Areas of cultural interest very often are accompanied by unique sounds. Cyprus was a natural destination for a GSM project due to the history of the island, specifically the two countries and two religions that develop and grow on both sides of the boarder. Though this divide is often commented form a social point, GSM were interested in ‘The Sound of Cyprus’ as a whole.

Recording sessions took place with musicians across the island. These had strong traditions with both Turkish and Greek music. A Turkish Cypriot ensemble worked with GSM to sample their traditional instruments at the Eastern Mediterranean University outside Famagusta. Furthermore, GSM located the only Greek Santori player in Cyprus and worked with her in Nicosia to capture this rare and rapidly diminishing instrument. 

Ambient recordings were taken across the country in order to map the environment. GSM created a virtual lithophone (musical instrument made from stone) from pebbles found at ‘Aphrodite’s Rock’ and sampled in the ‘Tomb of the Kings’ in Paphos. This truly unique virtual instrument encapsulates the ethos of the GSM and demonstrates the link between environment and music. 

The GSM Cypriot package includes high resolution ambient recordings from city centres to deserted beaches and mountain regions. Full sample libraries for Greek and Turkish Cypriot instruments that will load into Kontakt, Logic’s EXS24 and Ableton samplers are bundled together with over 250 loops of performances and single instruments.