Athena Etana: "Hierotelesis" album review: 'Epic, Divine and Otherwordly'

                                                                                                                                                                   

By Achilles Dorikos
 1st of November 2016 • 

Athena Etana is fearless and definitely the favourite vocalist in electronic music communities.

With the release of her long waited inventive debut album she socked the world. Not only She releases again her debut EP as a new Deluxe LP, she brings a new depth in every tune brought by her classical influences and her weird psychoacoustics experiments she so gracefully performs, in a genre people never thought could fit. But Etana (now26) always praised her acoustics engineering abilities under the glowing vocalist persona.
A former soprano that studied physics, acoustics and philosophy, before becoming involved with electronic music scene, Etana has previously come out swirling on the defence of women in music industry, feminism and copyright infringement.

"The first time I heard Vangelis, I was shaking and knew in my heart, this was my mission in life."
She told marie claire while interviewed.

But instead of Vangelis classic electronic music, Athena's incredible vocal abilities and ambient music creates layers brought by psybient, indie, ancient sacred, epic and folk. She says when in production she always feels a huge responsibility for the songs to act as therapeutical mediums in any needs of her listeners, thus she decided to create psychoacoustics experimenting in music.

Her inner scientist is more confident after seeing the results of her music when performed in holistic therapies festivals around Europe and the world.

Athena Etana has a long spanning career from 2005 counting more than 20 tracks releasing in various V.A.'s. 

In V.A. Goa Beach Vol. 18 we can find the huge success with the Infinity Tunes label owner Nikos Karamalakis as Infinity, a song they created for a big fan of Infinity and good friend of Athena Etana, named Birte that lost his life unfairly in early 2007.

Hierotelesis has the same sweet vocals Athena presented to the world in her early career but also her soprano power vocals she later unfold in several projects, though this time, the music with theta and alpha waves as the epic ancient Greek vibe creates an inventive, empowering, deeply awakening and so dissolved unexpectedly experience that is definitely not to be missed.

Like Intro Shield, that unwraps in a Brian Eno ambient vibe, then suddenly transforms to a folk and electro-pop feeling song, with electric guitars to trance-like leads, that makes you feel enlightened and for sure protected.

Or the remake of the massive hit from her latest EP, Killuminote, that starts as a meta-dub, war drumming vocal song, to transform to an electroacoustic classic opera chorus and so smoothly to become an ambient/chill out paradise, a normally very difficult record, but with Athena's incredible perfect polished production skills is such a delight for the listener that surfs through easily and beautifully.


As she brings space for many genres in one new sound, reminding the best from everything we loved through music's evolution, you can catch the vibes of Vangelis, Brian Eno, Bjork, Aphex Twin, Dead can Dance and many many more to the cherished past.

Athena spoke on our blog about the idea behind this album and why its called 'Hierotelesis' Saying:
"No, its not the ancient battle between light and darkness. Is just humanity shredding the shade of the 20th century and the old energy of our planet that caused, wars, thirst for power and vanity. I believe the light can not exist without the darkness, when you make peace with the darkness inside you, you can vanquish your ego for ever and open the clear path to ascension and enlightenment. Its not a battle but a demystifying of the old world so we can escape matrix, not in a pathetic way but with practical immovability contrasting soul vigilance in a never ending love emission. The real power of Gods and humans I believe."

All this create a mystical music book with pure science and deeper philosophy, a ticket for every listener to the highest of electronic, classical, meditation and new age music, that is so incredible, fearless and fascinating unique. A new type of music and a defying record for everyone. 

Link to The LP: https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1281697582?ls=1&app=itunes