Archive makes a quick return to play full sound
A rush of local gig activity, imported and domestic and catering to various tastes, lies in store for later this week, one of the highlights being two shows by the innovative and elusive act Archive. The band – returning to Greece after a well-attended acoustic in-store show at FNAC’s Athens outlet last November to celebrate the retail chain’s first year of operations here – will be returning to present a fuller sound, beginning with a night in Thessaloniki on Friday at the Ydrogeio Club and followed by an evening at the capital’s Fuzz Live Music Club (22 Vouliagmenis St) on Saturday. Other shows this week include cult reggae stars U-Roy and Junior Murvin at the Gagarin Club (205 Liosion St) on Saturday, as well as a DJ set from DJ Panko of the immensely popular Spanish flamenco-rap outfit Ojos de Brujo, about a month after this band performed a fiery show here. Nearly a decade has elapsed since Archive emerged with an interesting debut album, «Londinium,» a dark and moody work that contrasts starkly against the band’s latest effort, last year’s «Lights,» a far more radiant work, as its title implies. Though Archive has maintained a stylistic identity over the years, its course from album to album has indicated a willingness to experiment with different sounds. The band’s upcoming visit’s second show, in Athens, will coincide with a big multi-bill reggae night at the capital’s Gagarin Club. Jamaican reggae veteran U-Roy started out as a DJ in the early 60s and recorded two albums with Lee «Scratch» Perry not long after. Over the years, U-Roy has worked with a host of other reggae acts, including Alvin Ranglin, Bunny Lee and Glen Brown. His long list of records and influence on American rappers is considered to have proven instrumental in putting DJs on the musical map. Also on the evening’s bill, Junior Murvin has churned out considerable work, some of it with Perry as producer. Trojan Sound System, the show’s other act, was formed recently, in 2004, by several London-based reggae buffs to represent Trojan, a record label intertwined with Jamaican music. The team’s ranks includes DJs, MCs and an assortment of guests. DJ Panko of Ojos de Brujo, a band that began by playing on the streets of Spain before gaining wider fame, will play two sets featuring funk, hip-hop, drum’n’bass, techno, dub and other dance styles, at the downtown Booze club (57 Kolokotroni St) on Friday and Saturday. Berlin act Dictaphone plays a free show to present its second album, «Vertigo II,» combining live jazz with pre-recorded electronica and other elements, at Bios (84 Pireos st) this Thursday. On the same night, three young and dynamic local rock acts, Absent Mindead, Modrec and Zebra Tracks, join forces for a triple-header at the Gagarin club.
