Chrysa Pantazi talks to George Florakis (ATHENS VOICE) about the “Sound Haikus,” the cassette she recently released, which includes processed environmental recordings based on the philosophy of haiku.
I first met Chrysa Pantazi as a member of Yeah!, back when the independent Greek scene was very strong. I had attended a few of the band’s concerts in which she participated, and then I lost track of her for many years. Her poetry collection “Iovolos,” released in 2010, had completely escaped me. And now, out of nowhere, a cassette appears featuring her own “Sound Haikus,” small exquisite pieces based on environmental recordings. What truly matters in this particular work, however, is the processing.
Chrysa Pantazi processes her material based on the haiku form, where the first part presents an image of the prevailing state in nature, the second offers an element of differentiation—a catalyst, one might say—so that in the third stage, a new equilibrium prevails, a new state. What distinguishes a random pleasant listening experience from art is the perspective, the vision, the artist’s stance. And Chrysa Pantazi, beyond possessing the necessary techniques in depth, knows well the high points to which she wants to lead her art.