Buzz’ Ayaz – Buzz’ Ayaz (Glitterbeat Records, 2024)
Cyprus, a small yet culturally rich island in the Eastern Mediterranean, is a crossroads of Greek and Turkish influences, with deep-rooted political divisions. This mix of cultures and sounds is captured in the debut album of Buzz’ Ayaz, a new band led by the inventive musician Antonis Antoniou, known for his work with Monsieur Doumani and Trio Tekke. Buzz’ Ayaz delivers a magnetic, wide-ranging, genre-defying combination of Cypriot folk, 1960s and 1970s rock, and Anatolian psychedelia. The final result is a distinctive, flavorful eastern Mediterranean electric sound.
The standout feature of this album is the bass clarinet, played by British musician Will Scott, who moved to Cyprus a few years ago. Antoniou, a fan of the American band Morphine, integrates the bass clarinet with his electric tzuras, Manos Stratis’s bass synth and organ, and Ulaş Öğüç’s distinctive drumming.
Antoniou emphasizes the collaborative nature of the band. Although the members hadn’t previously worked together, they spent months rehearsing intensely, experimenting, and refining their sound. The live energy of the band is evident in the recording process, done in just three days with minimal overdubs.
Antoniou shared: “This is a very small country, so it was hard to form a band with the right musicians. We had to be able to communicate and have the right chemistry. Everyone had to believe, to have a similar aesthetic and political views. The guys didn’t know each other from before, and we started an online communication exchanging ideas even before we all met in person.”
Tracks like “Buzzi Ayazi” and “Fysa” highlight the band’s ability to interweave Eastern microtonal grooves with Western rock influences, while songs like “Arkos” and “Meres” explore different moods and textures, from fiery Greek rhythms to trippy psychedelic adventures.
Antonis Antoniou adds: “The key element to the way the record sounds, is that it was done live. We did it the way people used to, all of us in the same room, so it has that energy.”
Buzz’ Ayaz’s music transcends borders and barriers, representing both Greek and Turkish Cypriot cultures. Antoniou, who writes the lyrics, often combines Greek Cypriot dialect with Turkish words, reflecting the band’s political and cultural activism.
Buy Buzz’ Ayaz.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.