Reviews on “Sisyphus” for December 2020 – January 2021
Sisyphus by Sofia Labropoulou (Odradek Records) was released on the 11th of December 2020. Here is a brief review for its journey for the months December 2020 and January 2021
1) Balkan World Music Chart – 4th Quartet of 2020
#2 in the Balkan world music Chart top 10 for the 4th quarter of 2020!
2)Transglobal World Music Chart
#13 in the Transglobal World Music Chart – January 2021
http://www.transglobalwmc.com/category/charts/monthly-charts/
3) Mundofonías Radio
In the list of the favourite albums of Mundofonías for January 2021
4) Balkan World Music Charts – Annual list 2020
#4 in the annual list of Balkan World Music Chart BWMC
Mentions by Journalists and Radio producers
Sunday, 06-12-2020
Sotiris Bekas – Paradounai kai lavein @musicpaper.gr
“Sisyphus is the artistic manifesto of Sofia Labropoulou. A master of the kanun and composer presents the essence of her music, in a record work, which before anything else, touches and interprets the harsh reality that we all experience for many years. She does not caress ears with amusing sounds, but delving into the essence of ancient Greek tragedy, she accepts to confront the drama, having the courage to seek mental purification. In a hard, difficult perhaps, but absolutely honest and straightforward way, and with a clarity that spreads the musical culture of the experienced musician in a riveting way.”
https://www.musicpaper.gr/editorial/item/11079-sofia-lampropoylou-sisyfos
Wednesday, 23-12-2020
Max Altemüller @World Trad & Ethno Folk (via facebook)
“I do not want to take one piece out of this album, “Sisyphus”, claiming it to be a part for the whole. But in this piece here – “The Lament about the End and the Beginning” – we come to the archetypal point of it. Here we are right at that moment, when the end and the beginning stop chasing one another and when both become one. The moment of disappointment, redemption and bliss … “
Sunday, 27-12-2020
Roger Holdswort – Global Village @pbs fm (Melbourne) (Program #1509: the waiting time)
“An impressive new album just arrived from Greek kanun player Sofia Labropoulou, called Sisyphus. Here she collaborates with some brilliant musicians from Greece and elsewhere, including Hungarian legend Márta Sebestyén.”
Saturday, 16-01-2021
Lopa Kothari – Music Planet @BBC Sounds – BBC 3
“This next track is an instrumental piece excitingly played with great precision. All the songs by the album are written by the Greek musician Sofia Labropoulou and provide a perfect harmonious space for a multitude of folk instruments. From the kanun, the santur, the sheperd's flute to the more western, clarinet and double-bass. “Sisyphus” is her album. It is quite extraordinary. It even includes Sofia's take on “Sex Pistols”, that frankly speaking you would never guess. The track I am gonna play is D.E.I.T.M.E.H.T.A. which I' m told by the label it's pronounced Theitmechta. They also told me, a bit unhelpfully, that the word is absolutely meaningless.
Great virtuosity there on that track from Sofia Labropoulou from her new album Sisyphus. Out now on Odradek records.”
Sunday, 17-01-2021
Ed Ayre – Weekend Breakfast @ABC Classic (Australia)
“Now the question is: Would you dare to program a piece of music by the “Sex Pistols”? So, you are familiar with the punk group The Sex Pistols, right? The Sex Pistols had two songs: Anarchy in the UK and God Save the Queen. What we 've just heard is essentially is a mush up of these two songs with all the punk noise clearly removed. This is an arrangement, a transcription, a reworking, a re-thinking by Sofia Labropoulou and she has called it “In the beginning”. Sofia is playing an instrument called the kanun which is being played in many parts throughout the Middle East, certain parts of Africa and also in some regions of Europe. It comes from the Arab word Kanon which means rule or law or norm and in latin that' s the word, kanun. So, there you go.
So, if you had to know about Sex Pistols and Kanun together, you know how. Isn' t that amazing? And you heard it here in ABC Classic”.
18-01-2021
Marina Meintani @infolible.gr
“A reverse course in an inverted world of the irrational that we all live in. Not only today. A demolition of a world that began a decade ago, as well as Sofia' s search or the search for Wisdom in musical paths and paths of convergence and the creation of asymptotes, seemingly.”
Friday, 29-01-2021
Alessio Surian – BlogFoolk Magazine
“This new album has the flavour and path of an excellent wine that needs to be left to age.
“There is no sun without shadow, and you need to know the night”, Camus pointed out, hoping for a life capable of escaping the reign of anguish, at least for a moment. Sofia Labropoulou makes this philosophy her own and develops it over the course of seven pieces in the company of superlative musicians for expressive attitude and instrumental expertise.”