Surf Instrumental Review: The Spartans-Yiannis Chronopoulos Heavenly Dreams

The Spartans bring you traditional Greek music on their Heavenly Dreams release. Yiannis Chronopoulos plays the bouzouki, and he truly makes it sound heavenly. Tonu Sepp handles keyboards and programming, while Kostas Chloros plays acoustic guitar, providing Yiannis with a nice rhythmic layer to place his tasteful bouzouki notes.

What's so interesting about this music is that the group takes a few instrumental surf songs, then shapes, molds, and develops them into an original Spartan tune. The most notable song is "Misirlou," the Dick Dale classic. Yiannis has been playing his chosen instrument for twenty-five years now. The sounds that he extracts from the strings would be the envy of any guitar-oriented musician. As Kostas says in the liner notes, "It's a sound that stirs the blood and enters the soul."

These will be some of the most incredibly different and lively adaptations of traditional Greek music today. Now I understand why this genre inspires artists who play surf-instrumental music.

With the native blood flowing through their hearts, the group expresses and portrays their culture sincerely through music. This CD is a trip to another world.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck 

April 19, 2000

Tracks:
01. Let's Go Greek (Kalamatiano) 

02. Heavenly Dreams  

03. Santa Cruzin (Syrto)  

04. Ocean Breeze  

05. Ston Angelon ta Bouzoukia (Zebekiko)  

06. On The Town  

07. Effie's Tsifteteli  

08. Kosta, Kostas (Syrto)  

09. Misirlou   

10. Escape The Fog

Surf Instrumental Review: The Surf Kings - Up From The Depths

https://www.thesurfkings.com/home

Tom Stanton, the founder of the sixties surf group the Crossfires, has reemerged in the surf-instro world with a bang. The Surf Kings have finally unveiled their much-anticipated new CD, Up From The Depths. I remember the excitement when I first spoke with Tom as the recording began in the Fall of '99. The wait for this CD has been filled with eager anticipation, and I can confidently say it was well worth it.

For those yet to experience The Surf Kings' unique sound, it's a delightful blend of various genres, all harmoniously rolled into one cohesive package. Their sound, reminiscent of The Mermen, combines the explosive energy of Slacktone with the versatility and eclectic approach of The Reventlos. Some may detect a hint of psychedelia, but it's not overpowering. Instead, it's like a hidden gem, waiting to be discovered. The CD guides the listener: “For the best experience, play this CD as loud as possible!” And trust me, you should.

Never has a trio sounded so powerful. The addition of more instruments would only dilute their brilliance. Tom Stanton's transition to the 3rd wave sound is seamless, and he hasn't missed a beat. He stands shoulder to shoulder with, if not above, his contemporaries, including the fastest gunslingers. I'm confident this album will be among the top five surf-instro collections this year, a testament to the trio's musical prowess.

One of my favorites is the song "Tears for the Dolphin." It's a shimmering spectacle of sound that will remind you of something that The Aqua Velvets would do; it's just gorgeous. Pretty pictures are painted, and the beauty of the ocean is captured as tidal waves of sound come rolling in again and again, accompanied by a perfectly crafted rockin' surf instro.

If you enjoy a soft touch or a hard and fast tsunami of sound, this fabulous trio of musicians expertly accomplishes it all. Tom Stanton (lead guitar), Pat Raymond (bass), and Rico Veale (drums) have reason to smile after creating such awe-inspiring work. The only disappointing aspect of this experience was that it had to end.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 15, 2000

Tracks:

01. Out Of Control   

2. South Swell

03. J-Bay  

04. Tears Of The Dolphin 

05. Gypsy Soul  

06. Pull Top  

07. Road To Mundaka   

08. Cloudbreak 

09. Bury The Rat 

10. Fiberglass Jungle 

11. Undertow  

12. Island Dreams  

13. Foam 

Surf Rally For Cali: Fire Relief, by Various Artists

This collection of Instrumental Surf and Surf–Influenced tracks has been assembled to assist those affected by the recent California wildfires. All proceeds will support the American Red Cross California Wildfire Relief Efforts.

Many bands that contributed their work to support this cause are among the most highly regarded and creative in the genre, worldwide.  The individuals involved in this particular musical arena are known for their quality as musicians and as individuals, as demonstrated by their contributions to this endeavor. The bands in this genre have a global perspective, reach, and impact, and have chosen this cause as a focus for this effort.

We appreciate their contributions and sincerely hope that this collection of music will provide the much-needed motivation to make contributions to those impacted by the fires.