Cheap Pop for the Elite

Cheap Pop for the Elite
Studio album by Kore. Ydro.
Released	13 February 2006
Recorded	September 2004 & April 2005 – June 2005
Genre	pop
Length	50:22
Label	Capitol/EMI
Producer	Kore. Ydro.
Kore. Ydro. chronology
If All Eνer Ended Here (2003) Cheap Pop for the Elite (2006) The Whole Truth about the Children of '78 (2009)

Cheap Pop for the Elite (Greek: Φτηνή ποπ για την ελίτ) is the second "proper" Kore. Ydro. album. It contains 12 songs written in their majority between the years 2003 and 2005 and recorded in the group's "home" studio in Corfu, Greece, before the EMI contract. The LP constitutes one of the few cases in the history of world discography that an entirely DIY production of substandard budget sees a first time mass distribution and promotion by a major label.

Track listing

All songs by P.E. Dimitriadis and Alexandros Makris.

1. "The Lovers of Nothing (Greek: Οι Εραστές του Τίποτα)" – 3:33
2. "The House (Greek: Το Σπίτι)" – 4:36
3. "Handshake / Gay Anthem for the New Millennium (Greek: Χειραψία)" – 6:32
4. "Radar (Greek: Ραντάρ)" – 4:41
5. "About Passion '05 (Greek: Περί Πάθους '05)" – 3:18
6. "No more Affairs (Greek: Όχι πια Έρωτες)" – 3:50
7. "Now that I Do not Have Anyone (Greek: Τώρα που δεν Έχω Κανέναν)" – 4:38
8. "Again with the Villains (Greek: Ξανά με τους Κακούς)" – 3:27
9. "No Christina (Greek: Καμιά Χριστίνα)" – 3:54
10. "Another Night of Confusion and Laughter (Greek: Άλλη Μια Νύχτα Σύγχυσης και Γέλιου)" – 5:23
11. "(Α) Nightmare (Greek: (Ένας) Εφιάλτης)" – 3:02
12. "Second Program (Greek: Δεύτερο Πρόγραμμα)" – 3:25

Press

The record received enthusiastic reviews by the Greek music press. Selected reviews for 'Cheap Pop for the Elite':

• "The first listen may leave you baffled, however, after the second listen the incorporation in the "elite" will become something more than necessary, because the sentiment that it will leave you will be unprecedented, perhaps because it will take you somewhere that you did not have the courage to dream that you can go." (****/*****) AVOPOLIS online magazine, 05.06.2006 | SONIC magazine, issue 18 (June 2006) [Christianna Finne]

• "In some way they bring in mind Manos Hadjidakis. They are forward-looking and open-minded like him, but with an absolutely personal and modern vision." (^^^^/^^^^^) ICHOS (SOUND) magazine [MUSIC BANK sector], #398 (May 2006) [Manos Mpouras]

• "Kore. Ydro. do what certain others don’t dare so many years in Greek-singing rock. With DIY + ambition, as themselves declare, they celebrate with devotion the memorial service on the inanimate body of the Greek-singing rock scene and they take the confirmation as its new kings." TRANZISTOR online magazine, 3 May 2006 [Angelos K.]

• "A combination of "dirty" sound, distortion, electronic experimentations and lyrical melodies, but (mainly) intense perfume of distinctive identity (from the opening track)." Ta Nea newspaper [VIVLIODROMIO - IDEES inset], number 18.527, Weekend 29–30 April 2006 [Chari Pontida]

• "Eclectic electric pop vision, product of education, a variety of hearings and aptitude for experimentation […] Lyrics that give their own parallel fight in the same field so as to share in the end along with composition and interpretation the winner's podium." (***½/*****) HiTECH magazine [M3 REVIEW inset, I.33], May 2006 [Spiros Alexopoulos]

• "The most intelligent, romantic, powerful, sincere, enjoyable [album] I have ever heard. You will adore it..." (8,5/10) PENTHOUSE magazine, issue 88 (May 2006) [Dimitris Kladis]

• "«Haunted» by the great musical legacy of Corfu, but simultaneously completely west-oriented, swims in the oceans of melancholic lo-fi New York scene with lyrics surrealistically erotic and multilayered compositions that give it the title of one of the most important Greek-sung pop albums." SIGNATURE EXCLUSIVE magazine by Diners (spring 2006) [Fotis Valatos]

• "Exceptional… out-of-the way verses (with attitude), a strange glance that sees things sidelong (as each artist who respects his eyes should do) and a poetic mood that is in a shooting frenzy, careless for who gets hit by its lyrical bullets." e-go.gr online newspaper (7 Apr 2006) [Georgia Laimou]

• "The collective continues in the same lyrical and at points melodramatic pattern with their, also a home production, debut without deviating from its aesthetics, only that now the result is more completed." (8/10) POP+ROCK magazine, issue 321 (April 2006) [Dimitris Argiropoulos]

• "...they bring chaos to the cafe stupidity of the Greek song." (****½/*****) ATHINORAMA magazine, 6-13 Apr 2006 [Argiris Zilos]

• "Apart from deserving a bow for the choice of the title, they put (horn-rimmed) spectacles to the corresponding bands from Illinois, Portland, Orlando or Nebraska who sell their neo-folk scenes all over the world. And yes they sing in Greek and they are from Corfu." (4/5) ESQUIRE magazine, March 2006 [?]

• "A collective from Corfu produces cool, fresh and intelligent pop, mainly based on the '80s and '90s guitar sounds with progressive and post rock references being present, while their lyrics are heard contemporary, they have humour and clever ideas." ATHENS VOICE newspaper, 23 Mar 2006 [Makis Milatos]

• "The group "Kore. Ydro." released an exceptional album titled "Cheap pop for the elite", with music that exceeds Greek limits and touches upon progressive rock, with the sound of keys being dominant." Apogevmatini newspaper, 18 Mar 2006 [Dora Amarantidou]

External links

• Kore. Ydro. - official website
• Kore. Ydro. @ MySpace