# Vangelis



## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

What is your opinion on this Greek and largely self-taught musician?

Mostly known for electronic music and soundtracks and one of the innovators of electronic music in the 70s.

Made lots of solo albums and a couple of (pretty famous) soundtracks: Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner and Conquest of Paradise. Some others are Antarctica (documentary), The Bounty, Alexander.

He's really good with synthesizers, no doubt. There are some old clips of him improvising and they're quite amazing. His old electronic albums have awesome sounds, sequences, effects. The music is very atmospheric, moody and effective.

He's done some huge concerts in the past, composed music for a couple of big events, but he also made music for very obscure stuff. Just recently I found out he made 12 hours or so of ambient background music for Greek neuro-surgery instructional videos. Very cool and amusing.

His later soundtracks and albums are more orchestral in nature. An example of this is Mythodea, which was performed at the Temple of Zeus as seen in the clips below. It is quite simplistic compared to classical music, but I find it charming and I like the epicness of it. 

Here's a good site about Vangelis: http://www.elsew.com/
He doesn't have an official website.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Up and down. But yeah his best were great to listen to. He is like the Classical version of Electronic Music. My favorite here.


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

I have to admit to a soft spot for some of his stuff - particularly the collaboration with Jon Anderson (perhaps this post is better placed in the thread for revelations which you cringe at admitting). It has to be said, though, that the brains behind many of his albums (around the _Chariots of fire_ era) was a musician called Guy Protheroe. I'm not sure how much of Vangelis's stuff was produced unaided.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I forgot to mention my own favorite is Blade Runner. It's just so moody and it fits the movie so well. Without it the movie wouldn't be the same.
I was unaware of Guy Protheroe. Was he involved in Blade Runner too?


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## Mesa (Mar 2, 2012)

Huuuuuuuge fan. Have many 12"s hoiked from various car boots and dingy record shops. Alpha, Spiral and this have to be close to my favourites:




Far out! Ahem.

And Jeremy, how can you possibly be ashamed of liking J&V? I Hear You Now, amongst others, is still ace, and Heaven and Hell is legendary!

(I went kind of mental with the commas in the last sentence. No commas before and, hey! Nonsense. Removing any one seems unsettling. Now, i'm doing it with full stops, too. I'm. A. Maniac!).


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

For those into Vangelis should check out in his previous band. Aphrodite's Child


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## humanbean (Mar 5, 2011)

I've always enjoyed the Blade Runner soundtrack. Although his synths can sound a bit cheesy at times, the music far better than if they had chosen some run-of-the-mill 80's orchestral film composer. And it fits the movie quite well.

Here's an excellent track:


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

The music to Chariots of Fire will always assure him of a little place in my heart, and probably a little place in musical stereotyping history.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I like the more obscure stuff: Beauborg, China, and Opera Sauvage.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

I like Vangelis Blade Runner soundtrack and recently aquired a box-set of his Heaven & Hell, Spiral and Albedo 0.39 Albums - I'm really impressed by his compositions!


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)




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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

Early Vangelis is much more interesting than some of his later stuff. His "Creation Du monde" from L'Apocalypse Des Animaux (1973) is imo proto-ambient, as is much of the rest of the album. Soil Festivities from 1984 is more mainstream, but still interesting, as is his Antarctica (1983) soundtrack. With his album Direct (1988) he went into a more "new agey" direction, and he lost me as a listener. Sorry about reanimating this dead thread, but as I was wandering through the mausoleum, I couldn't help myself.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

I just listen to this compilation album when I crave Vangelis.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

It was all (artistically) downhill after Aphrodite's Child's album, '666'.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

I liked "Oceanic", "Conquest of Paradise", and some music from "Mythodea". Other than that, I don't know too much about him.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

I prefer the earlier music from 'Heaven & Hell' and 'Entends-Tu Les Chiens Aboyer?' through to his albums with Jon Anderson, the last I bought being 'Private Collection' (I never heard the later 'Page of Life'). After this period, I found his music lacked something and became 'samey'. Some of his tracks have become synth-music classics, and they're great, but I prefer these two as probably my favourites.

From 'Entends-Tu Les Chiens Aboyer?'





From 'China'


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

Of his earlier albums, I find these three absolutely essential.























Blade Runner has some gems within. But of his later output. El Greco is the shining light.









Beyond that, there is a tendency for sameness. And a touch too much bombast at times.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

I'm a big fan of his early solo work, as well as Aphrodite's Child.

'Heaven and Hell' is his best, with 'Albedo 0.39' being close. 'Opera Sauvage' and 'Ignacio' have some good stuff. 

Didn't care for too much after that. 

Not a fan of "Chariots of Fire' soundtrack, too wimpy. The 'Bladerunner' soundtrack was great for the film, but for me, does not hold up on its own. 

On a side note, I still can't help but wonder what YES would have sounded like if Vangelis accepted their offer to join after Wakeman left. But then again, They released 'Relayer' with Patrick Moraz, their best album as far as I'm concerned.


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## muzik (May 16, 2013)

When I watched blade runner, the soundtrack intrigued me. This is how I encountered Vangelis. A very pleasant encounter I have to say.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Some improvisations.

A shirtless Vangelis improvising and having fun before a concert, with synths and organs.





Spacy synth sounds, Blade Runner like





And a recent improvisation, sort of. Rather pompous I guess, but I think it's great how he manages to command this "orchestral-soundtrack" sound in real-time.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Maybe the predecessor for Daft Punk in Tron?


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## nikola (Sep 7, 2012)

Vangelis is one of very few musicians who are able to make magic with only few tones. It's minimalistic music that doesn't try to be minimalistic. It's at the same time rich and repetitive/minimalistic.. but it's not always strictly like that. He is able to set strong moods and his sound is pretty much unique. I love his music as long as I can remember.


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