“Life is a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise”. George Gershwin
Home / Musicians / Mode Plagal
A+ R A-
 

Mode Plagal

Rate this item
(3 votes)


Mode Plagal – band

Mode Plagal is an originally Greek group who perform traditional Greek music blended with jazz, funk and other international styles. They have been described as “the preeminent ambassadors of the much-maligned vernacular Greek music in the 21st century”

Mode Plagal  .The Athens-based band was formed in 1990 by Thodoris Rellos (saxophone, vocals), Kleon Antoniou (guitar, vocals) and Takis Kanellos (drums). They were joined in 1995 by Antonis Maratos (originally percussion, later bass); in 1997 by Angelos Polychronou (percussion); and in 2000 by Florian Mikuta (keyboards). After two albums of instrumental music, Mode Plagal and Mode Plagal II, they added vocals for their third album, Mode Plagal III. In 2002, they collaborated with Turkish group Bosphorus to record the album Beyond the Bosphorus. Their fourth cd called ” In the belly of the whale” was released in May 2011.

MODE PLAGAL have managed, up to the highest point, to function and create as a group of autonomus musical nature. Blending jazz, funk, greek folk, byzantine, balcan, african rhythms and more, and balancing with mastery these elements, combing them with their spontaneity and humor – basic element in their work – they manage to show that tradition is alive and always developing and to create their distinct recognizable sound, a musical idiom of their own, fresh, well-crafted and finally downright radical.

THODORIS RELLOS
Born in Athens. Studied the flute in the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki with Tone Takahashi, theory with George Zervos and Byzantine music with Nikiforos Metaxas in Constantinople, where he worked with the “Bosphorus” ensemble.
He plays the saxophone since 1980 joining various groups in festivals, concerts and appearances in Greece and abroad.
He has recorded for the radio, television, theatre, dance performances and the cinema. Some of his compositions can be found in:
“The morning and the evening” (1991, Lyra) with M. Siganidis
“Mode Plagal” (1995, Ano Kato records) with Kl. Aantoniou and T. Kanellos
“Acid Free” (1985-1992) with V. Dallas, G. Melakis, P. Benetatos
“Pyros Aethir” (2000, Legend)
Bosphorus & Mode Plagal, “Beyond the Bosphorus” (2003, Hitch Hyke)


KLEON ANTONIOU
Born in Sydney, Australia. He studied theory in the Greek Conservatory, guitar with Haralambos Ekmetzoglou and took Harmony lessons with Michael Travlos. Aat an early age he started cooperating with various bands as a singer and guitarist. He first appeared with his own composition in the “Corfu Song Competitions 1981” organised by manos Hadjidakis.
He has recorded for the Music Workshops of the 3d programme (radio) of Michalis Gregoriou.
He has participated in concerts and recordings with many musicians-composers such as Lena Platonos, Nikos Portokaloglou, Alkinoos Ioannidis, Orfeas Peridis, Kristi Stassinopoulou, Dimitris Marangopoulos, Dimitris Poulikakos, Alla Mandata, Echo Tatoo, Way 2 Go, Selana, George Pilali, Platon Aandritsakis, Ayako (HaLo) Hirakata, Mandata Sound etc.
Some of his compositions can be found in
“Corfu Song Competitions” (1981)
“Mode Plagal” (Ano Kato records, 1995)
Theodosia Tsatsou, “Red” (Minos Emi, 2002)
Bosphorus & Mode Plagal, “Beyond the Bosphorus” (Hitch Hyke, 2003)
Dubient (Hitch Hyke, 2003)


TAKIS KANELLOS
Born in Piraeus in 1960.
He has cooperated with : Anti Troppau Council, Manos Hadjidakis, Dimitris Poulikakos, Alla Mandata, Mihalis Siganidis, Mariza Koch, Iraklis Pashalidis, Nikos Portokaloglou, Notios Echos, Takis Barberis, Orfeas Peridis, Light of Anatolia, Alkinoos Ioannidis, Xylina Spathia, Sokratis Malamas and others
He has composed music for the Music Workshops of the 3d radio programme, for the stage performance of Bost’s “Favsta” and Euripidis’ “Cyclop” as well as for the film “Roads and Oranges”.
His compositions can be found in:
Bosphorus & Mode Plagal, “Beyond the Bosphorus” (Hitch Hyke, 2003)


ANTONIS MARATOS
Born in England in 1968. He studied the flute with Dimitris Fotopoulos, Jazz with Dimitris Zafirellis, composition and counterpoint with Haris Xanthoudakis and Theory of Music with Minas Aalexiadis and Panayiotis Adam.
He has been working on traditional instruments (oud and saz), as well as percussion, for many years.
He is a member of Mode Plagal since 1994, where he initially played percussion, and switched to electric bass in 1996.
He has worked with : Orfeas Peridis, Light of Anatolia, Georges Pilali, Mihalis Siganidis and for Musical Theatre. He has participated also in stage performances such as “Eliza” (Municipal Theatre of Patras), “In the name of Eleni” (“Argo” cultural company – Emilia Ypsilanti), “Lysistrati”, National Theatre.


ANGELOS POLYCHRONOU
Born in Athens in 1977. He studed the piano at an early age, at the Haimanda Conservatory.
He graduated from the Music Highschool and Lyceum of Pallini, where he studied saz, oud, tzouras and Byzantine music next to Marios Mavroidis and Yiannis Arvanitis (students of Simon Karras), percussion next to Vangelis Karipis and modern percussion next to Petros Kourtis.
He has participated in recordings of traditional music for the Greek Music Archives, in recordings of Alkinoos Ioannidis, in concerts of Nikos Mamangakis and in live performances of : Alkinoos Ioannidis, Pandelis Thalassinos, Petros Dourdoubakis, Eastern City, among others.
He is a member of Mode Plagal since 1997.


FLORIAN MIKUTA
Born in Romania, Campina into a family of traditional Romanian musicians. He first started playing keyboards-piano at the age of 14. Since 1991 he lives and works in Greece.
He has cooperated with jazz, blues and rock bands around the world. He took part in sessions and has played with Nick and the Backbone, George Pilali, Dimitris Poulikakos, Phil Guy, Angela Brown, Nick Gravenites, Nelie Travis, Louisiana Red, John Hammond, Theodosie Spasov, Le Mystere de Voix Bulgares, Fuat Saka, DJ Vasile, Nikos Papazoglou, Evghenios Dermitazoglou, Thanasis Papakostantinos, Dyonisis Savopoulos, Alex Foster, Victor Wooten, DJ Robert Soko and many more.
He is a member of Mode Plagal – Greece since 2000. Since 2005 he produces, DJs and remixes Electro Ethno Balkan&World music under the project name Transilvania Gypsy Electro Aka FJ Mikuta. He has also cooperated with Shukar Collective – Romania .

www.modeplagal.gr

Last modified on Monday, 25 November 2013 11:40