Singles

Lyric video, with Siciliano text and English translation

Canzuni di lu ‘nnuccenti

(Song of the Innocent),

by Giuseppe Messina.

Giuseppe (Joe Messin) has an other-worldly countertenor singing voice, which covers a staggering 4 octaves. Even more astonishing is that he overcomes being hearing impaired to sing like this. He composed a song which is a blend of two traditional Sicilian lullabies, but has reworked them from the point of view of an abandoned child, who has lost parents to war, poverty and migration. He deftly weaves the complex Italian dialect and melodies into a new song both reminiscent of Sicilian song traditions and also the baroque arias of Handel.

“It’s the child now who is singing these lullabies , at once soothing yet imploring, since the parents are missing, possibly due to the all too common reasons of war, poverty or civil unrest. What comes out is the child’s lament, who feels hopeless, struggles for attention and wants to be taken care of by the outside physical, even metaphysical/spiritual world.” G.M

When Giuseppe was visiting Basil, they recorded what they thought was a piano and vocal demo version of the song. However it became clear that the vocals were of such quality and passion, that a re-record was not necessary, and it became the basis of this new track. Later Basil worked remotely with 2 musicians from Argentina, adding to his piano to create a trio arrangement.

Lyrics

(English Below)

Ed oi la vò, Sunnuzzu viniti!

Ca nuddu m’annaca e nuddu m’addurmisci!

Vò ea larì vò,

Lu me patri viniri nun pò.

E mi dissi ca m’ava lassari.

ca m’ava a lassari ppi gghiri a zappari.

E mi dissi c’aviva a partiri,

c’aviva a partiri e a la guerra avia a gghiri.

Vò ea larì vò,

cunsumatu sugnu iò.

Co mi la porta la siminzina,

la rosa marina e lu basilicò?

Spiria di tunnu la siminzina,

la rosa marina e lu basilicò.

Vò ea larì vò,

senza matri sugnu iò

Nun la vìu e nun la ciaurìu

Ah, comu m’ammanca lu pettu sò

Nun la vìu, nun la ciaurìu

Ah, comu m’ammanca lu pettu sò

Mancu lu Santu, lu Santu, passau…

Nsinu lu Santu di mia si scurdau!

Spireru tutti, Gesuzzu e Maria

guardatila vui st’armuzza mia. (repeat)

Vò, vò, vò, nenti cchiù naca, né basilicò!

Vò, vò, vò c!

Ed oi la vò, Sunnuzzu viniti!

Nuddu m’annaca. Pirchì ‘un m’addurmisciti?

______________________________

Oh please, please sleep, come!

Because no one is cradling me

and no one’s putting me to sleep!

Hush now, sleep

My father cannot come.

He told me, he had to leave me,

He had to leave me, to go to turn the soil.

And he told me he had to leave,

He had to leave to go to war.

Hush now, sleep

I am so helpless.

Who will bring me dried pumpkin seeds?

Rosemary and basil?

The pumpkin seeds have vanished

As have the rosemary and basil

Hush now, sleep

I’m a child without a mother

I no longer see her or sense her

Oh, how I miss her embrace

I no longer see her or sense her

Oh, how I miss her embrace

Not even the Saint has passed by

Even the Saint has forsaken me!

They've all gone, Jesus and Mary

Please watch over my little soul (repeat)

Sleep, sleep, sleep, no more cradle, nor basil!

Sleep, sleep, sleep, how I miss your embrace!

Oh please, please sleep, come!

Nobody cradles me, why don’t you put me to sleep?

Credits

Adaptation and Vocals

Giuseppe Messina

Piano, Keyboards, Arrangement and Production

Basil Hogios

Nylon String Guitar

Fermín Aguirre

Double Bass

Fermín Suarez

'Swipe right.... I'm gone'.

Inspired by on-line dating stories and the unsettling feelings that come with it, this piano and voice ballad explores our increasingly lonely online existence, and how we yearn for real human contact. An early draft of the song was penned during a Covid lockdown, when people were forced to maintain relationships online. Sadly, this trend of maintaining friendships online continued well after lockdowns were over. Upon hearing stories from friends about how online dating was especially damaging to self esteem and mental health, the chorus (and title) came to life.

Sylektis teamed up once again with incredible vocalist Sonia Konstantinidou, to bring the character to life. She also wrote the Greek Lyrics and sung on 'Szyszki, Revisited', on Sylektis Collection 1.

Lyrics

I am frozen in the glow

Timelines and memories

Tracing where I have been.

Hearing sounds of human life

Outside my window

And no living soul to be seen

And there's no one here to witness

If I stay or if I leave

Got nowhere to go to

Nowhere to be

Why does everybody tell me

‘Take a walk in the sun'

Hashtag no filter, pretend that it's fun

Are you the right one to love?

I’m sure, I think, I know, I am enough

I wasted another day, I can’t look away

So many so-called friends

A screenful of faces

it somehow just don’t feel right

Now the days are getting colder,

Someone come over

Drink wine and talk all night

I'm here,

right here

Are you the right one to love?

I’m sure, I think, I know, I’ve had enough

I wasted another day, I can’t look away

And its wrong, so wrong

Swipe right, I’m gone

In this new and challenging direction, 'Human Machine Amazing!' is Sylektis' second single from Collection 2, featuring drummer extraordinaire Osman Konuray. The process began with a rhythmic exploration of 18, split into 6+6+6 or 7+7+4. Osman was presented with (in retrospect) a way too over-complicated mathematical musical puzzle, that he not only graciously solved, but also took to another level by adding mind-bending layers of complexity and poly-rhythms in the cymbal and snare parts, creating the single tour-de-force drum performance you can hear on this track. That's right, this is one performance, not recorded in overdubs!

To contrast this marvel of human musicianship, it became clear that all the melodic aspects of the track had to contrast the live drums.. hence everything else was composed of synthesizers and worked around the drum performance. Frederic Dumesle once again lends his expert analog synth skills to the synth bass, while Basil created the higher synth lines and computer vox parts. The poly-rhythmic coming together and separating of live drums and synths is a wry nod to the synergy and dissonance of humans and technology.. hence the title.

The vocoder computerised voices singing 'Amazing! Isn't it so... Amazing! Wasn't that so.. Amazing! Aren't you just so.." were already in the track. However by some bizarre twist of fate on the day the track was mixed, Basil heard the lines 'I just wanted to tell you, I think you're amazing. I think you're amazing too! you're so amazing!' while viewing the film Baghead (2008)*. Naturally, this serendipity could not be ignored.

Hold on for the ride.

Drums performed and recorded by Osman Konuray in Barcelona. Synth Bass parts by Frederic Dumesle recorded in Brussels. Additional synths and mix by Basil Hogios in Prague. *Sample credit: from the film Baghead (2008), written and directed by the Duplass Brothers, staring Greta Gerwig and Steve Zissis. All attempts made to get copyright clearance for the sample.

’Elegy’ is the first single from ‘Collection 2’, a last minute addition to the album created in a short intense burst of energy. It serves as a personal, heartfelt response to the profound suffering endured by innocent souls entangled in senseless conflicts that plague various corners of our world, and hopefully will connect with others who feel the same.

The orchestral sample is taken from a moving instrumental work ‘Elegy’ composed by Basil Hogios for the European Capital of Culture in Denmark, which became the backbone of the new song. Listen to the full original orchestral track below,

The beautiful, ethereal vocals are sung by Syauki Destanika from Indonesia.

The album's official release on Feb 16, a celestial alignment where the open star cluster Pleiades will spectacularly converge with the moon.

The lyrics delve into the perspective of someone more fortunate, bearing witness to the conflict from a sheltered vantage point via screens and social media commentary. In a world that demands allegiance, empathising with all humans seems to be no longer a valid position. Even a distant observer is not immune to the divisive forces that unfold, laying bare the stark reality of human behaviour.