Constantine Skourlis is no stranger to long works that inspire violence and darkness in the mind. As reflections of the sociopolitical climate, the ongoing human rights struggles we witness, and the suffering so many endure, Skourlis follows the theme of his highly acclaimed debut album Hades with distinct, thematic strength; a dualistic nature of beauty and of violence. Seeking balance and peace with abhorrent horror and inescapable strife, his sound is reflective of his mission statement. Gorgeous, unique vocal and electronic music with the decisive addition of the legendary Halldorophone clash with the decimating percussion by Serapheim G. Of legendary Greek heavy rock band Planet Of Zeus evoking moments of both lucidity and discomfort. Be that of hopeful outcomes or unfettered doom, the motion is there. Loops cascade in on themselves, implode, get lost in frequencies, and reemerge. Every work that Skourlis makes is oceanic in scale. Deep, cold sensations from sub-bass butt up against sunbaked heat from high-pitched string ensembles. Although adjacent to neoclassical composition, Skourlis finds the permutations between past musicalities and creates a new, distinct invention. It's a sound that could as well come from deep in your skull as much as it could come from the very back of a cave so deep you cannot see the end of it. It's the sound of a bullet leaving a chamber and the sound of it entering bone. Constantine is, without a doubt, one of the composers of the 21st century that will be reflected back upon, no matter what world is left for the future.
Words by the Composer:
My long-form works have an inevitable tendency to be marked and consequently inspired by socio political events. My debut album HADES was haunted by the refugee crisis and the events that unfolded as most of Europe stood in silence. With ETERNAL RECURRENCE I delved deeper into the abyss that is the human psyche and the inevitable dualistic nature of beauty and violence. The eternal struggle for balance and the destruction that follows. One could describe the process of the composition as an instinctive response to an imminent danger, a "weapon" of self healing amidst global catastrophe. In a way it is a thread in the continuum of the inescapably social/ political themes that are infused in my perception of the purpose of Art and the role of the Artist as a social being capable of creating positive feedback loops that have the prospect of creating awareness. Albeit it forges ahead on the clash between technology and spirituality and the deep abyss that has been tunnelled as a result of society being pushed to a breaking point.