CONSTANTINE

Constantine biography
CONSTANTINE is the project of the the multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and serious classic psych and folk album collector Constantine Hastalis. Constantine Hastalis is of Greek heritage and hails from the windy city of Chicago. He considers his primary instrument to be the guitar and started playing the piano as a young child. His love of classic psychedelic music of the 60s through 70s led him into creating Acid Folk (psychedelic folk) music.

For Contantine's LP, Day of Light, Hastalis was joined by various Chicago musicians, including members of the classic progressive acid folk band OF WONDROUS LEGENDS. The founder of O.W.L. Stephen Titra, not only performed on the album Day of Light, but also provided the medieval inspired, Tolkienesque album art. Day of Light was released in a private pressing of 300 copies with a gatefold sleeve, distributed by the Spanish Guerrsen Records.

Those who appreciate pastoral and melodic folk, pop and rock, classic acid folk, psychedelic rock and progressive folk, as well as West Coast psychedelic pop and Eastern influenced psychedelia and Indo Prog/ Raga Rock (sitar), are likely to appreciate elements of this retro music which evokes folk and psychedelic music scenes of the late 1960s through early 1970s. Some acts this reminded me of in part include Mark Fry (Dreaming of Alice), The Incredible String Band (The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter), Donovan (The Hurdy Gurdy Man), Spirogyra, Tudor Lodge, Mellow Candle, Forest, Love, The Pentangle (such as on Basket of Light of which Day of Light's album name is evocative), Perry Leopold, early Renaissance, as well as the acid/ progressive folk band O.W.L., of which members recorded with Constantine for the album Day of Light.

- Logan