In Lisbon, and most of Europe, you spend much of your day walking from place to place- errands, leisure, what have you. I am a person who is an observer but always must have a “soundtrack” to my daily traversing.
A while back, “The Death of Death” caught my eye. being observant and a writer and lover of music, this piqued my curiosity. As soon as I pushed ‘PLAY’, my body language completely altered. My heart rate increased, my pupils dilated, and my usual easygoing walk became a sudden walk with purpose, almost driven by a cadence, if you will. My feet were in a procession of some kind that ultimately the music was controlling involuntarily; I did not quite understand what I was hearing but I was instantly encapsulated. And I knew this was something extraordinary that demanded my immediate attention.
This was my introduction to the band Playgrounded, hailing from Greece but residing in The Netherlands at the current moment in time; a full-fledged bodily response to a sound unlike anything I had been listening to repetitiously and it was not to be ignored.
The band consists of Five members who have been together for over 15 years. This is distinctly evident when you listen to their music, they seem to unconsciously know what will inevitably work and not work for their sound; it comes with experience, knowledge and of course, time. Their provenance is one that is somewhat unequaled in the underground metal world. Orestis Zafeirou, composer/producer, attended the Institute of Sonology of the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. Stavros Markonis comes from the Amsterdam conservatoire; he also has been graced with awards for composing film and television scores. Odysseas Zafeiriou and Michael Kotsirakis are computer engineers; the final member Giorgos Pouliasis hails from the Rotterdam Conservatoire. Pouliasis also teaches drums and is a session musician in Europe. The achievements of these men are nothing to scoff at; this is an extraordinary group of men who come together to make extraordinary music.
From their first EP in Athens, Greece (Casket Music), they introduced the world to their progressive electronic sound; the band then debuted their full-length ‘In Time with Gravity’ in 2017, where there were longer composed songs and additional influences from electronic bands such as Modeselelktor and Moderat. Now, in 2022, they grace us with the magnificent ‘The Death of Death’, which shows the maturity of the band as well as a sound that cannot be clearly classified into one specific genre of underground music.
I had the generous opportunity to ask Michael Kotsirakis (guitarist) a few questions I had about their process, their sound and how Playgrounded all comes together. As far as being labeled as a “post-metal” or “ebm avant-garde” band, he says this, “Our intention is to keep our work unspoiled by non-artistic factors. It is something that we very consciously do not allow to happen. So we have indeed faced difficulties in terms of labelling and promoting our music, but it’s not something that would ever affect our choices in the creative process. We know that the path we have followed is not an easy one, but we believe in our intentions and the importance of expressing our thoughts and concerns, honestly and deeply.”
When you hear the song ‘The Death of Death’, this consequently shows their prowess and desire to create a unique dynamic in the underground sound; they are true to their own individuality despite the controversy they might face when booking shows or approaching labels for that reason, despite their incredibly energetic and generous sound. ‘The Death of Death’ is a 7 minute, 37 second journey of peaks and valleys with heavy riffs, bass frequencies and layers of electronic sound that pulsate, not to mention the remarkable lyrics sung by choice with flat affect and, according to Kotsirakis, “.. is a very conscious thing we did. It is an aesthetics choice but it occurs again from putting emphasis on the reason that leads us to every choice.”
“Rituals” is the second song on the album (at 7 mins 18 seconds) which also has many different layers and sounds that compile on top on one another as the song progresses. When asked if it was an intentional thing to use so many different auditory sensations, Kotsirakis says, “The conscious decision was to stick to the synth bass idea as we found it a very solid one that we could build on. So the layers occurred due to this development around it. If we also consider that the lyrics are talking about depression, which is a multi-layered result that most is often provoked by a single core trauma, it felt appropriate for this song.” ‘Rituals’ is an incredible blast of sound, starting softly while slowly climbing into a crescendo that certainly mimics the experience of depression, with the lyricist growing louder as the song progresses. It has an emotional component that is unmistakable and heartfelt; I highly suggest adding this song to your playlist.
When asked if their writing process was affected by their musical education and accomplishments outside of Playgrounded, Kotsirakis had this to say, “Actually the only obvious connection that we find in our music with film scoring is our approach to the process. Most of our songs start from a main musical idea that is brought to the table by Orestis. Stavros’ experience in film-making helps in how we will process that in a similar way that a director would do.” The result is the product, a collection of heavy and unforgettable guitar riffs, mind-numbing bass frequencies, layers upon layers of synth sound and steadfast drumming that pulls everything together into a creative masterpiece. Each member of Playgrounded comes to the table with many of their own talents, which help to compliment one another in their progressive sound.
The title track was chosen as the first song to be released on the album and by far, it is not the heaviest nor the most intricate of the songs on ‘The Death of Death’. My curiosity abound, I ask Kotsirakis if again, this decision was made as a definitive one and the answer is befitting to the journey you envelop on when you listen to “The Death of Death” from start to finish. He states, “We feel that it is the most concrete song that reflects the mood and includes all the elements that someone will find in this album. If you enjoy listening to this song, then you are probably going to enjoy the whole album.” Indeed. If you are a music lover, no matter the genre, this album will be one that you will find yourself returning to again and again; an unforgettable contribution to the underground movement.
Playgrounded Is:
Stavros Markonis- Vocals
Michael Kotsirakis- Guitars
Odysseas Zafeiriou-Bass
Orestis Zafeiriou-Synths/Sampling
Giorgos Pouliasis-Drums
Written by Marisa Dymond