Euripides wrote The Trojan Women in 415 B.C., but his tragic play about the aftermath of the fall of Troy continues to resonate many centuries after it was first performed. Eleni Karaindrou, best know for her film scores for Ulysses' Gaze and Eternity and a Day, composed this score for a 2001 production of The Trojan Women after being struck by the parallels between the ancient Greek story and the recent situation in the Balkans. Although she chose to use various folk instruments from around the Mediterranean, such as the lyre, an ancestor of the modern violin; the lauto, a Greek form of the lute; and the ney, an end-blown flute, her stark compositions are not folkloric recreations. Instead, she blends the ancient timbres of the instruments with a vocal chorus to create a sound that is not quite modern but not archaic either. Perhaps the best word to use in describing Karaindrou's austere, beautiful music is timeless.

This fascinating collection was put together by archivist Christopher Wagner, who assembled these vintage 78 rpms recorded between 1922 and 1959 by all manner of emigrant musicians – each addressing the hopes, dreams, fears and confusions of starting a new life in a new world – into an amazing statement on diversity. Some 50 million people migrated from Europe to America in the 19th century, with millions more coming from the Far East, the West Indies, and points in between, all putting to the test the melting pot theory of American democracy, a theory that is, in many ways, still being tested. Consisting of selections by Irish string bands, Scandinavian folk ensembles, ragged street corner calypso orchestras, conjunto bands and so much more, Stranded in the USA holds a mirror to a vital period in U.S. history, and also sheds light on a nascent recording industry trying anything and everything to reach pocket audiences, a process that is difficult to imagine in a contemporary setting full of corporate multimedia giants more intent on selling culture than reflecting or serving it. This truly is the sound of America singing. Kudos to Trikont Records, a German label, for recognizing the importance of these tracks.

Le Edits - Dimitri From Paris' home of luxurious and beautifully crafted Disco reworkings has returned! This time a very special and thoughtful project is in the works, an extra-special collection looking back over the first offerings of this very unique contemporary Disco label. The first 5 releases, all now long gone and sold out across the globe and fetching high collectors prices in the used marketplace, will now be compiled into a very limited collected boxset for those who missed them the first time around. With such a high demand, the call for represses on all of the Le Edits titles has been loud and clear from record collectors and Disco aficionados worldwide, so it seemed only right to make something special and out of the ordinary! Dimitri, as a life-long record fiend himself, has made sure the original 12's were not repressed while presenting this extremely in-demand music in a desirable, distinctive, individually numbered package complete with a high quality Le Edits screen-printed tote bag.

Born in 1661 in Hohenkirchen, Thuringia, Georg Böhm, together with his contemporaries Pachelbel and Bruhns, belongs to the generation after Reinken and Buxtehude. After studying in Jena, he first worked in Hamburg and then as organist at St. Johannis in Lüneburg until his death. Johann Sebastian Bach received lessons from Böhm during his time in Lüneburg. His influence on Bach's early organ works and piano suites can be assumed, but not proven. The French organist Christophe Guida has recorded the first part of Böhm's organ works on Dominique Thomas' large organ in St. John's Church in Wissembourg, Alsace.

For over three decades, Tolis brothers Sakis and Themis have carved a blackened path through the metal world. Architects of the Hellenic black metal, ROTTING CHRIST have been blending histrionic atmospheres, mesmerizing choirs, and neo-classical arrangements for 35 years. Now, the Greek metal legends present their 14th studio album: ‘Pro Xristou’. Translating to “Before Christ” in Greek, this album is a fervent tribute to the last Pagan kings who stood resilient against the Christian tide, safeguarding ancient values and knowledge. Dive deep into the legacies of figures like Flavius Claudius Julianus and Nordic mythological kings through tracks such as "The Apostate" and "Ygdrassil". ‘Pro Xristou’ encapsulates the essence of Rotting Christ's signature style - a melodic symphony with moments of unyielding harshness. Artwork by Thomas Cole (1801-1848), the cover art is 'Destruction', which is part of the painting series 'The Course of Empire'.

The Greek and Roman cultures of classical antiquity have left an indelible mark on European society. The Greek 'muse' is the origin of our concept of 'music', and ancient Greek culture included concert performances with a listening audience, hundreds of years before the rest of the continent.

A band with a revolving cast fronted by Iraklis Triantafyllidis between 1972 and 1995, Iraklis played a blend of traditional Greek folk with psychedelic rock and classical aspects. They released 3 albums from 1976-1984, the most acclaimed being "Se Allous Kosmous", a double LP at the time, marked by ambitious blending of seemingly disparate styles and instruments that somehow works.

'Anthology Of Contemporary Music From Far East' is part of the 'Sound Mapping project' published by ©Unexplained Sounds Group, and featuring anthologies of music from the African continent, the Middle East region, Latina America continent, Persia, Lebanon, Indonesia, China, India, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Scandinavia, Italy, Greece, South Africa, Finland, the Balkan region.

Though Yanni is widely known as one of the most popular purveyors of New Age music, there's actually quite a bit going on here. In addition to the Greek keyboard whiz's usual arching, romantic melodies there are a host of other musical elements present. ETHNICITY is an eclectic mix of the operatic (check out Michelle Amato's pipes on "For All Seasons" and "Almost a Whisper"), the electronic (the pulsing, almost Moroder-esque sequencers on "Play Time" and "Written on the Wind"), and the ancient (the chanting on "Tribal Dream," the timeless-sounding flute work that permeates the album). Keying in on the album's title, the closing tune "Jivaeri" is a traditional Greek ballad that touches on Yanni's personal roots while still remaining very much of a piece with the rest of this sonically diverse offering.

Mikis Theodorakis is legendary Greek composer, born in Chios, Greece on 29th July 1925. He has worked for the Greek as well as international music industry for the last 70 years, contributing close to a thousand songs along the way. He has mostly centered his compositions to 20th century classical Greek music, working in a wide setting of genres. In a career that has been marred by rich musical taste, he has worked in various dimensions of production such as symphonic works, chamber music, cantatas, hymns, operas, stage plays and film scores. His work, in addition to featuring classical Greek poems and literature, is also influenced by his political leanings and struggles which were shaped throughout his life.

The Russian Orthodox Novodevichy Convent, dedicated to the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, was founded in 1524. According to UNESCO, Novodevichy is the best known convent in Moscow, and in 2004 was proclaimed to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 1989 recording features the choir of the Dormition Church of the Novodevichy Convent under the direction of Hegumen Petr Polyakov. The album is dedicated to the great jubilee of the Millennium of Baptism of Russia, which celebrated a thousand years of Christianity in Russia.

Grave Digger have been an integral part of the German heavy metal scene for over 4 decades. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker and Marcus Kniep are not only a fixture in the live area, they also regularly deliver high-quality heavy metal albums. On their latest album "Symbol Of Eternity" they continue to spin the story of the Crusaders… after dealing with it on the album "Knights of the Cross" they are now devoting themselves again to the legendary history of the Templars. Razor-sharp riffs, opulent choir arrangements and the distinctive voice of Chris Boltendahl are components of Grave Digger's new work. All the hallmarks that have characterized the band for 4 decades are continued on the new album and make "Symbol Of Eternity" an original and heavy album.

Rotting Christ have stood the test of time. 'Rituals' is an album that has obviously been written by veterans. The Greek legends inject a 27-year career, 12 albums, and more than 1.200 shows into their songwriting. With confidence and skills derived from experience, each song represents its own sonic universe. Guitarist / vocalist Sakis Tolis and brother Themis on drums achieve a perfect balance of amalgamating their classic and unique style of riffing and rhythm with exciting new elements sprinkled in to keep their material exciting and fresh. Carefully chosen guests are being added for better effect, not name dropping such as the spoken words of Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost) on "A Voice Like Thunder" or Samael's Vorph mesmerizingly quoting from Charles Baudelaire's "Les Fleurs Du Mal" throughout the song "Les Litanies De Satan"…

Maybe the most famous greek psychedelic folk rock band of the late 60's early 70's era. Poll enjoyed a number of nationwide hits, such as "Anthrope Agapa (Humankind Love One Another)", an anti-war song, composed by Tournas and "Ela Ilie Mou (Come, My Sun)", composed by Tournas, Williams), Tournas later pursued a solo career and in 1972 produced the progressive psychedelic hit solo album Aperanta Chorafia (Greek: Απέραντα Χωράφια, Infinite Fields). He wrote and arranged the album using an orchestra and a rock group ("Ruth") combination. Third member S Logarides formed "Akritas", an ambitous progressive rock band when Poll split.

Akritas created a unique piece of art, Greek in nature (vocals in Greek, though there are not many vocal parts, Mediterranian tunes throughout the album) and similar to Italian symphonic prog in approach, when lots of musical ideas change each other in a short period of time, making the music always unpredictable. Lots of contrasts, powerful organ chords, propulsive and at times aggresive drums, tasteful use of synthesizers, interesting guitar passages are the components of this short record.