Event Category: Music

POROSI 05: OREN AMBARCHI live in Athens 
Opening Acts: Tropical Geometry + Savvas Metaxas

Oren Ambarchi‘s music exists at the intersection of various schools and influences: contemporary electronic music, improvisation, experimental minimalism, deceptive simplicity, latent rock physicality. Since the late 1990s, his experiments in guitar abstraction and extended technique have led to a more personal and unique sound world that incorporates a broader palette of instruments and sensibilities, with the spirits of Morton Feldman and Alvin Lucier periodically making their presence felt.

After all, we couldn’t expect anything less from a musician who was voted Experimental Artist of the Year (Pitchfork, 2014) and he continues to be truly groundbreaking.

On releases such as Grapes From The Estate and In The Pendulum’s Embrace, Ambarchi used, among other things, glass harmonica, strings, bells, piano, drums, and percussion, creating fragile textures, light and sometimes ethereal, which coexist marginally with the massive bass sounds coming from his guitar.

Ambarchi has performed, collaborated, and recorded with a wide range of artists such as Fennesz, Sunn 0))), Alvin Lucier, John Zorn, Merzbow, Jim O’Rourke, Fire! and many others.

He has released numerous recordings for labels such as Touch, Drag City, PAN, Southern Lord, and Kranky. His acclaimed trio with Keiji Haino and Jim O’Rourke performs in Tokyo every year, with many of their concerts recorded and released on Ambarchi’s Black Truffle label, which to date has released over 90 albums.

The release of Quixotism was included in The Wire magazine’s 50 best releases of 2014, and in the same year Pitchfork named him “Experimental Artist of the Year.” His 2016 album Hubris brought together an impressive cast of players including Crys Cole, Mark Fell, Arto Lindsay, Jim O’Rourke, Keith Fullerton Whitman, and Ricardo Villalobos, among others. Hubris was included in numerous “Best Albums Of 2016” lists in well-known magazines such as The Wire, Rolling Stone, The Quietus, and Tiny Mix Tapes.

In May 2019, London’s Cafe Oto celebrated Ambarchi’s 50th birthday and the 10th anniversary of the Black Truffle label with a three-day festival featuring an all-star international lineup. 

Ambarchi’s upcoming new solo album, titled “Cooked,” will be released in September by Drag City. His latest release was the amazing “Shebang” (2022, Drag City), which featured Chris Abrahams, Johan Berthling, BJ Cole, Sam Dunscombe, Jim O’Rourke, Julia Reidy, Konrad Sprenger, and Joe Talia. His most recent collaboration was “Ghosted III” with Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin, released in August 2025 by Drag City.

https://orenambarchi.com/

Tropical Geometry began as a multifaceted musical project among friends, which resulted in their studio album “Luck Mountain” (2021). Now operating as a dynamic duo (Babis Theocharis & Antonis Papadopoulos), they unfold their experimental pop music through their sonic explorations in the paths of Krautrock, psychedelia, and minimalism. The project’s live performances are extremely rare. In fact, in May 2025 they released their only live performance to date (Live recording 21.9.2024).

https://tropicalgeometry.bandcamp.com/

Savvas Metaxas is a musician and sound artist working in the fields of experimental music, field recordings, and modular synthesizers. With more than 15 releases on vinyl, CD, and cassette, his music has been released on numerous record labels, including LINE, Superpang, Granny Records, Glistening Examples, More Mars, Flaming, Pines, Coherent States, Falt, Grisaille, and he has performed in numerous concerts organized in experimental art spaces, music festivals, museums, galleries, and concert halls. His latest release is Feedback Poetics, released by The Tapeworm. In 2008, he co-founded the record label Granny Records, which focuses on releasing works by contemporary electronic musicians working in the fields of free improvisational music, noise, electroacoustic composition, and contemporary electronic music. His other projects include creating and composing sound for installations and site-specific performances, as well as music for short films, animated films, and contemporary dance.

https://savvasmetaxas.bandcamp.com/

More info: porosi.org

Doors 20.00

Savvas Metaxas 20.30 – 21.00

Tropical Geometry 21.15 – 21.45

Oren Ambarchi 22.00

SCENIUS SOUND 001

The Athenian scene in dialogue with the international avant-garde

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The first SCENIUS SOUND brings an entire evening of experimental and improvised music, live performance and visual art to PLYFA.

Two stages. One ticket. A journey between the international avant-garde and Athens’ contemporary music scene.

The programme unfolds across Buildings 7A and 7C, with the PLYFA foyer acting as the connecting space between them. New formations, international artists and musicians from Athens’ contemporary scene come together through successive performances, new collaborations and different approaches to improvisation, sound and live visual creation.

THE MESSTHETICS & JAMES BRANDON LEWIS

The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis make their first appearance in Athens, and we are delighted to welcome them to the first SCENIUS SOUND.

Joe Lally on bass and Brendan Canty on drums – the rhythm section of the legendary Fugazi – join Anthony Pirog on guitar and James Brandon Lewis on tenor saxophone. Together, they connect the energy of post-hardcore with jazz, improvisation and experimental sound.

KOPER8

Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey, Jannis Anastasakis and Giuseppe Doronzo come together as KOPER8 as part of their European tour celebrating the release of their debut album. Saxophones, drums and electronics move freely between composition and improvisation.

GIORGOS XYLOURIS / THODORIS ZIARKAS / NIKOS THESSALONIKEFS

Giorgos Xylouris, Thodoris Ziarkas and Nikos Thessalonikefs form a new trio especially for SCENIUS SOUND 001, connecting the Cretan musical tradition with improvisation and contemporary approaches to rhythm and sound.

FAUDUJUDU

Jannis Anastasakis, Dimitris Klonis and Fausto Sierakowski present FAUDUJUDU, a newly formed improvisational trio whose sound emerged from a chance yet fateful encounter between saxophone, drums, guitar, electronic devices and live electronics.

INK & SOUND  by VINCENT DE BOER

Dutch visual artist and calligrapher Vincent de Boer has developed a distinctive practice connecting calligraphy, movement, rhythm and sound. Widely regarded as the unofficial fifth — and only non-musical — member of Ill Considered, he has shaped the band’s visual identity through his hand-painted record covers. At SCENIUS SOUND, he brings this practice into the PLYFA foyer, creating a live visual response to the music through lines, gestures and images.

STOMA  (LIE-DOWN CONCERT)

The programme concludes with STOMA – Spyros Evangelatos on baritone guitar, electronics and voice, Apostolis Vasilopoulos on electric guitar, and Petros Kolotouros on drums and percussion – a trio that uses improvisation to explore the outer reaches of electric and electronic sound.

The audience is invited to lie down in a clearing of sound and, in complete darkness, experience a final performance of spontaneously composed music -an entirely different mode of listening. Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to the capacity of the hall.

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Duration: Approximately 5 hours. There is no scheduled intermission; the programme unfolds successively across the two stages and the foyer, with short transition periods between performances.
Suitable for: 16+

Panagiotis Lampouras Live

Violinist and singer-songwriter Panagiotis Lampouras comes to PLYFA for a special concert, presenting a multifaceted musical world in his own distinctive way.

A multi-instrumentalist, Lampouras brings to the audience songs from his latest album, “I Limni”,  recently released as his third solo record. A collection of songs marked by a distinctive lyricism and expressiveness, the album signals a new creative and spiritual chapter in his artistic journey.

As a musician, he constantly experiments with new elements and explores different ways of expressing and transmitting sound. With violin, vocals, piano, mandolin, guitars and live electronics, he creates a dynamic sonic environment shaped by multiple musical influences. Drawing on his classical violin training, as well as his deep love for tradition and music from around the world, he develops a multilayered musical language in which original compositions, pre-recorded sonic elements and new arrangements come together.

The performance unfolds as a passage from classical to contemporary repertoire, featuring instrumental changes, orchestral motifs and a vivid lyrical voice that explores the fragile terrain of human existence.

Duration: 80 minutes

KOSHEEN [UK] live!

“HIDE U” 25th anniversary – tour 2026
special Guest: DIMITRIS KORGIALAS‎

Kosheen celebrate 25 years since the release of their iconic Resist, the album that featured the beloved “Hide U” — a track that wrote its own unique story in Greece and continues to make its way to the top of the charts and Greek Spotify playlists to this day, with every new rework or remix!

Kosheen, one of the UK’s booming live electronic music showstoppers, broke into prominence with their hit ‘Hide U‘ off their debut album in 2001, the platinum selling ‘Resist’, followed by era-defining anthems ‘Catch‘, ‘Hungry‘ and ‘All In My Head‘. With two UK Top Ten albums, multiple awards, and five studio releases, their distinctive fusion of drum’n’bass, breakbeat and emotionally charged songwriting – led by singer and songwriter Sian Evans – cemented their reputation as one of the most iconic live acts of their era. After a hiatus in the mid-2010s, Kosheen roared back in 2019 with a reformed line-up, headlining countless UK and European festivals and delivering blistering, passionate shows that reignited their global fanbase. The ‘Resist 20th Anniversary Tour’ in 2021 marked a triumphant return across the UK and Europe, followed by a worldwide tour in 2023 celebrating 25 years of Kosheen’s music, alongside exclusive orchestral performances in the UK. In 2025, Kosheen launched a bold new run of reworks, reimagining ‘Hide U’ and ‘Catch’ through contemporary remixes and fresh vocals.

With new anthemic reworks, new material on the horizon and an unstoppable international touring schedule, Kosheen continue to command stages worldwide and thrill audiences across the globe – proving their legacy is not only alive but stronger than ever.

Doors open at 20:00.

Duration: 3 hours

LAB Athens in Concert | Vocals dpt.

The much-anticipated Vocal Students’ Live Concert returns to Plyfa for its 5th year!

Joining our vocal students on stage will be three outstanding bands, formed by students of the Lab Athens Professional Music Program.

The music ensembles of Lenorman 249 take the stage and introduce themselves at PLYFA
…an evening dedicated to collective music creation…

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+bAnda Music Group || Percussion Ensemble || Cretan Group O-Madara

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Exhibition of creations from The Stitch Lab, a workshop curated throughout the year at Lenorman 249 by fashion designer Argyro Kaliafa.

Matmos Live in Athens

Matmos, one of the most influential acts in contemporary electronic music, will perform live in Athens.

Opening set: Jay Glass Dubs

For more than three decades, Matmos have been redefining the boundaries of electronic music, transforming unexpected sound sources—from everyday objects to field recordings—into intricate rhythmic and sonic structures.

Drew Daniel and M.C. Schmidt move between art, research, and live performance, exploring sound down to its finest detail, balancing precision, humor, and curiosity.

Listening to their work feels like observing through a microscope, revealing worlds that usually remain invisible.

Based in Baltimore, Matmos have developed a distinctive artistic identity grounded in the use of unconventional sound sources and their transformation into immediately accessible musical forms. Their work has been internationally recognized for its contribution to the evolution of sampling culture, and they have collaborated with artists such as Björk, Kronos Quartet, Terry Riley, and Anohni.

Their most recent album, Metallic Life Review (Thrill Jockey, 2025), is constructed entirely from metal sounds—copper, steel, aluminum—processed into a multilayered sonic landscape.

The choice of the industrial venue PLYFA acts as a natural extension of their practice, an environment where sound and material converge.

Jay Glass Dubs

A distinct voice in contemporary experimental electronics, Jay Glass Dubs brings his fragmented, dub-informed approach to sound as the opening act for Matmos in Athens.

A rare appearance in Athens, as part of the Scenius Series.

Doors open at 20:30.

Duration: 120 minutes
Age suitability: 16+

ECHORROES: Echonexus — with three musicians and a participatory approach

We have built Echorroes so that anyone, of any age and language, can express themselves musically without prior training. At its core stands a facilitator; around her, Echonexus — an interactive musical instrument driven by AI algorithms that listens and responds.

What happens if, in the facilitator’s place, we put three virtuoso improvisers? How does a system designed for everyone — inclusive yet of genuine aesthetic substance — come face to face with musicians who have mastered the art of improvisation, and what new thing is born from that encounter?

Savina Yannatou guides us with her voice, calmly into the unexpected, without a map, defying the fear of the unknown.

Yorgos Stavridis, with his “percussion,” transforms every object into a musical instrument — doing by hand what the algorithm does digitally.

Panagiotis Sioras, with his bass clarinet — a centuries-old “tube” built for virtuosi — enters into dialogue with Echonexus, a young musical “tube” built to give voice to every child.

Three new cores within a vessel already shaped by the relationship between the facilitator, the algorithm, and the children — open a new space of interactions. Participation migrates inward, between the musicians and Echonexus, and at the same time outward, toward an audience invited to share the space and the sound with curious ears.

Duration: 20:00–22:00 (two 45-minute sessions with an intermission)

Exotica Lunatica – Live in Athens 

Exotica Lunatica is a duo from the Strasbourg scene, bringing together French composer and multi-instrumentalist Daphné Hejebri and Greek singer and performer Eleanna Konstanta.

Their debut album Enter The Moon (2023) offers a trance-like, immersive sound blending polyphonic voices, ethnic textures, and contemporary influences in a mystical, cosmic atmosphere.

Music&lles #1 – Jury Favorite (2024)
Les Inouïs du Printemps de Bourges – Grand Est Laureates (2025)
Cosmo Jazz Festival – Laureates (2025)

A live performance between trance and intimacy.
Join them in Athens.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Recommended age: 20+

CORPS À CORPS
A tribute to Georges Aperghis

To celebrate Georges Aperghis’ 80th birthday, the Greek Composers’ Union presents a tribute to his work and a music theatre workshop. The composer will be with us in person for a round table two final concerts: the first concert showcasing the workshop participants, the second concert featuring his own music-theatre works. The event will conclude with the Union naming him Honorary President.

SCHEDULE

28/5 20:30

Worshop concert with Recitations by George Aperghis

Συνθέτες: Henri Colombat, Niki Krasaki, Gabo Champagne, George Chanos, Lauren Liel, Ethan Blackburn, Vaida Vovere, Daniele di Virgilio

Musicians: Ana Chifu (flute), Andreas Rolandos Theodorou (trombone), Babis Karasavvidis (violin), George Kokkinaris (double bass), Danae Bletsa (voice)

29/5 18:30

Round Table

Participants: George Aperghis, Eleni Ralli, Thanasis Deligiannis, Michalis Paraskakis και musicians from the concerts.

Tania Sikelianou will open the round table with the work Ι.Χ. for solo violin by Aperghis.

29/5 20:30

Concert CORPS À CORPS

George Aperghis works: Recitations, Le corps à corps, Fidelité, 7 Crimes de l’ amour, Retrouvailles.

Musicians: Danae Bletsa (voice), Sissy Makropoulou (voice, harp), Panos Ziavras (percussion), Panagiotis Siorras (clarinet), Yannis Psarakis (percussion)

Duration:
28/5 Concert – 80 minutes, no intermission
29/5 Round Table Discussion (free admission)
29/5 Concert – 90 minutes, no intermission

Recommended Age: 12+