itenef
|
1/18/2008 10:42:39 AM
THE ITENEF STORY IN FULL
ITENEF's roots go back to the late 80s when two teenagers met on a gig by Blaine Reininger. A month later they saw live Suicide and Band of Holy Joy and already they were discussing starting their own band aiming to create a sound based completely by the use of electronics.So In Trance 95 were formed on mid 1988 by Alex Macheras and Nik Veliotis,when as In Trance 95 during a period that there was no such thing called electronic music scene in Greece and no clubs yet to play and promote that sound. Both equipped with cheap analog little synths and drum machines spent hours of composing in Nik's sound proofed basemement at street Lykourgou 95 in Athens and so that's where the 95 came from! First two singles all played in hand using about 12 channels of 24 that big expensive studio provided,designed their own sleeves,financed their 1st videoclip and here they were! The only electropop duo in athens in times that punk rock and garage was what the local scene had to offer! Dada Data and Slow Motion were also using electronics but only DD had a similar approach but only short lived for a couple of releases.
Soon there was one more person added to the band,not as a member but their man behind the mixing desk who really helped them discover more their sound and the new technology slowly arriving.Multitalented minimalist experimentalist Coti k. was the co-producer and engineer at all of the recordings that followed,one of the only people who was working in athens but with standards european,later to become well known being responsible for many successful recordings for various Greek artists and not only (tuxedomoon etc) with the role of producer/engineer and less known but very popular in the elite of difficult electronic music with some of the most important lps he released as a solo artist.
During the period of their "Radio Telescope Mysteries" album (see bio link), the genious of Nik Veliotis got fed up of the electronic methods and decided improvisation on cello is far more uncompromising and non-commercial but much more inside his psyche and so followed his heart,while already in trance 95 had a 4th member, George Geranios, not only a keyboard player and big collector of this music,but the person who kept the band alive when Alex was leading an excessive lifestyle that inevitably ended that chapter with last releases as i.t.n.f on 1996 and last perfomance at the 1st rockwave festival with moby and iggy pop.
Alex never really stopped writing but managed to experience the cliche of sex,drugs and rock'n'roll in such way that not the crowds of models he was dating or the chemistry he was consuming could leave much to productivity in a country that such music was slowly becoming more popular but not enough to intrigue him and the outcome was to collapse,a nervous breakdown,depression and a long come down....
But the saying "What does not kill you,make you stronger" worked for him and it might took some time to feel ready to be back and in one piece and year 2004 started promising and him and George often discussed about starting the band again.
This took two more years to happen!
As ITENEF,the band returned from the wilderness,Spring 2006 with the addition of
Swedish model and actress Magdalena Sverlander,classicaly trained on piano but totally into experimenting different ways,enthusiastic young and beautiful, playing keyboards, guitar and doing vocals and writing as well.
Now we all wait for the outcome of ITENEF's last incarnation that will see the light of day on March 2008!
|
|