Krataia Asterope

Biography

Δαιμόνια Νύμφη (Romanized: Daemonia Nymphe) is a Greek folk band established in Athens, Greece in 1994 by Spyros Giasafakis and Evi Stergiou. The band's music is modeled after Ancient Greek music and is often categorized as ethereal, neoclassical darkwave, neofolk or gothic. Daemonia Nymphe uses authentic instruments, including lyra, varvitos, krotala, pandoura and double flute, which are made by the Greek master Nicholas Brass. Their shows are very theatrical, with members wearing masks and anc...

Δαιμόνια Νύμφη (Romanized: Daemonia Nymphe) is a Greek folk band established in Athens, Greece in 1994 by Spyros Giasafakis and Evi Stergiou. The band's music is modeled after Ancient Greek music and is often categorized as ethereal, neoclassical darkwave, neofolk or gothic.
Daemonia Nymphe uses authentic instruments, including lyra, varvitos, krotala, pandoura and double flute, which are made by the Greek master Nicholas Brass. Their shows are very theatrical, with members wearing masks and ancient dress. Their lyrics are drawn from Orphic and Omeric hymns and Sappho's poems for Zeus and Hekate.

They released their debut album in 1998 under the title "The Bacchic Dance of the Nymphs" on the German record label Solistitium Records.This album focuses on a lyrical theme that ranges between the myths of the Hellenic antiquity and music that could easily be described as theatrical.
The same year, 1998, finds the project renewed and a strong core of musicians is consisted -musicians who compose music based on the aesthetic and theoretical border of ancient Hellenic music.

One year later,a co-operation gradually changes the course of the band. We are referring to the meeting between Daemonia Nymphe and Nikos Brass , an instrument constructor who has managed to reproduce almost every ancient Hellenic instrument by using his artistic skills, starting over from the year 1980 up to nowadays.

Daemonia Nymphe played their first concert presentation of the instruments at the Renaissance Festival of Rethymno, Crete. More concerts followed at the Interbalkan European Medical Center, in Tsagarada Pilio and N. Ionia of Volos. Along side they release their first mini CD titled “Tyrvasia”.

The next big step in their course becomes reality in 2002 by signing a contract with French Label Prikosnovenie. This record label co-operates with bands from all over the world and Daemonia Nymphe as the first hellenic band in that label has become a vibrant member of Prikosnovenie’s big international company.
In September 2002, Daemonia nymphe release their new CD under the homonymous title ,an album where a plethora of musicians participate besides the basic core of the band, among them a famous Greek singer Alkinoos Ioannides.In that new CD the band moves towards into new paths , in a different more recognised sound because the majority of the tracks are played by the replicas of the ancient hellenic instruments.

In December 2002 they released a cd which the band co-operates with other Prikosnovenie acts such as Louisa John Krol , Francesco Banchini(Gor, Ataraxia) and Lys, in a Cd which is entitled “Love Sessions”.

The same period they participated in the new cd of atmospheric band from London, Seventh Harmonic as well in the debut CD “Arcane Elitism” by neoclassical darkwave project XarkaneX from Athens.

In June 2003 Daemonia Nymphe played live at National Hellenic Research Foundation in Athens. They also played in a festival in Athens called Elfentanz Fest 2 in September 2003,as well as two more concerts(24-25/10/03) in small music theatre in Athens and a gig with Louisa John Krol at Mylos club(xylourgeio) in Thessaloniki in November 2003.They also performed at Mylos Xylourgeio on January 2004 to present their new work. On May 2004 Daemonia Nymphe was the first Greek band who performed in the Wave Gottik Treffen festival in Leipzig(Germany) in the Schauspiel Haus theatre and on June of the same year they performed in the Summer Solstice festival in Italy in the castle of Arceto.

In July 2004 Spyros Giasafakis releases his debut mcd with the contributions of Christian Wolz,Louisa John Krol and Evi Stergiou by the French label Cynfeirdd. In August 2004 they re-release their debut album “The Bacchic Dance of the Nymphs” together with “Tyrvasia” in Cd digipack format by the French Prikosnovenie.

In the Summer of 2005 Daemonia Nymphe released the CD “Ghost Fish” a collaboration between Louisa John Krol,Nikodemos Triarides and DN by the French label Prikosnovenie.In the end end of 2005 “Daemonia Nymphe Remixed” was released by the Italian label Palace of Worms,the remixers who contributed on this work are Beefcake,Von Magnet,Supermarket(Alfa P. x-Stereo Nova member),Mimetic Mute,Dani Joss,Peekay Tayloh,Nikodemos and Basilis.

Daemonia Nymphe have composed music for many documentaries among which the documentary “Treasures of Athens and Olympia” for the English Channel five in Summer of 2004. In 2005 they toured Greece with the support of the Greek ministry of Culture.

In April 2007 Daemonia Nymphe released the CD “Krataia Asterope” (which means “strong lightning”) by the French label Prikosnovenie. They sing Orphic, Omeric hymns, Sappho’s poems for Zeus or Hekate. Also, the band invites Psarantonis (Antonis Xylouris) a legend for Cretan music to sing on this new album. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.