Serafim Tsotsonis
Mirror glances with Serafim Tsotsonis; photographed by Alex Ruder.
Released today through Hush Hush Records, we give you a first listen of Serafim Tsotsonis’s beautiful album She Swims that moves in like a rolling wave crashing with the might of an oceanic push. The Athens artist creates a breathtaking soundscape that features vocal contributions from Serafim’s sister Angeliki, and operative vocals from Eleanna Konstanta & Effie Papadopoulou where the nostalgic visions from Tsotsonis stemming from his hometown of Corinth come to life like a walk through seaside village memories. Known for his work with sibling Angeliki as the duo Ocean Hope, composing music or documentaries, films, commercials, plays & more; She Swims provides a mid-evening’s walk through familiar roads & territories where the theater of the mind plays film reels of old world reflections on how we arrived at the new worlds that we inhabit today.
“She Swims” combines ambient arrangements with piano ripples that resemble a morning swim enjoyed during the doldrums brought about by the yearly winter spell. That same cold snap plays out in the coy & calm “Cold Naive” featuring vocals from Angeliki, that mixes melancholia on the violin string expressions that reverberate on the baroque banquet bouquet of beauty that is “A Ride With Suzie”. Brass & super ominous airs are heard on the sounds of impending actions on “Thunder Shower” that pours with a cinematic sort of flair & fashion right before the glisten & jewel-like glow of “Moonlight” shines a light on a new path that leads to “Imaginary Friends” that provides some tense moments where the feeling of decisive thoughts & pressures run amok. “Dragonflies” provides some reprieve from the storm with meditative song from Eleanna Konstanta & Effie Papadopoulou with notes that descend like the dew drops that gently evaporate with the volume turn-up of a brand new day. Reflections & nostalgia grace in the most restrained & understated of manners on the sublime & reverent reverberations experienced on “1977”, right before the bright light boom found on the final number “Lighthouse” that sends a beam of light that exhibits a fraction of what Tsotsonis is capable of creating where we are left with Angeliki’s voice ringing from the enchanted ethereal cosmos.
She Swims is an album about capturing nostalgic childhood dreams, memories, and emotions. For the record I spent half of the whole recording process in my hometown village of Corinth in Greece as I wanted to record in specific places, surrounded by the mountains and sea that I used to visit as a child in order to create the exact soundscapes I had in mind. I’ve also recorded some of the acoustic instruments and vocals in nature, as I wanted to get the right space and warmth in my sound. This entire experience was unique, as there were both fun and magical moments happening at the same time.
Up close & personal with Serafim Tsotsonis; press photo courtesy of the artist.
In this new album I’ve explored new forms of electronic and acoustic synthesis and focused on the recording process using analogue synths, electronics, pianos and collaborating with various musicians that I admire. I’ve always had a thing for cinematic music, I hope you can sense that in my sound. Cinema makes you dream, and that’s what I’m attempting to do with She Swims.
Serafim Tsotsonis’s She Swims is available now from Hush Hush Records.
