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January 23, 2020

Σtella: “Monster”

By: Jack Anderson

Think you know a lot about the historic Athens scene? Ya know, R.E.M., B-52’s, Pylon, and all those folks? Okay, who doesn’t…but…what about that other historic Athens scene? Well, if the spelling of her stage name didn’t tip you off, Σtella (pronounced “Stella”) not only hails from Greece but is determined to put Athens on the modern cultural map right up there with its Georgian counterpart.

Σtella’s saccharine vocals are at the top of her aural acropolis, but she’s also got killer chops on guitar, bass, synth, piano, and drum programming – all amounting to infectious, retro-inspired electro-pop. This catchy, surface-level synth-pop optimism does a great job of obscuring Σtella’s desolate lyrics the first listen-through, already heard on her 2015 self-titled debut and 2017’s Work For You. Tomorrow Σtella shares thirteen new tracks on her third LP The Break, and today you can begin to unleash the beats with one of the record’s centerpieces, “Monster”!


Photo: Artemis Flessa

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