Nikolas Asimos
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Nikolas Asimos (Νικόλας Άσιμος) (20 August 1949 - 17 March 1988) was a Greek composer and singer. His real last name was Asimopoulos (Ασιμόπουλος). Asimos was a very special case of a counter-culture artist, mostly because of his choice of lifestyle. His behaviour and songs were often received as provocatory by the general public. He was a person with strong political opinions. Ideoligically, he could be categorised as an anarchist but himself never accepted his categorisation into a specific political ideology.
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[edit] Biography
Nikolas Asimos was born in Thessaloniki on the August 20 of 1949. Both his parents were from Kozani. He was very eager for learning as a young man. In 1967 he enrolls in the Philosophical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He was often involved with theater during his college years, while he was writing songs and he was singing in various boîtes of Thessaloniki.
He often had problems with the police, particularly during the period of military rule — junta — in Greece and the consequent restriction on civil liberties, i.e., freedom of expression, that such regimes enforce.
In 1973 he moves to Athens from Thessaloniki; he continued to be involved in theatre and he graduated from a private theatre school. He wrote songs which were not recorded officially, but in private, on tapes that he would then sell on the streets of Athens. He performed in boîtes around Plaka along with Giannis Zouganelis and Sakis Boulas, inter alia. His first encounter with official recording was in 1974 with the single Romios - Michanismos (Ρωμιός - Μηχανισμός). In 1976 he had a daughter with Lillian Charitaki with whom he was not married.
In 1977 he was temporarily imprisoned along with 5 other editors and writers. They were all released by initiative of Dionysis Savvopoulos. In 1978 he was drafted in the Greek army. However he did not serve but was relieved for psychological reasons. He wrote his book Anazitontas Krokantropous (Αναζητώντας Κροκανθρώπους) which was never officially published, but was circulated by himself in photocopies. In his later years and after his death, the book was also made available by a publishing house. In 1982 he released his long play record titled O Ksanapes (Ο Ξαναπές).
In 1987 he was wrongfully accused for the rape of an ex-girlfriend and was violently led to a mental institution. Shortly after he was sent to Korydallos Prison and was later bailed out. He never managed to overcome his bitterness over this unfounded charge. The outstanding trial along with other personal problems accumulated and this affected his psychological state profoundly. After two failed attempts, he committed suicide by hanging on 17 March 1988 in his house which he used to call preparation area.
[edit] Discography
His Paranomes Kassetes (illegal tapes), as Asimos liked to call his early work due to its lyrical content, were recorded in friends' houses and other more or less inappropriate (concerning a recording session) locations, with several musicians accompanying him. The tapes had an underground distribution by Asimos himself or his friends, because he wanted to avoid his work being exploited by Record Labels. Apart from the tapes, he produced during his lifetime a 45" single with two songs and a full-length LP, as well as 5 compositions for a Vasilis Papakonstantinou record. The rest of his work was released after he died.
- 1974, Romios - Michanismos (Ρωμιός - Μηχανισμός), single.
- 1978, Kasseta me to Vareli pou gia na Vgei to Spaei - Paranomi Kasseta No.000001 (Kασσέτα με το Βαρέλι που για να Βγει το Σπάει - Παράνομη Κασσέτα No.000001)
- 1979, Eimai Palianthropos - Paranomi Kasseta No.000002 (Είμαι Παλιάνθρωπος - Παράνομη Κασσέτα No.000002)
- part A of trilogy Tripli Kasseta Mpela me Horis Tampela (Τριπλή Κασσέτα Μπελα με Χωρίς Ταμπέλα)
- 1979, Giati Foras Klouvi - Paranomi Kasseta No.000003 (Γιατί Φοράς Κλουβί - Παράνομη Κασσέτα No.000003)
- part Β of trilogy Tripli Kasseta Mpela me Horis Tampela (Τριπλή Κασσέτα Μπελα με Χωρίς Ταμπέλα)
- 1979, Klaste Eleftheros - Paranomi Kasseta No.000004 (Κλάστε Ελεύθερος - Παράνομη Κασσέτα No.000004)
- part C of trilogy Tripli Kasseta Mpela me Horis Tampela (Τριπλή Κασσέτα Μπελα με Χωρίς Ταμπέλα)
- 1982, O Ksanapes (Ο Ξαναπές). (Vasilis Papakonstantinou and Haris Aleksiou participated).
- 1986, O Saliagkas - Paranomi Kasseta No.000005 (Ο Σάλιαγκας - Παράνομη Κασσέτα No.000005)
- 1986, H Zavolia - Paranomi Kasseta No.000006 (Η Ζαβολιά - Παράνομη Κασσέτα No.000006)
- 1986, Pali stin Kseftila - Paranomi Kasseta No.000007 (Πάλι στην Ξεφτίλα - Παράνομη Κασσέτα No.000007)
- 1987, To Fanari tou Diogeni - Paranomi Kasseta No.000008 (Το Φανάρι του Διογένη - Παράνομη Κασσέτα No.000008)
- This record was re-released in 1989 after Asimos' death, where some songs were excluded due to intervention by the record company. Sotiria Leonardou participated in the record.
- 1987, Asimos contributed 5 songs in Heretismata (Χαιρετίσματα) by Vasilis Papakonstantinou.
- 1992, Sto Falimento tou Kosmou (Στο Φαλημέντο του Κόσμου) Includes a selection from his Paranomes Kassetes. Vasilis Papakonstantinou participated.
- 2002, Viomichania tou Pezodromiou (Βιομηχανία του Πεζοδρομίου) Double CD compilation with songs from Asimos' Paranomes Kassetes.
[edit] Covers
- 1997, The greek rock band Magic de Spell released a cover version of Mpataria (Μπαταρία) in their CD single O Fovos Ehi Onoma (Ο Φόβος Έχει Όνομα).
- 1997, Vasilis Papakonstantinou used 5 Asimos' songs in his album Pes mou Ena Psema n' Apokoimitho (Πες μου Ένα Ψέμα ν' Αποκοιμηθώ).
- 2000, The Greek band Endelexeia released a cover version of Mpagasas (Μπαγάσας) in their CD single Kathreftis (Καθρέφτης).
[edit] Books
- Anazitontas Krokanthropous (Αναζητώντας Κροκανθρώπους), 2000, Vivliopelagos Publications, ISBN 960-7280-14-8, 380p.
