,
I just created a link to your website (page haiku-links), I hope you agree.
Kind regards.
GEERT VERBEKE
PS: I hope you like to swap cd’s.
August 2nd, 2004 at 3:29 pm
you have a great voice
thank you
bye
August 2nd, 2004 at 5:56 pm
Thank you! FYI if you want to receive notifications on my site you’ll need to use a working address.
December 3rd, 2004 at 11:12 am
heya eda –
it HAS been a long time since i wrote ya — yer old e-addy seems to be defunct…
just a quick note to say how nice it was seein’ ya last night at the B.O.T.H. — i know that my mantra every time i see ya (every 3 years, i suppose) is that you should come out west more often, but it’s really true! those folks around
Chicago who get to see you all the time are truly lucky.
anyway — who knows when i’ll see you next; i’m not planning any trips your way at the moment, but who knows? if not, what — see you in
2007?
oh yeah — don’t know if Glenn ever passed on my high praise of “Wonder Wonder” to you (and why would he?), but once i get that title tune in my head, it lodges in there for DAYS. maddening — but in a good way!
-wil