The Poison Pie Publishing House presents:

June 1, 2026
The band took passage on a merchant ship, powered by both oar and sail. They were lodged in the deepest part of the hull, between rows of amphorae of olive oil and unmarked crates. Damp and dark, neither humans nor donkeys thought much of the accommodations but such was maritime travel. Once before visiting Crete, the troupe had journeyed by water on a tour. They therefore knew that the on-board conditions were barely tolerable. The lingering memory had dissuaded them from making a second sea-faring voyage for a good long time.

written while listening to:  Emanuele Maniscalco, Ivar Hedén & Måns Wikenmo - untitled (Havtorn Records, HR023, 2015, Sweden, digital files, discogs.com)

June 2, 2026
After a long, cramped day, they spent the first night on the tiny island of Antikithira, known only as a stopping point for sailors and migratory birds. All disembarked to the beach save the donkeys, as it was deemed too much trouble to get them out of the hull. "They'll survive three days," Papa reassured Andromache when she learned the news. "They are hardy creatures." Hektor added, perhaps unnecessarily, "It's why we chose donkeys, after our horses didn't survive an earlier trip." Before dinner, Andromache helped Hektor tend to the pair.

written while listening to:  Guillaume Gargaud & Jean-Philippe Gomez - Glitch (self-released, no catalog #, 2014, France, cd, discogs.com)

June 3, 2026
Their second day at sea passed much like the first. Huddled in darkness with water sloshing at their feet, few words emerged. We relate but one of the unspoken conversations that failed to materialize. Mama Chloë attributed the stoic nature of their flutist to previous travel under these conditions. While accurate that Andromache, upon being selected in the lottery, had been transported by ship to Crete, what truly prepared her to tolerate life in dank gloom was the year she had spent playing for the Minotaur in the stone maze beneath Knossos.

written while listening to:  Magda Mayas' Filamental - Murmur (Relative Pitch Records, RPR1262, 2026, United States, cd, discogs.com)

June 4, 2026
That night the travelers made camp on the northern shore of Kithira. Besides serving as a waypoint, it was known widely as the Island of Love, for there Paris had spent his first night with Helen. By early moonlight, the band played an impromptu performance on the beach for the sailors. To the accompaniment of the surf, Megaera sang of the enchantment that Aphrodite cast upon the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. Her song closed with Helen and Paris eloping to Kithira, omitting entirely the decade long war that followed the couple to Troy.

written while listening to:  Derek Bailey, Han Bennink & Evan Parker - Topographie Parisienne, disc 1 (Fou Records, FR - CD 34-35-36-37, 2019 (rec. 1981), France, cdx4, discogs.com)

June 5, 2026
Camping a short distance down the beach from the sailors, the band relished the news of just one more day in the hull. The full-throated reception of their performance had also cheered them; they fell asleep with contented hearts. Andromache awoke at midnight in a panic. She crawled to the side of Mama Chloë, soundly slumbering, and jostled her shoulder until she woke. "What is it, dear heart?" asked Mama groggily. "Where are we going tomorrow?" She had unknowingly roused Papa as well, who rolled over and mumbled, "We head to Sparta."

written while listening to:  Keiji Haino & Jun Morita - untitled (Les Disques d'Ailleurs, 002, 2024, Japan, cd, discogs.com)

June 6, 2026
The news that they were not bound for Athens immediately relieved Andromache. She whispered an apology and slunk back to her blanket on the sand. She could never return home, for the gods had given her life to Minos so that all in the city would be spared. She had reneged on the deal, through no fault of her own, or so she presumed. In any case, it was best for no one to learn that she had survived. Her ignorance of the maritime trade routes had concealed from her their great distance from Athens. Of Sparta, she knew little other than that it lay in foreign lands.

written while listening to:  Les Diaboliques - Live at the Rhinefalls (Intakt Records, Intakt CD 059, 2000, Switzerland, cd, discogs.com)

June 7, 2026
The merchant ship arrived in the harbor of Gytheio just after sunset. The seaport sat on the eastern coast of the peninsula and welcomed all vessels from the Gulf of Laconia, so long as they submitted to Spartan law. The city of Sparta lay inland twenty-five miles along the northern road. The night chill settled before Ion and Thon were unloaded. Their grateful braying and nuzzling was sufficient reward for the hours the band had waited. They stood then on the wharf beside a pile of all they owned—tents, instruments, clothes, and no cart or porters in sight.

written while listening to:  ensemble]h[iatus - Solist Am Rand (self-released, no catalog #, 2023 (rec. 2014), Germany, digital file, discogs.com)

June 8, 2026
Papa breathed deeply and intoned a brief prayer of thanksgiving, "Freedom." Andromache's thoughts had dwelt on their present dilemma. Where would they stay the night? What were they going to do with their gear? In an instant, Papa's prayer banished her worries. The band faced only a continuation of ordinary life, navigating daily challenges one at a time as they made their way to the next performance. It was absurd to expect that one could take pleasure in music-making all hours of the day. Of course, there was work between to make it happen.

written while listening to:  Alvin Curran, Andrea Centazzo & Evan Parker - Real Time Two (Ictus Records, ICTUS RE 0011, 2025 (rec. 1977), Italy, lp, discogs.com)

June 9, 2026
They passed the night in the tight confines of a single room close to the docks. Compared to the bilge of the ship, it seemed they were back in the spacious accommodations of Lord Threspotus, though no longer at his beck and call. By happy necessity, Andromache was lodged between the instruments and Mama Chloë. She snuggled against her and wandered off into paradisical dreams as Mama cooed to her with a languid stream of endearments, "My little grebe, my Synder, my darling, my golden oriole." No infant was ever more tenderly laid to sleep.

written while listening to:  Rob Mazurek Quartet - Color Systems (RogueArt, ROG-0138, 2024, France, cd, discogs.com)

June 10, 2026
Come morning, the band dispersed on errands. Papa and Triballos went to purchase a cart. Mama and Exekias visited a market, seeking groceries for breakfast. Andromache and Hektor groomed the donkeys. Megaera carried Grandpa Dumpling away from shore and up the gentle slope of Laryssio, upon which Gytheio was built. There she found shade in a copse of strawberry trees and sat the old man against a trunk. The pair let the cool, salt breeze of the sea blow by them as they watched the fishermen's dinghies entering and leaving the port far below.

written while listening to:  Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh & Tyshawn Sorey - Compassion, sides A & B (ECM Records, ECM 2760, 2024, Germany, cd, discogs.com)

June 11, 2026
They gathered again at midday. The wooden frame of the cart that Papa and Triballos had found was sound though both its wheels were suspect, the spokes near splitting and the steamed wood of the rim in little better shape. They had sought a wainwright to replace the wheels but the nearest shop was in Sparta, so they hitched the cart to the donkeys and loaded it up. When Mama looked askance at the rig, Papa shrugged. Megaera set Grandpa gently inside and they were off. The day hinted at spring and all were ready to feel the road beneath their feet.

written while listening to:  Agustí Fernández - Aesthetic of Prisms, disc 4 (Fundacja Słuchaj!, FSR30/2024, 2024, Poland, cdx7, discogs.com)

June 12, 2026
The route to Sparta was well traveled, the dirt packed down by countless footfalls. Any who had heard of Sparta knew the prominence of the military in its culture. Still finding so many soldiers on the road, marching in groups of thirty-six, startled Andromache. Hektor pulled the cart off to the side to let each unit pass. The travelers—soldiers and merchants alike—spoke in the Laconian Doric dialect, distinct from Cretan Doric both in vocabulary and in strange rules of pronunciation, and, to Andromache, yet more alien to the Attic tongue of Athens.

written while listening to:  Jandek - Baltimore Sunday, disc 2 (Corwood Industries, CORWOOD 0865, 2023, United States, cdx2, discogs.com)

June 13, 2026
Along this journey, two very different things were present in an abundance not seen before by Andromache: weapons and olives trees. Each soldier whom they passed had a short sword at his belt and more than half of them also carried a spear in hand. The men appeared to be in their twenties and bore every sign of a discipline instilled by training since their youth. Vast orchards of olive trees, known locally as Koroneiki, appeared and reappeared on both sides of the road. The leaves, light green on top and silver below, heralded the coming spring.

written while listening to:  David S. Ware Quartet - Godspelized (DIW, DIW-916, 1996, Japan, cd, discogs.com)

June 14, 2026
When a bad spoke gave way, the cart toppled to one side, spilling everything in the road. Grandpa Dumpling was tossed out, rolling down into a ditch. Megaera and Mama Chloë rushed to his aid and carried him back onto the road. He had struck his head; a gash above his eyebrow loosed a stream of blood, which collected in the many wrinkles on one side of this face. Because they often traveled in remote locales, Mama had gauze and ointments for emergencies. She sorted through the bags scattered on the road in search of her medical supplies.

written while listening to:  Ghazal Faghihi - Penumbra (Relative Pitch Records, RPRSS051, 2026, United States, cd, discogs.com)

June 15, 2026
No sooner had Mama found the bag than thirty-six more soldiers appeared, barred from proceeding by both cart and casualty. Without a greeting, the medic of the group came forward and ordered Mama to bring water to clean the wound before he wrapped it. At the same time, two other soldiers examined the cart. The failure of the spoke had resulted in the rim snapping as well. In minutes, branches of appropriate width and length were hewn from nearby trees. A makeshift wheel was assembled and slid onto the axle as six men held the cart upright.

written while listening to:  Matt Mitchell - Vista Accumulation, disc 2 (Pi Recordings, PI62, 2015, United States, cdx2, discogs.com)

June 16, 2026
Papa's offer of compensation was ignored. Having seen the musical instruments flung in the road, the commanding officer, an enomotarch by rank, suggested repayment in the form of a performance for the troops in Sparta. He then curtly ordered him to get both wheels replaced when he reached the city. Papa immediately agreed, adding that his intention to do so in Gytheio had been stymied by the absence of a wainwright. His explanation drew only a skeptical nod. Scarcely a quarter hour had elapsed before the soldiers marched on past them.

written while listening to:  ZĀM - Waves Of Seeing (Ramble Records/Echodelick, RAM-156/Echodelick73, 2023, Australia/United States, lp, discogs.com)

June 17, 2026
Halfway to Sparta, dusk drew nigh. Mama urged Papa to camp for the night, so that she might look at Grandpa again. Beside a small fire, she frowned over the ugly, swollen bruise clouding his brow. "Such a fall could have killed him but it doesn't look like he broke any bones. You should've bought a better cart," she said to Papa. "The price was good," he replied defensively, knowing his wife was right. "Well, whatever you saved in coin, Grandpa's paid for in blood." Papa did not respond and the argument ended there.

written while listening to:  Charles Ives - Piano Sonata No. 2 (Nonesuch, 9 71337-2, 1992 (rec. 1976), United States, cd, discogs.com)

June 18, 2026
For Andromache, traveling with the band in Laconia held a dreamy aspect, for it was hard to believe that this was really her life. On Crete, her relief at escape from the labyrinth had overwhelmed all other thoughts. With time to reflect, it all seemed too improbable to be true. She now had two outfits, Mama's hand-me-downs and the golden oriole costume. One was ill-fitting while the other was precisely tailored. When Mama Chloë suggested that she change clothes, Andromache looked aghast and replied, "Heavens no! I want to be just like you."

written while listening to:  John Zorn - The Circle Maker, disc 2 (Tzadik, TZ 7122, 1998, United States, cdx2, discogs.com)

June 19, 2026
On the following day, they continued their progress toward Sparta. Megaera insisted on carrying Grandpa much of the time because neither the remaining original wheel nor temporary replacement looked all that sturdy. The travelers on the road could not ignore the giantess carrying the bruised and bandaged elder or the others in the motley assemblage. Of the dwarf, Papa's crocodile face, Exekias' pallor and Hektor's limp nothing was said. Imagining the sight from an outside perspective, Andromache again wondered what secret ailment plagued Mama Chloë.

written while listening to:  Hank Mobley - Third Season (Blue Note, LT-1081, 1980 (rec. 1967), United States, lp, discogs.com)

June 20, 2026
Sparta was located in the Eurotas river valley, bordered by the Taygetus mountains to the west and the Parnon mountains to the east. Some in the band had traveled this road before but for Andromache it was all new. No walls bound the city, which relied on its army and the surrounding terrain for defense. Papa pointed out peaks as they came into view, including Taleton, holy to Helios, and Kronion, namesake of Kronos. Rugged and green, the mountains served as monumental reminders that the gods merely allowed men to dwell among them.

written while listening to:  Various Artists - The Miracle of Levitation (Gentle Giant Records, GGCD001, 1995, United States, cd, discogs.com)

June 21, 2026
A pair of sentries emerged from a guard station to block the road. "No traveler may enter Sparta without permission of the state," one said. "Declare your business here," demanded the other. Despite the fact that the soldiers who had aided the band had been headed in the opposite direction, word of their coming preceded them. Once Papa made clear his intention to provide music for the army, he was directed to an inn for visitors. There the group ate, courtesy of their hosts, and practiced individually in quiet nooks as they waited to be summoned to play.

written while listening to:  Joe Morris - Singularity (AUM Fidelity, AUM018, 2001, United States, cd, discogs.com)

June 22, 2026
Papa chose to insert a lesson into this downtime. He called Andromache to him and asked, "Have you ever seen the pyrrhichios performed?" When his flutist shook her head, he smiled and joked, "Well, you're going to hear it plenty in Sparta." The pyrrhichios was a fast-paced dance performed by armed soldiers, intended not only to entertain but to train them in agility and coordination. "Here they like the dance played straight," Papa advised her with a meaningful frown, "so we will indulge the local tastes by limiting our embellishments."

written while listening to:  Eleonora Kampe - In Anticipation Vol. 2 (self-released, no catalog #, 2024, Estonia, digital files, discogs.com)

June 23, 2026
That same evening the band was ushered to what was called an audition. Apparently the officers wanted to judge the capabilities of the musicians before deciding further plans for them. Grandpa was left to recuperate at the inn while the rest were led several blocks to a training ground. The city was littered with spaces that served both public and military purposes interchangeably. Two enomotiae, with thirty-six men apiece, stood on opposite sides of the yard facing each other, their stern faces set in stone. The band set up along a wall between them.

written while listening to:  Fred Anderson Quartet - Volume 2, disc 1 (Asian Improv Records, AIR 0054, 2000, United States, cdx2, discogs.com)

June 24, 2026
Without fanfare, an officer ordered one group of soldiers to form ranks in the center of the yard. Fixing his eyes on the men, he shouted, "Begin!" The pyrrhichios followed an established rhythm that Exekias and Megaera executed precisely on tympanon and cymbals. The strings of Papa and Mama played a short melody that was continually repeated. Ordinarily the pyrrhichios required no wind instruments but since three were present, together they provided droning chords, which, when changed, signaled an increase in the intensity of the dance.

written while listening to:  Steve Baczkowski, Brandon Lopez & Chris Corsano - Old Smoke (Relative Pitch Records, RPR1087, 2019, United States, cd, discogs.com)

June 25, 2026
With drawn swords in one hand and shields in the other, the soldiers executed prescribed steps, all the while keeping in tight formation. Well practiced, they lunged, thrusting their weapons forward. They rapped the flat of their blades against their wooden shields in resounding claps. The music repeated until the commanding officer abruptly raised an arm for silence. The players finished the current measure and no more. The soldiers, now lathered in sweat, stepped back, while the second group took the field. "Again, exactly as before," Papa said to the band.

written while listening to:  Oscar Peterson - Return Engagement, sides A & B (Verve, V3HB-8842, 1974, United States, lpx2, discogs.com)

June 26, 2026
They evidently passed the audition because Papa later informed them that the day after tomorrow the performance would be repeated for a larger group, a mora. "How many is that?" Andromache asked. "There's four enomotiae to a lochos and four lochoi to a mora." Exekias leaned over and added, "And they all want to have their turn on the dance floor, so we are going to play that awful tune many times over." Papa glanced around to make sure no passing soldier had overheard the comment. "It's good to be deemed useful in Sparta," he reminded him.

written while listening to:  Sylvie Courvoisier - To Be Other-wise (Intakt Records, Intakt CD 429, 2024, Switzerland, cd, discogs.com)

June 27, 2026
The arrangement left them with a spare night. Papa received permission to present a free performance for civilians in the city. In order for as many as possible to enjoy the show, they played not in the inn but returned to the training grounds. As the sun was setting, families filled the yard. In some cases, men who served in reserve accompanied their wives and children. However, many mothers attended without their husbands, who were stationed elsewhere. No boys over the age of seven were to be seen, as by law all were boarded at military schools.

written while listening to:  Theresa Wong - Venice is a Fish (Euphorbia Records, EUP-001, 2016, United States, cd, discogs.com)

June 28, 2026
Observing the composition of their audience, the band played a children's concert. The improvisational elements were shortened and some substitutions made in the repertoire. Megaera's frost giant ballad was set aside in favor of a folk song about a toad courting a vole. The song of Seikilos, proclaiming the ephemerality of life, was replaced by a counting song, in which the children joined in the chorus, singing one to ten. The band kept the love song of Megaera and Exekias for young and old ears. They wanted their music to bring cheer amidst austere lives.

written while listening to:  Jan Galega Brönnimann, Moussa Cissokho & Omri Hason - Dandoula Tala (CPL-Music, CPL043, 2020, Germany, cd, discogs.com)

June 29, 2026
As much as the audience watched the musicians, so too did Andromache study the crowd. In doing so, she attempted to reconcile a troubling thought. She recognized the universal relationship between mothers and daughters, as captured by many families present, where two generations sat beside each other, mothers taking unabashed joy in their children's pleasure with the concert. At the same time, the absence of older sons declared the militaristic constraints binding them. Perhaps, Spartans had constructed their own labyrinth in which all were confined.

written while listening to:  Masahiko Satoh, Otomo Yoshihide & Roger Turner - Sea (Relative Pitch Records, RPR1092, 2019, United States, cd, discogs.com)

June 30, 2026
For an encore, Mama Chloë performed solo on the lyre. The other band members stepped into the shadows so she was the sole focus of attention. She strummed the strings and began to sing. The moon had risen during the performance and it bathed her in silver light. It was a simple song, a lullaby meant to put a child to bed. While Andromache had heard Mama's voice every day since joining the band, she had never heard her like this. There was a tenderness and a hidden sorrow. She sang to every child present, and another absent, and Andromache too.

written while listening to:  Vangelis - Blade Runner Trilogy, disc 3 (Universal Music TV, 060075305147(4), 2007, United States, cdx3, discogs.com)