Biography

• Mavri Magioneza (Black Mayonnaise) is a band. Many people find comfort in labeling others, so we should put a tag here also. Let’s say they are playing around a heavy rock core with references to other idioms they love such as hip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass, breakbeat, electronic, blues, punk…!! For easiness they themselves name it e-rock but no one knows if they retain the patent of the term.
• The name of the band made a lot of people wonder about its origin. Just about the same thing as the definition of their music. The term “Black Mayonnaise” is used by some scientists to describe the sentiment present in certain oceans. This sentiment is the result of various waste waters and other pollution materials, damaging all of the flora (and not only that) at their bottoms. So sad that it can inspire even a band name.
• Mavri Magioneza comes to life in 1996, the moment a band from Thessaloniki, Greece, named “Nyxtopoyli” (“Night bird”) decides to change its name. “Nyxtopoyli” made its first rehearsal in 1994 and it spend both those years till 1996 having gigs in various bars around town and a demo named “Spoudi sto mov: O Lyrismos tou atalantou lykou” (“A study in purple: The lyricism of the non-talented wolf”)
• Back  in 1996, Andreas Asimakopoulos, Kostas Mantzoukidis and Thomas Arvanitis record in RIFF studio a demo CD, which two years after would become their first release. “Mavri Magioneza” is recorded in M studio and it is released by EROS MUSIC in 1998. A couple of months later their first music video “Mentores” (“Mentors”) is released.
• Many gigs follow starting in historic town bars such as the RESIDENTS and DIZZY DOLLS and in larger venues of Athens such as WOODSTOCK in Peristeri, Athens and AN Club. They also have many gigs in the province and go live in many TV shows such as the famous (back then) ET3 show JAMMIN’.
• In 1999, EROS MUSIC releases the compilation album “Paralliles Rock Diadromes” (“Parallel Rock Routes”). In this album, beside Mavri Magioneza there are songs of “Endelexeia” and “Magic De Spell”. It is a multimedia CD containing the “Mentors” music video.
• In 2000 the band returns to the M studio for their second album entitled “Paramorfosi” (“Distortion”). George Georgiou replaces Thomas Arvanitis behind the drums, since the latter serves his military service. The title of the album is derived from the loud guitars and the “rough” lyrics.
• The band continues to have many gigs. They play again in YDROGIOS Club and MYLOS Club and, in Athens, in AERAS Club in Petroupoli. They also open up for “Deus” in the historic RODON Club.
• At the end of 2000 Thomas returns in the band and EROS MUSIC releases yet another CD compilation entitled “H nea skini tis EROS” (“EROS’ new scene”). This compilation contains two songs of the “Paramorfosi” album together with songs of band such as “Glikia Symoria”, “Savra ton Vasilikon Dromon”, “Fata Morgana”, “Soulbro” and “Rififi”.
• At that point their second music video is shot. The song with the strange title “H entropia sou einai poly pio megali” (“Your entropy is much bigger”) is visualized on their own script. This is their very first attempt to describe their music using video.
• There are many interviews in radios and magazines (both printed and electronic) and the gigs continue until the summer of 2001, when they play in the festival of Drimos. At this point the band temporarily stops its activities because of the music training of Andreas abroad.
• As he returns, with an MSc Music Technology in his suitcases, Andreas meets with Kostas and Thomas once again to play for the International Amnesty in MYLOS Club and in DIZZY DOLLS, with an after party with music selected by themselves.
• In 2002, the band records their third album entitled “Manitaria kai Manifesta” (“Mushrooms and Manifests”), which is released in the following year.
• The gigs continue in Thessaloniki (festival against globalization in Aristotelous Square, MESOGEIOS Club, MYLOS Club), Crete Island (Music Technology Students’ Festival), Xanthi (open theatre), Giona Mountain (festival “Hxoi tou dasous”), etc. The gigs are now enriched with visual projections and multimedia containing a plethora of messages for the ears and the eyes.
• Andreas is envolved in a personal electronic music project (not yet finished!) and wins an honorable distinction in the 1st Pan-Hellenic “music using a computer” contest, organized by the RAM magazine and the IEK AKMI institute.
• In the hard times that follow Mavri Magioneza has some gigs sporadically without attempting any release, honoring its music and friends.
• Until the summer of 2006, when they decide that the inertia time is over. Inspired by the present political-economical scenery they decide to write some new songs and the go back to the studio with Andreas (who, in the meantime has gained a lot of experience as a Music Technology Teacher and Sound Engineer) as their producer.
• This time the compositions are not so poetical. Instead they speak of things that everybody deals with in the everyday life but only a few have the guts to sing about. The unbelievable production with techniques applied in Greece for the first time, together with the imaginative orchestrations and the blending of electric and electronic instruments gave a tight album, with 14 e-rock compositions written for their demanding friends and suspicious listeners.
• In this album also appear the known radio producer John Simantiras (an old friend of theirs) and Maria Papakiridou, a young vocalist who managed to cope with the technical difficulties of the songs.
• The fourth album of Mavri Magioneza entitled “Kali Orexi” (“Enjoy Your Meal”) is released by TECH KILLA RECORDS, their own recording company. “This was the only way of having complete control over our music”, they will say, “without artistic interferences and budget cuts in the production”.
• Indeed the effort behind TECH KILLA RECORDS paid them back with an excellent album of exceptional production, original packaging, superb artwork and 14 of the best songs the group has yet recorded.
• After the final member replacements the band members: Andreas Asimakopoulos (voice, guitars, electronics), Orestis Nalbantis (guitars, vocals), Kostas Mantzoukidis (bass, vocals), Nestor Canister (drums) and Alex Pesmantzoglou (voice, vocals) together with the live visuals, multimedia and secret happenings can guarantee live shows that  nobody can watch in their sits.
• After the first (in Greece) internet live show that they produced with big success, the band returns with a multimedia performance with intercalary video art and songs-comments for just about anything that happens (or is happening) in today’s reality.
• Forget what you were fed. The new, much awaited, album took almost 2 years to complete. Mavri Magioneza’s fifth album is entitled “Katevase To” (“Bring It Down / Download It”) and is just released. An unbelievable album, showing the playing skill, advanced production and artistic view of the band. 15 new original songs composed and performed as only Mavri Magioneza can. Watch it live… Indeed, you haven’t seen them all yet. “Katevase To” by Mavri Magioneza. Rock. No bull shit…