Balothizer’s beginnings lie in London just as the metropolitan city was experiencing a “world music” and jazz renaissance with immigrant musicians embracing their own traditions from beyond the western European world. Simultaneously, the Greek rock scene was turning into a phenomenon across the European and especially Balkan stoner and metal underground - it’s no surprise that Balothizer’s Greek-language, folk-meets-metal came about.

The project is the brainchild of bassist and percussionist Pavlos Mavromatakis (Electric Litany, The Turbans) and lute player and guitarist Nikos Ziarkas (Valia Calda, Theon Cross) who shared a passion for Cretan music and poetry. After years of being active in the world and experimental scene of London as well as the Cretan folk music scene, Pavlos and Nikos enlisted the skills of Stephen J Payne (Jools Holand, Jose Feliciano, Future Sound Cartel) a London-born multi-instrumentalist with a deep background of world music and western styles to bring the power necessary for this exciting new mixture of styles.