For our most unique Influences feature to date, Greek duo Territroy talks us through the art forms that helped create their debut album ‘Skulls & Plants’. Landing on DKMNTL UFO imprint, the label named after the techno-focused stage at the mother festival, ‘Skulls & Plants’ combine the two opposing producers traits for a truly unique collection of work that is rhythmic, percussive and leans towards the more experimental march.
Behind Territroy is Panagiotis Melidis, a singer-songwriter also known as Larry Gus who has released on DFA Records, and Stathis Kalatzis, otherwise known as Mr. Statik, a club-focused artist with releases on BPitch Recordings. Coming from those two different worlds, the duo unite through their experiences growing up in Greece and absorbing the sounds of Southern Europe and Mediterranean attitudes. As you read through the Influences feature, you can notice the difference between the artists and their approach to music and perhaps life. As noted in the press release, the starting point for their music is AGET Heracles Cement Factory Plant in Volos, Magnisia, Greece – so let’s work from there.
Jason and the Argonauts
Long before AGET existed Jason and his loyal companions, the Argonauts. One of the most surreal myths out there featuring centaurs, sirens, giant automata, harpies, fire-breathing oxen, skeletons growing from teeth, dragons and of course your fair share of drama and treachery. The 1963 cult classic sure goes the extra mile depicting all that.
D’Cruze – Watch Out
1994, in the seaside city of Volos. Getting schooled into early hardcore and jungle by my older, radio pirate running, English private school classmates. Subsequently tagging high school desks with the Suburban Bass Lion figurehead on a daily basis. The private school part, mind you, was less fancy than it probably sounds.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
This is probably the first animated film I ever watched, by accident mind you, on local Thessalia TV. Somehow they had acquired the rights (?) and kept playing it over and over, I have seen it countless times and am still mind blown by how ahead of the curve it was and in many ways still is. Sadly its anti-war and environmental messages have gone down the drain and we’ll soon get to experience a mirror reality of the world Nausicaä inhabited.
Matthew Herbert – Globus Mix Vol.5, Letsallmakemistakes
It’s the summer of 2002 and you are locked in a seaside room in Santorini with your best friends, listening to this on endless repeat while you are tripping on acid. The windows are shut, the sea is 50 meters away but all you can do is skip a beat every four minutes, sighing, giggling and secretly hoping you are not having a heart attack.
Liquid Sky
Another cult classic on this list, part science fiction part hedonistic depiction of NY’s underground New Wave scene. Essentially a UFO arrives in search of heroin, in an insatiable need to feed off the endorphins of pleasure that addicts experience. A lead heroine realizes that she can kick people by climaxing and one hell of a soundtrack that way too many people managed to sample before me.
Here’s is my rendition of the movie’s poster as a little treat.
Kanye West – On Sight
Which could refer to the actual sighting or even the drum pattern itself, the extraction of all meaning in an abrupt, all lines engaged.
Gustave Moreau – Jupiter and Semele
Have you ever tried to look into the eyes of water only to realise that it’s just a person in a pool drowning and he asks for your help? almost like a long lasting depressive state
Various Artists – Percussion Profiles (ECM, 1978) [directed by George Gruntz]
Almost like a drum tool sampler, extensive analysis, and categorisation of different rhythms and intonations.
Christian Bale freaks out on the set of terminator salvation
could he do it? he seems so polite? why did he do it? where does this come from?
Ableton clip warping
most of the times in different BPMs, a whole world on its own, a whole universe of possibilities.
‘Skulls & Plants’ by Territroy is out now on DKMNTL UFO – buy here.