Hior Chronik – Haze LP

Haze – released via Ki Records – is Greek producer and composer, Hior Chronik’s latest creation. Aligning with his previous critically acclaimed album, Descent, Haze creates an electro-ambient world which accentuates modern classical mini- malism. It is an album which deeply embodies tranquility, fulfilment and meaningful connection, aspirations born out of Hior Chronik’s past in Athens, and realised by his relocation near to a forest in Berlin, where he can truly feel at-home, surrounded by the awe-inspiring beauty of nature.

Through 15 tracks, Hior Chronik guides his listeners in an immersive journey which features magical soundscapes built using DX7 and Roland synthesizers, beats from the Lofi drum machine and Volca samples. Inspired by the best of his previous work in moody electro soundscapes, alongside his own history as a listener and lover of early 90’s electronic music, artists like, Lali Puna, Solvent and Remote Viewer, this album demonstrates a new dimension to Hior Chronik’s artistry which exudes light optimism.

“Most of the times that I was recording, it was after midnight hour or early morning and I could watch the foggy atmosphere from the window of my studio. I felt somehow that it embraced the sound of this album” Track after track, this nocturnal atmosphere is forged and conveyed. The single, Make no Attempt, features beautifully smooth vocals from Singapore-based artist, Thistlemorse, who also collaborated with Hior Chronik on the lyrics. The track, like the rest of the album, perpetuates the comfort Hior Chronik finds in the natural world, a major source of inspiration throughout his career, with many of the track’s titles referencing things such as forests, clouds and escape. “I recently moved a bit outside the city to be closer to the forest. Living nearer to nature makes me feel complete – I feel inspired in this well-protected
place full of subtle sounds, where the trees smell like incense in a shrine”. Differing from most of his previous compositions however, the song holds a more up-beat, pop feel, which reflects Hior Chronik’s refusal to dwell on regrets, and his spontaneous, improvised approach to both life and music. His experimental and adventurous nature reveals itself through his desire to cross the usual borders laid out between genres, find new sounds and integrate unique styles, “Life becomes so much more interesting this way,” says the artist.

Created in the midst of isolation and loneliness, Haze harnesses these difficult feelings and transforms them into an exhibition of optimism and hope. Hior Chronik himself describes Haze as one of his most positive albums yet and, despite the general nocturnal mood, it reemphasizes what we can occasionally forget – there is always a dawn after the darkness. Haze’s fourth track, Trigger, offers a richly-textured, sophisticated composition which is augmented by melodic strings. On this track, Hior Chronik worked with vocalist and musician, Mohna. Despite the distance between them when making the track, Hior Chronik stated, “We always felt so close”.

Berlin-based, Lilla Clara, features on Sad Swan, a masterfully balanced track which embraces the listener in soft vocals, warm chord progressions and laidback beats. Again, despite the wistful vocal, there’s plenty of space for hopeful dreaming on the track, and even perhaps some gentle dancing.

Other esteemed artists featured on the album include the likes of fellow Berlin-based musicians Aparde, Christian Grothe and Teamforest. Collaboratively, they constructed Haze into a rich and eclectic journey, lavish in sounds, styles and feelings. Hior Chronik’s environment has always played a big role in his musical output. From his music-filled childhood in Athens, to stints as a radio producer for JazzFm, through to his new home in Berlin, the capital of techno, the producer’s sound has always been influenced by the emotional qualities of his settings. It seems that with Haze, an album brimming with a sense of tranquility and meaningful connection, Hior Chronik has finally found where he belongs. Happy Here exalts this feeling of fulfilment, which is so tangible throughout the entire album. “Since I have moved here, I feel more optimistic. After so many years, I’m finally able to say that to myself.”

Album Tracklist:

1. Strange days
2. Sad swan (feat. Lilla Clara)
3. Don’t speak so I can hear you
4. Trigger
5. Once again I felt I wanna escape
6. Mind fog (feat. Aparde)
7. What’s wrong with you
8. Forest (feat. Lilla Clara)
9. Bench and cats
10. Happy here (feat. Lilla Clara)
11. Hallucination
12. Make no attempt (feat. Thistlemorse)
13. Shelter
14. Take your jacket with you
15. Cloud peels (feat. Lilla Clara)

Buy the Album ‘Haze’ : https://hiorchronik.bandcamp.com/album/haze

Video: Hior Chronik – Sad Swan feat. Lilla Clara

“Sad Swan” is the first Single of Hior’s upcoming album HAZE, which will be out 8th April 2022 on Ki Records.

Video: Hior Chronik – Words Are Gone feat. Hania Rani

Seductive drone and post cinematic soundscapes between ambient, indie-neoclassical music. These are the best words to describe the vibes of the new album by the Greek/Berliner composer Hior Chronik, entitled “Blind Heaven” out on November 8th via 7K!.

There is a dark and cinematic atmosphere that chases throughout the new album by the Greek composer and producer Hior Chronik, a natural sequel to “Out Of The Dust”, released on 7K! in 2017. While retaining an ambient and modern-classic dimension, “Blind Heaven” goes in search of new territories to observe and interpret. Sound landscapes made of synthesizers, electronics, strings, woodwinds and above all magical touches of the piano, so minimal as they are brilliant in their being perfectly integrated into the sonic trajectories traced by the Athens-born artist who has lived in Berlin for several years.

Track after track “Blind Heaven” reveals itself by involving the listener in a particularly evocative and immersive multi-stage sound journey: Nocturne, crepuscular, foggy, the record moves in neighboring territories without delineating a precise and static form: the sound moves magmatic, it is discovered, it hides, it explodes, it shrinks and once again it frees itself to cross extremely natural and peaceful landscapes, as well as darker, industrial, apocalyptic… more

released November 8, 2019

Hior Chronik – One Eternity at a Time

Seductive drone and post cinematic soundscapes between ambient, indie-neoclassical music. These are the best words to describe the vibes of the new album by the Greek/Berliner composer Hior Chronik, entitled “Blind Heaven” out on November 8th via 7K!.

The first single “One Eternity at a time” featuring Francesco Donadello is out today. Available to stream or buy: https://7k.lnk.to/blindheaven

Hior – Neukölln

Greek producer Hior (aka Hior Chronik) is back with a new EP, Neukölln, featuring 3 beautiful piano-based instrumental tracks. Out today on Ki Records. Stream in full below:

Video: Hior – Under Any Custody feat. Anna Maria Marjamäki

‘Under any custody’ feat. Anna Maria Marjamäki is the first single from Greek producer/musician Hior Chronik’s upcoming album ‘Descent’, out soon on Ki Records. Pre-order here.

Filming by Belek Wunderlich – Alex Koch. Video Production by Hior

HIOR CHRONIK – Taking The Veil LP

‘Taking the Veil’ is the debut solo album on Kitchen. Label by Berlin-based musician Hior Chronik. Originally from Athens, the new album is a follow-up to his previous work on the label as the duo Pill-Oh in ‘Vanishing Mirror’. The established foundation are intact on ‘Taking the Veil’: the bitterly romantic strings and gentle electronics whisper melting over plaintive piano scores. Hior Chronik has a penchant of producing subtly immense and cinematic compositions which are remarkably chilling in its beauty.

The latest release follows Hior Chronik’s distinctive compositional path with the pairing of a collaborator on each track. This time the instrumental colors are most intimate, honed to evocative perfection with each collaboration bringing its own nuances to a permeable set of motives. Through the contemplative moments, what give it life is the varied scoring which goes from solo piano to string orchestra, opening up a space that shimmers with stirring melancholy. Featuring classically aligned contemporaries such as Field Rotation (Denovali Records), Sophie Hutchings (Preservation), Luup (Experimedia) and Japanese composers Yasushi Yoshida (noble), Yoshinori Takezawa (Schole Records) among many others. The biggest change in this new album is the addition of vocals by Amber Ortolano and Fabiola Sanchez (Familiar Trees) on four songs. Figured centrally in the soundtrack as recurring lyrical voicing, the Amber Ortolano and Hior Chronik pairing also produced a rearranged version of ‘Twice’ originally written by Swedish electronic band Little Dragon.

‘Taking the Veil’ is presented in a 16-page art book format, also featuring the New York based Amber Ortolano as a photographer. The subject in the visual narrative of ‘Taking the Veil’ is of young women imprisoned by their flow of thoughts and their dark imagination. The delicate beauty and ambiguous gestures of feminine protagonists serve as powerful metaphors of the veil as the title of the album reflects – They reveal and conceal all at once, reviving emotions conjured by a sense of mystery. The album underlines this atmosphere that probe the consciousness imbued with burnished hues of something half-remembered and half-dreamed. ‘Taking the Veil’ is the best company for late hours and memory searching in a world of mist and shadows.

The album will be available on CD + Artbook and digital download on Kitchen. Label from 24 May 2015. Stay tuned for more information.

Mikael Delta – Rising Cities EP

One of the most prolific and influential artists in Greece, Mikael Delta, will soon release a new techno EP, called “Rising Cites,” a collaboration with fellow Greek producer Hior Chronik. Preview it below. No release date available yet.

Hior Chronik – I Can See Your World Behind Your Back

Greek-via-Berlin producer Hior Chronik, who is also the music mind behind Finna Fisken, has just shared a new track, I Can See The World Behind Your Back, which features some beautiful melancholic piano melodies with haunting sounds and minimal basslines.

Fina Fisken – Save the Day (Cherushii Remix)

San Francisco producer Cherushii has been enlisted to rework “Save the Day,” the lead single from Fina Fisken‘s (aka Sarah P -ex Keep Shelly in Athens’ member- and Greek-via-Berlin producer Hior Chronik) upcoming release for the freshly launched Strange Paradise label. Available for free via xlr8r here.