Mint By Modernistas
This recent addition to the Athens vinyl scene is dripping with 60s cool. Stop by for a record and a tsipouro.
A relatively recent addition to the Athens vinyl scene this lovely little shop in Exarchia manages to feel like it’s been there forever. This might be due to the timeless classics on display or the warmth and charm of the shop owner, Thanassis, who spent a career in Athenian hospitality slowly acquiring a truly wonderful collection of original and reissued 60s vinyl. The collection includes Japanese jazz fusion, Italian soundtracks, Brazilian funk and all manner of wonderful treats for the eyes and ears, with the sleeves on display reinforcing the feeling of great record shops being galleries in all but name. Thanassis DJs under the name Modernistas and the mint condition of the records give the shop its name. Thanassis is a natural host and can regale you with a depth of knowledge about his collection over a glass of tsipouro.
Thanassis’ pick. Nora Orlandi, Sfere Luminose. 1970
Thanassis understandably resisted the idea of recommending just one record in his shop but when pressed he was too polite to refuse and selected Sfere Luminose by Nora Orlandi and Franco Tonani. Nora Orlandi, who died on Jan 1st in Rome, was the first woman of Italian composition in the 60s and 70s with one of her tracks being given the modern nod of coolness by featuring on a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. On this classic album she is accompanied by jazz drummer Franco Tonani and their collaboration leads to a beautifully cinematic, lush and, at times surreal, musical record.
