London's experimental jazz scene meets Greek jazz punk for a unique evening.

Scenius [at] Athens organizes on Tuesday, April 16 in Plyfa - hall 7C, an evening dedicated to the new jazz scene, presenting the experimental folk psych-jazz band from London, Valia Calda, while they will be joined by the Greek jazz punk trio MOb.

As part of their European tour, Valia Calda comes to Athens with their second album entitled "Homeland" (2023, Deep Mountain Records). The redefinition of the idea of homeland and immigration are the central musical quest of Valia Calda who are inspired and converse with the folk songs of the Greek diaspora, the traditional music of Epirus, along with psychedelic jazz, punk aesthetics and free improvisations. A record with influences from Polar Bear, Get the Blessing, Nels Cline, sunn O))), Black Midi, Bill Frisell, Medeski Martin and Wood, Earth, The Dwarfs of East Agouza.

The five-member jazz group was founded in 2013 by the Ziarka brothers, Nikos on guitar (Theon Cross, Chelsea Carmichael, Moses Boyd) and double bassist Thodoris (Yazz Ahmed, Savina Yannatou, Electric Litany). Accompanying them are three innovative and acclaimed musicians: James Allsopp on saxophone (Dr. John, Nostalgia77, Polar Bear), Sam Warner on trumpet (Riot Jazz, Ariwo) and drummer Gaspar Sena (Alfa Mist, Maria Chiara Argirò).

A little earlier, the explosive jazz trio MOb will perform on the Plyfa stage. Having just released their 1st album titled "MOb 1" (2023, Veego Records), they have already made an impression internationally. MOb is the mob, a name that suggests a dynamic and a lack of static, qualities that characterize the band's moods during composition. Their music is described as a crossroads between electronic melodious jazz, kraut, filmic and exploratory post punk. Synthesizers, effects, loops, drones and tonal deviations share a primary role in creating the trio's unparalleled soundscape. The group's compositions are mainly based on open forms, using both tonal and non-tonal linear material, while improvisation tends to balance between the production of melodic material and the creation of multifaceted sonic atmospheres.

The MOb trio is Marios Valinakis (Saxophone & live electronics), Alexandros Delis (Bass, guitar & effects) and Panagiotis Kostopoulos (Drums).

Scenius [at] Athens

Composer and ambient music innovator Brian Eno suggested the word Scenius to capture the extreme creativity that groups, places or "scenes" can sometimes create. Its actual definition is this: "Scenius represents the intelligence and intuition of an entire cultural scene. It is the communal form of the concept of genius."

Scenius views arts events as catalysts for creativity, collaboration and inspiration within the community. After its successful versions in Berlin, the Scenius team proposes a series of actions centered on Athens. It started in December 2023 at the Athens Conservatory with the sold out performance of the amazing Australians, The Necks.