SOMA - Antonis Anisengos - Thymios Atzakas

The exceptional duo SOMA was founded in Berlin in 2005, being the outcome of a long artistic partnership between the musicians Antonis Anisengos and Thymios Atzakas.

In their work, the two artists focus on the creative fusion of composition and improvisation, constantly building – and demolishing – bridges between experienced and notional sound.
The need for shared musical expression, a need which emerged at many concerts of the duo, led to creative collaborations between the two musicians and other artists.

In the last four years, Antonis Anisengos and Thymios Atzakas performed live with many outstanding musicians – representatives of different musical traditions, such as Michalis Siganidis (double bass), Socrates Sinopoulos (Constantinople lyre), Savina Yannatou (vocals), Maria Thoidou (vocals), Βijan Chemirani from Iran (tombak), Wu Wei from China (sheng), and others.

In their concert at Axiothea the duo will be accompanied by Maria Thoidou and Michalis Siganidis.

SOMA
Antonis Anisengos: piano
Thymios Atzakas: guitars, oud

Featured musicians
Maria Thoidou: vocals
Michalis Siganidis: double bass

“As a listening experience, SOMA comprises the extreme musical thoughts of two unconditionally talented musicians who do not fear entering the woods of unapproachable sound creation; they are not preoccupied with the lumpen category of aesthetic elitism and above all, they are not affected whatsoever by their access to musical encounters that entail more immediate response and could tempt into being used for personal ends.

Those who collaborate with them do not follow obediently but rather extend and contribute to their vision. A duo that in the course of events becomes a quintet, going through all the intermediate numbers without ever undermining or restricting the importance of the individuals who are those that actually put things in their right order. […] An olden-sounding, primeval jazz with strangely future-oriented clues to what we should expect to hear later. A poetry written with unfamiliar words and hence, meant to set the beginning of an entirely new music communication.”

Aris Karambeazis, MiC Music Portal
Issue 1224, Year 10, 15 July 2010