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Naxos 2001

March 29th, 2002 by freddie96

Naxos 2001 The beauty of Greece

Stretched out like a lazy cat on my sunflower yellow bed, seductive tones skimming the peach air, I run crystal memories of pure happiness through my mind. Those fragile moments when all the elements are in pure harmony, when the senses are stimulated and sated, when every doorway in your head swings wide open, when, should you die there and then, you would have a smile in your eyes. I have been lucky enough to have a few such moments. They are the moments that make my heart sing.

Say to the still earth: I flow. Say to the rapid water: I am.

Let me share with you. I am eight years old and dressed in my brother’s hand-me-downs. I am freckling in the slant of light and I can smell blue flowers near my sandals. The echo of the sea mingles with the pitch of my friends. Raising my first camera to my eye, I capture the temple at Cape Sunion in a state of bliss, proud and relaxed, green billowing below, a sky so clear it is almost reflective. My loopy teacher, wonderfully fuzzy on ouzo, is sprawled on the hill relating the tale of Orpheus to the buoyant waves. Abi and Alana have petals in their hair. Mel is eating cheese. And I realise, perhaps for the first time, that I am entirely happy.

In this moment, I fall in love with Greece.

Apollo was my father and Calliope my mother. The larger part of my life I spent in words and music.

Twenty years on and I am again sitting by the windy Aegean Sea, straw hair in my eyes. My warm arms are spattered with sun-kisses, tamed over years but still vibrant. I am swaying to the tug of the breeze, the flood of the waves, the sensual pulse of the music. Under the dusk glimmer of stars, my friends murmur over the tops of beer, trading memory and desire. Over my shoulder, a camera is preserving the moment. We are all on screen, webbed forever in this bubble of beauty and wonder. The lyrics lazily narrate a passion to the slumbering moon. Leigh and Tom are admiring circles. Fred is explaining cheese. Serendipity.

You who seek to lead your mind toward the bright day, to you this tale applies.

Greece has the fortune of self-indulgence; years pass and change is slight. Like an oak tree, Greece was complete far, far beyond living recollection. Little can alter her personality. She allows herself the luxury of evolution, but only on her own terms. I can almost see the gods, sitting high on Olympus some millennia ago, looking down at their olive green creation, dusting off their hands and smiling at each other over a job well done. But those gods, unlike our own, had one endearing charm – they were endlessly, mischievously flawed. Nothing in Greece can be predicted, nothing expected. She is wilful, capricious, a confident adult with a childlike edge, always inviting you to laugh along. Greece is not perfect despite her imperfections. She is perfect because of them.

And on this island Theseus abandoned Ariadne because she was beloved of Dionysus.

The Cycladean hills roll away. A miniature sparrow hops from foot to foot, balancing bravery and flight. The taverna cats, co-existing quite happily, flirt unashamedly for fish. We are drinking wine out of a red clay jug, shooting the breeze, avoiding the late afternoon sun. Soon it will be time for a splash in the glistening sea, or maybe a snooze by the hypnotic pool. Today is not a day for ruins. Tomorrow, maybe.

Of bodies changed to various forms, I sing.

There is a beauty to Greece that renders all things beautiful. It is a culture dedicated, by nature, to art. The song runs strong through Greece. Around every corner, paused with energy, there is a muse, a goddess, a hero, a monster with a story to tell and a song to sing. The Ancient Greeks believed that power resided in expression, and express they did. It was a world in which the perfect note, the perfect sentence, the perfect vision could transform lives. Orpheus quelled the underworld and brought his nymph back to life with his lyre and his passion. And, true to Greek form, oh those difficult gods, he lost her again. He can still be heard looking for her, if you listen closely, in the sigh of the leaves on balmy Greek nights.

They sailed over the sea and on the way stopped to rest on the lovely island of Naxos. This, as it happened, was especially dear to Dionysus; and there he and the satyrs were feasting and making merry at this time. Dionysus saw Ariadne as she wandered through the leafy woods and fell in love with her wild beauty.

The satyrs are dancing to the dawn. The girl who twirls like the wind, palms upstretched, laughs. The boy who makes the light play is embracing the girl who cries at beauty. He who conceives and she who creates are holding hands. The kitten who flops, flops. I watch. We are tired but happy, so happy. We are living the myth.

So he cast her into a magic sleep, as he so easily could by turning a stream into wine; and when she awoke she remembered nothing about Theseus, nor how she came to Naxos, but willingly became the bride of Dionysus.

The night draws to an end. The stars doze. The moon winks its departure and retreats. Only the music continues, naturally, the breeze through the trees, the hum of the sea. Under white sheets our pasts pan out ahead of us, our futures just behind. There is no boundary between sleep and wake, our dream blurs its own boundaries. Above us the gods shake their heads like indulgent parents, tucking us in under a blanket of calm. The sun is rising on Naxos.

The pipe beside my plashing stream will cause sleep to drop upon your lids as you are cast under the magic spell.

Greek magic is so real it can be touched, smelled, seen, tasted, heard. It is not a pervasive magic, it does not pull rabbits out of hats or eggs from ears. It drifts. At those moments, the magic is the final ingredient that creates the explosion from pleasure to the sublime. It is the factor that urges people to explore the new terrain of themselves, fall in love, discover new beginnings, live the past, distil a moment of truth. The Ancient Greeks did not believe in endings. Every conclusion was a yet another doorway, every departure a journey. Memories were not intangibles in a dusty box, they were a living part of the narrative, the odyssey. It is Greek magic that brings it all to life, mixing past and present moments like a kaleidoscope. It is why Greece is never just an ancient tale. It is why I will always be that happy, dippy child on Greek shores. It is why I return, on grey days, to find her, restful in soft waters, olive branches outstretched, delighting in her continuity, nurturing her magic. And my heart sings.

And there Dionysus woke in pleasure, for the morning birds were singing.

The sun is high. We wake and embrace the day.

Vicki, August 2001

[galleryurl=http://www.bigchill.net/gallery.html?id=17]Naxos 2001 photogallery[/galleryurl]

Tags: beauty, greek, magic, moments, perfect, under, years

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Naxos 2001

March 29th, 2002 by freddie96

Naxos 2001 Thursday 27th September

Across the island with Karon to the fishing port of Metsuna, almost a ghost town at this time of year. The only people to be seen are in the last taverna left open, where we lunch on ‘big fish’ (the ‘small fish’ are really too small to contemplate), aubergine fritters and our daily Greek salad.

Our map tells us there is a fine beach south of here, so we head off on the bright new road, as wide as a highway and freshly pressed silvery-black. In minutes, however, it peters out, and we find ourselves passing between mountainous piles of bitumen, gravel and sandy rock chips, with not a house in sight. The arid land around us looks like someplace in the western American desert. The beach we find is tiny, and plastered in dried seaweed, but we spread our towels under its sole tree nonetheless. I go out like a light, exhausted from a full week of partying. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in my life. Time for some silence.

The same happens later that night. After watching the sun sink into Naxos harbour, we walked the town’s backstreets until we found the taverna destined just for us. I’m so relaxed on our return to the hotel that I sink straight into sleep before there’s any question of joining the poolside throng. Not even the pumping sound of Alucidnation’s deep house set can pull me back from the even deeper undertow of sleep.

Friday 28th September

A sunset to die for, sweeping across the whole sky. Doing yoga with Isla and a small band of lithe enthusiasts on the beach, we see it all. In slow motion.

Today is Pete and Katrina’s tenth anniversary, so they play a short set together. Katrina drops some drum ‘n’ bass and Pete follows it with something else entirely. What a joyful racket they make together tonight.

The party goes on. What day is this?

Saturday 29th September

Another very fine day. My second set, enlivened throughout by the conversation of Matt, Larry, and Karon. How civilised it is to be able to talk and play records at the same time. And then jump in the sea afterwards.

There is something in the air today. Hexstatic and Tapehed set up their cameras on the beach to film some Ninja duelling. Mayhem ensues. Someone reminds me this is Saturday, after all.

A night for the mongrel mix, then: wine, Metaxa, vodka. Then Gru hands round the raki, given to her by the friendly people at the Corali taverna. She is off tomorrow so must dispose of it. Stavros, who is here from Athens, insists it is not good raki and gives us tequila to banish its taste. The gates to experience seem well and truly open…

So Stavros and I stare at the stars, and discuss what a difference their presence makes. When I was twelve, the discovery that the starlight we see is already several thousand years old blew my tiny mind; my view of reality was changed forever. Tonight I feel their power all over again. I offer up a silent prayer to them.

Sunday 30th September

Ash has a story to tell. After hearing Eva play her acoustic set yesterday, he told her he’d love to hear her cover Ian Dury’s ‘Wake Up And Make Love To Me’.

‘Why don’t you bring your guitar down to the pool tomorrow and we can practice it together?’ he helpfully suggested. Eva does not take this well. ‘I’m afraid to tell you I’m a married woman,’ she replies. Ash was still blushing.

To Plaka for dinner with Pete and Vicki. Sunset skies and a sublime moonrise above the mountains. Over octopus and aubergine moussaka, Pete shares last night’s dream with us: the Future Sound of London arrive in Naxos to play a closing set, but he is too drunk to introduce them. They decline to play. Contrite, he tells them they can play at whatever volume they want…

Monday 1st October

During Mighty Math’s set last night, Katrina and Caro fantasised about hearing music at zero gravity. This afternoon, floating with my eyes closed on a lilo in the pool while Pete plays, I get a taste of what this must be like. Sublime sounds surround and envelop me.

It is beginning to dawn on us that we will be leaving this place in a day or so. This might explain why tonight is as big a party as last year’s final night.

It all starts calmly enough, with AJ and Jony Easterby’s extraordinary audiovisual set. There’s something about this kind of visually-rich work that simultaneously re-tunes your ears. Certainly Laura B’s warm electronica has never sounded so fine, and when Tom Middleton takes to the decks we are primed to party like never before.

Foremost amongst the party animals is Katrina. Surrounded by Caro, Kate, Emma, Isla, Laura and Karon, at times it’s as if some wayward hen’s night is underway. I take refuge in Bruce’s camper van with Ash and Marcus. We fancy a burger and cuppa but Bruce won’t oblige.

I feel entirely out of time. This isn’t so much the future of clubbing but its past come back to serenade us – and I don’t just mean Tom’s remarkable selection of 80s hits. Looking out across the swimming pool surrounded by parasols and people sipping cocktails, for a moment I feel we are somewhere like St Tropez in the 1920s. Where and when am I again?

Tuesday 2nd October

In yoga, inhalation is energy-giving. The same seems true here – I feel I could live off this clean sea air. Stumbling out into the warm light of day at midday, we find Marcus is still on the decks, having taken over from Tokyo’s Sound of Speed at 5am. He has now switched entirely to a different clock, rising in the dark and bedding down in the afternoon. This way he doesn’t miss a sunrise.

Centre Edge is also beaming: Pete has just asked him to play the Winter Festival. Shane has got his mojo back and is celebrating with a Ninja headshave courtesy of Larry Lush and a tequila sunrise apiece. And here is the beautiful Mr Middleton, ready to resume where he left off the night before…

What happens next goes something like this: sunset, moonrise, moonset, sunrise, sunset, moonrise. It’s one long trip that takes us higher than the sun and onto a coach speeding back to Naxos town before we even begin to come down. Personally I blame Morris. And the full moon that hangs over our heads all night.

For two weeks now we’ve been watching that moon grow. Tonight, in all its glory, it presides over what feels like an ancient rite re-enacted in modern clothes. Pete honours it with a whole night of full moon music, setting the mood himself with some tunes full of gentle light and strong feeling. With Hexstatic following on, things begin to get more twisted, twisted even further by Luke Vibert into a shape none of us recognise. What kind of party is this?

A Morris dance is the answer. When he takes over at 3am, we are all perfectly ready to take a trip with the Mixmaster through the darkest hours of the night and back out into the sunshine. Nor does he disappoint: this seems the kind of work he was born to do. We dance, we jabber, we grin, we laugh, we cry… we are true lunatics, in the original sense of the word. The arrival of the sun is an utter relief. Morris drops ‘Les Fleurs’ and, of course, we blossom. Universal unfolding.

Wednesday 3rd October

Rather than sleep, Karon and I retire to our room at 7am to wash, and play backgammon. Morris is still going strong.

He plays ‘Police and Thieves’: with a jolt, I remember what kind of world we are returning to. What we have been doing seems the only sensible response. Madness must be met with madness.

Later we glimpse Morris sound asleep behind the decks while Chris from Deep Water plays. Silently we offer a toast to the master at rest.

The afternoon passes, with backflips, beers and Bruce Bickerton. He has reappeared with his crate of vinyl to wish us well on our way: ‘Blue Horizons’ and ‘Suspended In Air’ say it all, but he adds ‘Albatross’, ‘If You Leave Me Now’ and the Spice Girls’ ‘Goodbye’ for good measure.

The sun sets. We stare and stare at it, unbelieving. Are we really leaving all this?

Envoi

Back in London, I still can’t achieve any real coherence. I miss Naxos too much.

When people ask me what it was like, a sequence of snapshots that have yet to find their home go through my head… finding Joe 90 asleep on the beach in his dressing gown… Scott, never, ever, without a drink in his hand… a Naxian wave of backflips into the pool… Stu getting his head shaved… tables covered in kalamari, salads, fried fish and retsina… the barman throwing handfuls of white paper napkins into the air at five in the morning to express his happiness… the sun, the moon, the stars, the sea…

‘Sooner or later everyone gets into chill out,’ Morris remarked to me one day by the pool. ‘But first they have to grow up a little.’

In Naxos this year I definitely did some growing up.

Freddie B., October 2001

The first part of this diary

[galleryurl=http://www.bigchill.net/gallery.html?id=17]Naxos 2001 photogallery[/galleryurl]

Tags: beach, moon, morris, naxos, night, party, pete, play, pool

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Naxos 2001

March 29th, 2002 by freddie96

Naxos 2001 Naxos diary

Naxos 2001: over fourteen days and nights, we journeyed through states of light and dark that can only be described as Greek in their intensity.

Here are a few ‘snapshots’ I gathered on the way. No attempt at documentary inclusivity has been made. Some things you just can’t put into words…

Freddie B., October 2001

Thursday 20th September

Last year we endured a taxi strike on our departure from Athens; this year we have to contend with a bus strike on arrival.

So it is that my holiday begins in a taxi hurtling through the orange night to Piraeus before dawn while my girlfriend and I talk to Isla about Australia. We are so excited to be on our way to Naxos that we prattle on regardless of our lack of sleep.

One high speed ferry and taxi later, we are stripping off in the bright sunshine and plunging into the sea. Later we will get smashed and jiggle our butts to DJ Yam’s sublime basslines. Others don’t wait that long: Caro’s first drink from the bar is a shot of tequila.

‘Picking up where we left off last year,’ she declares.

Friday 21st September

Satiety. There is no other word for it. Where else can you start your day with a fruit breakfast, a dip in the pool, followed by a couple of hours on the decks playing the very mellowest of sounds?

There is enough of everything here in Mikri Vigla. Enough space, time, heat, friendly faces, music. It’s a stunning combination of elements.

While Joe 90 plays some lovely tunes, Barnsey Boy is flat out in the poolside body and soul area having had a deep tissue massage from Janee. Others are drinking cocktails, off exploring on their scooters, playing backgammon, sleeping, making love… there will be time enough to do all these things. Again and again, I hope.

Saturday 22nd September

During Centre Edge’s debut set for the Big Chill, an Australian girl appears from the beach. She says she has walked over from Plaka to find out what we’re up to; rumours are circulating in her campsite. Is this a 24-hour rave, she wants to know. Or an after-party for an event that took place on another island?

‘Neither,’ says Pete. ‘Though perhaps you could call it an afer-party for our summer festivals back in England.’

When the girl has gone, armed with further info, Pete mentions that earlier that morning a camper up the beach asked him if we were some kind of religious convention. What kind of religion did he have in mind, I wonder? I could think of a few.

Sunday 23rd September

During Pete’s first evening set, Muffled Visions unveils some new work. ‘I’d love to know what you you make of it,’ Mark tells me.

In truth I’m speechless. After some forty minutes of looking at his projected photos, and a fabulous video piece filmed on the steps of a Tokyo subway station, I am overwhelmed by the experience of seeing the world almost entirely through another’s eyes. It’s a place I do and don’t recognise – but definitely like. Every new angle seems like a new opportunity for exploration and understanding.

It might be the vodka I’ve drunk, but I don’t know how to say this to Mark. So I give him a back rub and neck massage instead. Later I find the words to tell him that I did this because that was how his visuals made me feel. They touched me.

Later that night, I help out during Alucidnation’s set by controlling the slide projector which Bruce has filled with his photos (Nina must be having a night off). Seeing me hunched over this small machine with my eyes glued on the screen, Gidon asks me what on earth I’m doing.

‘I’m trying to let the music guide me,’ I tell him. ‘I’m trying to hold each image until the music compels me to change it.’

‘That’s a fundamental principle of ambient,’ Gidon replies. ‘The idea is that change should only be introduced when necessary, not purely for the sake of novelty or entertainment.’

Even further into the small hours I gain a similar insight. I mention to Greek Mark that I have been waiting for Muffled Mark to relieve me at the projector – he’s been pedering about with a couple of chairs and a camera for ages now. ‘He’s being so slow,’ I say.

‘The word’s ambient, not slow,’ Mark replies, with a sly smile.

Monday 24th September

To the mountains. On our way to Filoti, we are sidetracked by signs to Demeter’s temple: clear evidence of how the scattered rural communities of ancient Greece came together in order to worship the goddess of fertility.

Presumably the sacred rites they celebrated also enabled them to socialise, exchanging useful information and agricultural know-how. And, one imagines, to let off some steam after hard months toiling in the fields. Not unlike the Big Chill, then…

On the road to Appollonos, we crest what feels like the top of the island – we can see coasts to both east and west. And what a view it is. Byzantine forts mark the highest outcrops. Far in the distance an island emerges from the blue haze like the peak of a mountain range cutting through the clouds. In the calm that follows the silencing of our car, all that can be heard are goats’ bells, as an entire cloven tribe migrates across the valley below. It almost sounds like falling water. The wild rosemary is in flower, and you have only to crush a few twigs between your fingers to release that pungent aroma, the hallmark of so many Mediterranean experiences.

Later, following a stunning sunset at Plaka, we sink the front wheels of our car in sand. While we are scrabbling to get out, a wild-haired, half-naked man emerges from the dunes. ‘Do you have a cigarette?’ he asks.

On the road back to Mikri Vigla, Karon caps our journey with an accapella version of ‘Destiny’.

Tuesday 25th September

Lounging by the pool, I meet Angie. I recognise her name from the Forum, as well as her tales of being bed-ridden with a virus while her mates all went off to the Enchanted Garden.

But here she is in Naxos, having spent an entire month in hospital prior to departure. She explains that she was determined to come, and how she used music to help her in her healing process, both as a pain-killer and a necessary form of escape.

‘Sometimes I think of the Big Chill in precisely those terms,’ I tell her. ‘It can be like one big rehabilitation centre, probably because it’s full of people going through the early stages of middle age, wondering how to move forward in life without leaving behind all the habits they have come to love. And without messing up like so many of our forebears did.’

Certainly there is a healing energy in the air out here. At the end of the two weeks, Angie can be found on the dancefloor. She is no longer using the crutch she arrived with.

Wednesday 26th September

To Naxos town to put my dear friends Simon and Susie onto their ferry back home. A near-death experience: having loaded the boot with all their luggage, I find my piddling little rentacar can no longer cope with my finest Greek cornering technique (take them fast!). We do an agonisingly protracted skid towards a deep ditch. Luckily we stop short.

A couple of hours later I’m driving these same roads back, only to the sound of Zero 7 instead of squealing tyres. The countryside around me is bleached, parched and cracked, all blinding white light, defunct windmills, sulky donkeys and deadbeat cows. For many, it seems, life here is still a rudimentary struggle for existence. Even the rocks struggle under this sun. I feel oddly at home, and very much alive.

Week two of Freddie B’s diary

[galleryurl=http://www.bigchill.net/gallery.html?id=17]Naxos 2001 photogallery[/galleryurl]

Tags: couple, enough, find, mark, music, naxos, night

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Naxos 2001

March 29th, 2002 by freddie96

Naxos 2001 In preparation for its 2001 event in Naxos, The Big Chill asked those who went the previous year – ‘Naxos veterans’ as they are fondly known – what they remembered and enjoyed about the event.

Here is an edited selection of the many emails we received back:

WHAT DID YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT NAXOS LAST YEAR?

‘I would never have enough time to describe to you all the glories!’ Neil (Phantom Beats)

‘I think the best bit for me was playing in the pool late at night – made me feel very glamorous, wot with the sound system and all the lovely people – like I’d been invited to the kind of party people normally only go to in films!’ Mrs Gordon

‘The excellent assortment of people. All walks of life and open to others. A lovely vibe, created by the commitment of the organisers to do something special.’ Catherine Somers

‘The lovely, friendly, people I met (some I still see)… the fantastic Mikri Vigla hotel… the beautiful beaches on the peninsula… the food in the surrounding tavernas (I’m vegetarian and this can be a problem but wasn’t there)… having music to chill out to in the heat and to dance to in the evenings… no restrictions.’ Lindy Standing

‘The fact that it’s the perfect setting for a like-minded group of people to really relax and get to know each other, chilling and partying both superbly catered for… It was like a week long house party in the sun with your new as well as bestest mates…’ Steve Merrylees

‘Where to start? Dancing at night by the pool to fantastic tunes in the cool Med breeze. Meeting the best people on planet Earth. Bombing around the island in a Jeep with people I had met snorkelling that day. And on and on and on…’ Matt Parford

‘The people I met.’ Paul Gathercole

‘The pure creative energy that zapped around the pool at all times of night and day.’ Vicki Howard

‘Sitting by the pool in the sun, sipping cocktails, listening to wonderful ambient music with all my best mates.’ Ella Waring

‘People, lush setting, music, apartment – just about everything!’ Caro Russell

‘First and foremost I enjoyed Naxos being my first Big Chill experience (I like to dive on in there!). Also meeting such lovely people, among whom one couple have become lifelong friends.’ Grainy

‘I enjoyed DJing as well as The Bays’ first appearance – they had an ABSOLUTELY tremendous atmosphere – they were so so funky.’ Adrian Hannay

‘Chillin by the pool with some of the most lovely people I’ve ever met (and am still in touch with – lots of new friends).’ Michelle Rumney

WHAT HAS PROVED TO BE YOUR SINGLE MOST ENDURING MEMORY OF YOUR TIME THERE?

‘Apart from finding the love of my life? Opening the apartment door to discover a beach at my feet, home for the next few days.’ Matt Parford

‘It’s a feeling that I remember… the vibe I s’pose. I had this surreal feeling of unity alongside complete solitude.’ Grainy

‘Sitting on a rocky outcrop, watching the sun go down and seeing, several hundred feet below me and half a mile to the west, the group of people we would be DJing to in a few hours time. Either that or being drunk and naked in front of 300 people…’ Neil (Phantom Beats)

‘Every evening at sunset a flock of big black sea birds circled around a little ruined temple on the far side of the rocky island across the bay, roosting at dusk… Spending time with people… Morris (he really is the Mixmaster), reading Greek mythology with Paul Gathercole on the beach, Freddie B in a dress – eek!, Henry, Rob Woo, the ever perky Tom Middleton on his moped… Flares at night, the roll of the ship on the choppy sea, chaos, tragedy, all things Greek.’
Sally Rodgers (A Man Called Adam)

‘Lying down in utter piece with my friend Sarah listening to Music for Airports and both bursting into tears of JOY.’ Caro Russell

‘It was a sequence really, not a single moment, from Saturday night through to Sunday afternoon. A storming Tom Middleton set, at one point I was dancing with a big smile on my face and decided that it was the absolute perfect time to hear Tom’s own ‘The Way’ (Global Communications deep house classic). So I went and asked him to play it, he took the record off the deck he was cueing up, found ‘The Way’, put it straight on and everyone went mental. He then played 2 hours of wonderful spacey deep house, big grins all round dancing by the pool under the stars. Perfect. We danced through the dawn, went down the beach and found a nice little cove with a group of mates, spent the morning lolling around the beach, in the sea, climbing the rocks in the sun before strolling back, picking up my records and playing (what I thought was) a lovely set of deep summery vibes by the pool for a few hours until Mixmaster Morris took over. I don’t think I’ll forget that
18 hours or so for a long while.’ Steve Merrylees

‘The lovely Bruce B’s lovely tune ['I'm Not Bad'] making a stunning outing by the pool on the last night, last thing. It was a moment that distilled so much love and potential and hope. It was a gateway to the future. Amazing.’ Vicki Howard

‘I’m afraid the most enduring memory has to be the ferry, but it was as much an adventure as a disaster. And if it hadn’t been for that, we wouldn’t have met some lovely lovely people who remain to this day our new best friends!’ Mrs Gordon

‘Lack of sleep!’ Hillegonda

‘Swimming in the ocean. Dancing under the stars. Sitting down at tables of people I didn’t know and having a chat (so not London).’ Catherine Somers

‘Three things: On the ferry stranded in Piraeus. Sunrise on Sunday morning drinking tea with Sally and Steve and the Paper boys feeling that beautiful up all night feeling looking out to sea. The last night in Athens… but that’s another story ’ Paul Gathercole

‘The people – we managed to talk to practically everyone!’ Ella Waring

‘Hexstatic and their videos of everyone, including the local pussy cat.’ Adrian Hannay

‘Meeting lots of nice people… the island… the vodka measures!’ Mach V

‘The Naxos thing – dancing in the breeze to Tom Middleton on the last night surrounded by smiling happy people (and Alex swinging his plaits!).’ Michelle Rumney

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE THINKING OF GOING THIS YEAR?

‘Act on it.’ Catherine Somers

‘It was lovely, unforgettable… made friends for life.’ Sally Rodgers (A Man Called Adam)

‘You have no idea how good it is going to be.’ Neil (Phantom Beats)

‘Go. It’s fab. Get the boat one way and fly the other – both are beautiful ways of getting to the island.’ Paul Gathercole

‘Just bloody go!’ Ella Waring

‘You just have to come to believe how beautiful, peaceful, & magical the experience will make you feel. It will stay with you for ever and you will be able to get little top-ups in going to other Big Chill events throughout the year…’ Caro Russell

‘Try exploring the beach the other side of the headland… try to get into the town… and do your very best to talk to and make friends with as many other chillers as possible. It’s worth it!’ Mrs Gordon

‘Take a fleece blanket and an inflatable pillow. And prepare to be surprised.’ Vicki Howard

‘Take plenty of drinking money!’ Matt parford

‘Take me with you.’ Grainy

‘Musically, it was the best holiday I have ever had and I would do it again, and again, and again. The line-up this year is tremendous but more importantly, The Big Chill will allow you to experience some fantastic music, food and atmosphere in a setting designed for pure aural pleasure. I guarantee you will meet some interesting and like-minded big chilldren…’ Adrian Hannay

‘Do it, you won’t forget it for years. The perfect combination of friendly people and locals, wonderful location and weather, the freedom to explore the island, and five-star entertainment. Maybe The Big Chill should look into hiring a cruise boat for a few months over the summer? I can’t think of many things that would better the Naxos vibe…’ Steve Merrylees

Further details of Naxos 2000

[galleryurl=http://www.bigchill.net/gallery.html?id=19]The first Naxos holiday in pictures[/galleryurl]

Tags: beach, dancing, island, lovely, music, naxos, night, people, pool, year

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Naxos 2001

March 29th, 2002 by freddie96

Naxos 2001 Discerning Naxos

I’d have to say that Naxos made my year (and I’ve had a good year by all accounts).

My fears were the same as the one’s you express before I went out there. But as always it’s down to great people you meet there, and what you make of it.

There’s plenty to visit on the island if you want to (I didn’t really have much time to). If you don’t that’s fine too – actually despite a couple of hundred people being there you usually only see less than a quarter of that at any time.

The location is lovely, the weather nice (hot but breezy). Music is usual Big Chill affair – ranging from complete chill out, experimental to dance music with soul. I’m pretty fussy with music – but appreciated everything I heard out there (apart from the dodgy selection at the bar – out of Big Chill’s control I believe).

There were plenty of those ‘moments’ – whether it be a sunset on the beach, a late night drinking session or a relaxing massage. I witnessed no barriers between performers and the ‘punters’, no aggression, or anti-social behaviour just interesting friendly people and a warm family atmosphere!

Tom Shur-i-kan

Naxos adventure

What can I say, Naxos was by the far the best adventure I have ever experienced.

Having been pursuaded by my Big Chill fan boyfriend to get the tickets, I was totally amazed by the music, the wonderful, friendly people (especially Kit, Emma P, Jayne, Adrian & Richard – thanks guys you really made it fun).

One more surpise was being proposed to on the beach, with the music in the background, what more could a girl ask. If you’ve ever thought about going then don’t think, just go!

Emma M

What I did in my holidays (or ‘Under Lilac Skies’)

Waking up in one of 86 rooms, in one of 24 blocks, as one of 200 sleepy headed big chilldren. Opening the curtains for a weather check hmmm, another hot and sunny day, anyone? Traipsing slowly down for a bite of the unusual breakfast buffet – choosing from cakes, boiled eggs, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, bread, jam, coffee, and juice (and smuggling a few bits and pieces away for a makeshift lunch)…

…ambling back to the rooms to dress for the afternoon’s shenanigans, poolside…

…grabbing a sunlounger or just a place by the pool, and watching the first DJ of the day arrive at noon, opening the music with some sublime, lazy, ‘Heinz’ ambient sounds at least 57 varieties heard throughout the week…

…spending the next n hours (where n is a positive integer between 1 and 5) swimming, reading, smoking, (occasionally all at the same time) and chatting to the lovely people who were met on the dancefloor the previous night.

The music slowly, slowly builds, and the afternoon’s array of options present themselves… open a small gate by the pool’s edge, and step straight onto the soft golden sand of the beach, or hire a scooter and head into town (or just zoom around the local roads like some bizarre hybrid of ‘Kickstart’ and ‘Wish You Were Here’), or take up that hour-long Shiatsu massage booked the day before, or stroll along the headland to discover the breathtaking sights that lay just beyond (secluded coves one day, small hills of strange rocks the next, maybe a picture-book house in dazzling white and Mediterranean blue), or simply stay by the pool, topping up a tan, reading one of the paperbacks bought at the airport (’4 for 3, cheapest one free’), and marvelling as the music matches the mood (mmmmmm…)

…music which begins to draw to a close towards early evening, synchronous with the intense sunset, forcing another decision to be madeÉ climb the roof of the bar under lilac skies, clutching a cheap beer and a cheaper disposable camera to watch the day end, or wander to the beach to see off the sun with Tai Chi, courtesy of a guy called Guy, ably demonstrating the ‘Tai Chill’ forms he has devised especially? Tough choice better alternate daily…

At last the music graciously pauses, allowing a return to rooms for showers, shags, or siestas (delete as the mood dictates).

The unusual breakfast has run its course, and a replacement filling isn’t hard to find… the hotel restaurant, or the people’s choice, The Local Taverna… enough to use a different one each night; some are visited more than once, some not used at all, but each one providing much-needed sustenance.

Now wandering, full-bellied, back to the hotel, and on the approach thin strains of music and a gentle thump of drums like a soft heartbeat reaches ears, quickening steps almost imperceptibly… time for the dancefloor…

…reached by way of the bar, for the first drink of many; tequila sunrises, white Russians, ouzo, and beer are all received with equal cheer, and all are served in scarily generous measures.

People have already gathered outside as the first DJ of the night puts warmth in hearts and bones and minds, forcing those with dancing feet into the centre of the dancefloor; an area covered in tiny, pea-sized white stones, at its centre a circle populated by the heart of the dancing crowd…

The dancing feet are programmed to carry on until the music stops, and those with the best programming are still going at sunrise and beyond… but although the feet are strong, the heads are very, very messy… so, while a handful choose to sleep, shag, or swim at the beach (delete according to physical capability), the early morning stragglers return, each one of 200 contented big chilldren, to one of 24 blocks, to one of 86 rooms, to one bed, to recover, ready to start again the next day…

Footnote:
(…and at some point during the lazy, hazy, dreamy days and nights of Naxos, each individual is hit by the very ‘rightness’ of the situation in which they find themselvesÉ every person, just for one moment, pauses to drink in the land, the air, all that they see and hear and feel, and each one recognises the sheer, unaffected beauty of the place, the people, and the moment…)

Simon Strick, age 30 1/2

Refreshing Naxos

Another thing that is cool about Naxos is being able to hang out with artists who are totally unpretentious and have no ego. This is very refreshing indeed.

I think it was great to be totally protected from the media, not only with all the nasty things happening in the world right now but also from the media analysis of current music which can get really tedious. Sometimes you just don’t care about who is pushing boundaries where – you just want to be having fun.

I think that NAXOS and the Big Chill allows you to find your niche really easily – whoever you are if you have the right attitude, you will love it.

Hysteresis

Holiday virginism

Last week was the most amazing week I think I’ve ever had (gush, gush, ‘no, really, thanks, it’s all too much’, etc).

It was my first ever time abroad (apart from a day trip to France about 12 years ago where I was robbed of my ‘at-the-time-pride-and-joy’ leather jacket): so THAT’S what I’ve been missing then…. bloody hell!

However, I think I’ve set my sights a little too high now, as every other holiday I have will have to be at least as good, if not better, than Naxos. And the only way to ensure that this happens is to go to Naxos for 2 weeks instead of 1 next year.

I won’t go on, but the people, the music, the weather, etc were needless to say all fantastic, and more than enough to carry my cough-tastic chest and furry vocal chords thru’ the entire week. How else would I have been able to drink vast quantities of generously mixed drinks (thanks Spiro!) and smoke copious amounts of ciggies (but shockingly few of the jazz variety) with a bronchitis / laryngitis double-whammy combo?

So many, many thanks to Pete and Katrina, and all the other people who made it the best time ever (including all those of you unfortunate enough to have witnessed one of my many coughing fits. Hmmm, nice…)

Especial thanks to:

Luke ‘what-a-nice-bloke’ Vibert and Mrs. Luke and Maia (top afternoon chill set)
Tom Middleton (for steering clear of the comedy tunes in the evening and giving us a lesson in how to keep people rooted to the dancefloor)
Hexstatic (‘But why did you put acid on the cornflakes?’ ‘I was bored…’)
Hefner (for making me rock it on Friday night when I thought I’d have to go to bed)
Lol Hammond (see ‘Hefner’ but a different night)
AJ (thanks for playing my tune – top bloke!)
& all the other wonderful music makers (Eva, Shur-i-Kan, Morris, and everyone else).

Simon (The Holiday Virgin)

Aegean delights…!

A big thank you to everyone who made the Big Chill in Naxos an absolute delight for us… Emily and I had a lovely time, how nice to spend 9 days or so in such wonderful company. Lasting memories, new friends, white Russians, goggles and silly hair, snorkling, cheese, toones and visuals, and special smiles that say it all.

Big up the new friends we met, you know who you are, will be in touch….Yeah! Cor blimey I guess I’m a bit mushy about it all, I don’t care, I luv ya all… this is the way things should be… thank you!

Ombudsman Hugs for you all,

The Ombudsman a.k.a Adam & Emily

Naxos thoughts

Well, wow, my goodness – consider my mind utterly blown!

And of course am no longer a Newbie (hurrah!)

Big love and hugs to all the many many lovely people I met over the past two weeks, with special shouts to the Reading Massive and of course all you lovely cuddly Forum posse…

So many memorable moments, so many thoughts and inspirations, too much to put into one message, so I’ll share some personal musical fave moments with you:

Eva Abraham’s stunning solo goose-bump-making live set…

Hexstatic’s crease-making VJ show (‘Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting’, etc…!)

Tom Middleton’s sublimely ridiculous or (should that be ridiculously sublime) DJ set (for those that want to know the Kraftwerk vs Whitney Houston mix was done by a crowd called Girls On Top)

Jony Easterby’s visuals (a surprise delight, so absoultely in sync with the tunes)

… not to mention Luke Vibert’s mental afternoon spot, Mixmaster Morris’s record-breaking daytime set, Bruce Bickerton’s lovely smooth chillage, and of course not forgetting the supreme new master of ambient, our very own Centre Edge (Morris, watch your back!)

Plus the weather, the food, the drink, the people, the sea, the pool, the fish, the music, the people, the beach, the sunsets, the music, the people (oh sorry, I’m rambling now… I’ll think I’ll just go and have a lie down, I think I’ve got a severe case if of PNT, or Post Naxos Trauma).

More later once I’ve done the washing, paid the bills, read the news, stood in the rain, gone back to work – WORK? AAAAAARRGGHH!, boo, hoo, sob, it’s just not faaaaiiiirrrr!

SachaG

Heeeeey

On behalf of Jules, Ash, Andy and myself, many thanks to Pete and all your crew for such a well executed event. Your efforts are much appreciated, we had a blast.

Ernie

Reality bites

Big shouts 2 Pete & Katrina 4 putting on such a great event in such a magical place.

Big shouts 2 all the fellow chillers cause at the end of the day it’s the people who make it so special. Roll on the next one & c u there.

Richie (Mr Thai massage)

Naxos aftermath

I must wash the clothes in my rucksack, it has started dancing whatever I play. Then get many films developed.

…suffice to say a real life-changing experience at quite a few levels.

love and joy to all

Centre Edge

Wot no tavernas?

Yes we are back… I think. I’m back in body but not really in spirit. Walked through Brixton this arvo and couldn’t help wondering where the beach had gone. And no tavernas either. Criminal.

Needless to say I filled an entire notebook with thoughts, ideas and impressions while I was out there so I’m afraid you will have to wait until I have written my Naxos essay before I can share with you in full. But put it this way – I spent the first week getting used to huge intakes of sun, feta and alcohol, and the second going even further… during my last session of partying, I witnessed two sunsets, two moonrises and one sunrise with only two hours sleep somewhere in the middle. I have Tom Middleton and Mixmaster Morris to blame for that. (No question about it – Morris was one of the stars of Naxos. His closing set, clocking in at around 10 hours I think – did anyone time it? – was pure genius.)

I can also tell you Forum monkeys that Centre Edge scored a palpable hit with his two morning sets of true ambience… and a small bird told me there’s a chance he might well be playing one of the Sunday slots at the Big Chill’s winter festival. What about that? Hats off to the man.

Suntanned kisses

Freddie B.

[galleryurl=http://www.bigchill.net/gallery.html?id=17]Naxos 2001 photogallery[/galleryurl]

Tags: beach, lovely, music, naxos, next, night, people, thanks, week

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