Episode #19

on with the series with a man representing a trio, sort of like their front man joining me on this two plus hour sound-scape. it stroked me some time ago when i listened to him and his clan spinning "unheard of" house music at a local gig. as i found out they were banging out funk records in such a tempo, with such a style, it sounded like house! now that was unique, so much i had to have them on the show.

Bomba Energia Soundsystem started out on 2005 between two very good friends with completely different music preferences. Simos can be described as the radical of the duo since he is much closer to more electronic types of music such as acid house, electro disco, early Chicago house as well as nu disco, 70's boogie, and 80's electro. on the other hand Antonis, the eldest with musical preferences varying from new wave and rock'n' roll to native African, Caribbean rock, kraut and 60's swings.
after three years of  live performances on VM radio shows another very important member was added to the team Antonakis. being the youngest of them all didn't play a part at all since he adapted his style easily playing deep Afro beat, Latin and managed to deliver a very unique black sound. 
when those three friends met and performed a live set they created a very unique musical experience through their different musical influences, an explosive highly energetic feeling, the Bomba Energia Soundsystem was formed.

we're coming to a close  for the season as summer is just around the corner. keep your eyes peeled for a couple of special mixes to conclude the third season of the Blackball Show. stay tuned..

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Episode #18

i've been considering the amount of tunes played during the years as this show is progressing ... hilarious.one said you've got the history of house in here, past present and future! cannot disagree!

this time around i had another log time friend to join me on the wheels of steel. a man that played a key role on establishing the d2 legacy in the capital about twelve years ago, a man that deserves respect for his course and achievements over the years.

Christos Martinis aka Funkslut was born in Volos, Greece in 1973  and was raised in Munich, Germany where he also studied and partly built his career. as an audio engineer and music producer he's counting numerous projects, some of which are still echoing proudly. holding a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Music (Southern Cross University Australia), in 1998 he initiates and participates in the opening of SAE Athens, the well known Creative Media Institute for which he currently works as the Head of Academic Resources. on the parallel he establishes Plasteline in Munich and Athens a company first aimed in organizing performance events of electronic music nature. as of 2006 the project gains a strict recording / publishing character and since then counts numerous releases from artists around the globe. as a DJ he adores most kinds of house and techno styles, which he passionately and persistently represents throughout his sets.


as he confessed, he had to sit down and sort his shit for a couple of weeks prior to the show, which is what this project is all about. digging the crates and coming up with tunes we'd love to share with the world. quite a few leftfield beats some deep techno vibes plus a couple of classics, this episode has it all! as for the mix itself, solid as a rock... 


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Episode #17

after a month of silence we return with a bang..
hosting one of the immovable figures in Athens underground dance was a task on its own...in fact i had to ask for help to get this show going...so i have to show my appreciation to Zak who was the man to literally grab my guest and drag him down to the Blackball HQs...as expected, i got the full combo so u got Kyvellos, Zak and myself on a two and a half hour back to back extravaganza..



Kyvellos official introduction in Athens dance scene dates back to the late 80s when he was part of the classic Flavour Crew alongside Alexees, Zak, Culture Mark and Brother Tee taking place at the Lycabetus. into the 90s he maintained a residency at the now legendary Groovin in Athens while also spinning his records at various dungeons in the capital. later on he became a resident at the infamous Limousine parties at the roof top bar of Athens Hilton. nowadays he's the proud owner and curator of Kasseta Record Store, perhaps the only vinyl record boutique in Athens.

its always a pleasure to host top dogs in the show...together we provided this Blackball future retro...enjoy

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news bulletin

"A new night comprising a rotating list of residents dedicated to bringing the best in underground sounds to Athens with love; made by and for this city's party people"

Beginning on Saturday the 10th of March on the recently pumped up sound system of the Bar space of Six D.O.G.S. we cordially invite you to our new monthly party; as a group we have been kicking this idea about for a bit and as you can see from the list of participants we envisage being a part of this project, all share in a sense of quality underground music but each has their own personal take on it, giving what we think will be a unique quality to an across the board, friends and family type night.

There are no headliners - this is all of our night, and out of the pot of ROTATION residents 5 different DJs will play each month with those names only being announced on the night to the public!

We'd love you to come down and support in person on the night; what we really hope to see is grass roots support for a local team from a local community of music lovers!

So far there are two dates locked in for ROTATION: Saturday March 10th & Saturday April 21st but the ultimate goal is to graduate to the gig stage and make this a monthly standard party of big proportions in the near future; Athens DJs Stand Up!


The ROTATION DJ Roster:

Alexees (Trouble / Jazz.GR)
Black Athena (Jo & Costis - AIR FM/Cloud City/Trouble/Fantastic Vol 2)
Bomba Energia Soundsystem (VM Radio/ B-Music)
Boycott (d2/Lowdown/Blackball)
Δημητρης ( Synch - Θρι Σιξτι - Φ α b r i k a )
Dynamons (Echovolt/Let Go!)
Egon (Granny/Let Go!)
Espeekay (Plenty/Listen Up!)
Fresh Things First (Jeph1 & Circo Inverso)
G_ (Gunderscore) (Let Go!/BHAT)
Giganta (RBMA 2011)
Petit Bear (Fantastic Vol. 2/Beatniks)
Runner (d2/Lowdown/Subbed Out)
Mr. Statik (BPitch Control/Subbed Out)
Zak (Krank Funk, ήχος ανοχής)


ROTATION
Saturday the 10th of March / Σάββατο 10 Μαρτίου
Six D.O.G.S. Αβραμιώτου 6-8, Μοναστηράκι

Doors: 10pm / FREE ENTRY

Episode #16

i've been chasing him down for ages. distance was an issue as he resides up north but we finally managed to get together for this long awaited episode. it was a pleasure to host long time friend, fellow compatriot and one of my hometown's old dogs...
DimDJ started spinning records back in 1992. his influences cover a wider than wide range of musical genres from 80's acid house to 90's techno-rave and ambient all the way to skate-punk and new wave-electro. in 1998 he started experimenting on music production resulting in his first track (under his Magnet moniker) released as part of the Regroovable Market compilation comprising of Greek electronic music artists on Rubber Recordings. moving on, from 2001 to 2006 he was running the label Relax Records and the project Epidemic Elements with partner in crime Dj PiCi. in 2007 DimDJ together with Mijo started the Audio Atlas project. three years later the duo got releases on Chicago based Mathematics Recordings. DimDJ is currently running the Space Channel on Ustream broadcasting on random dates and times.
as if all the above is not enough, he is still developing his love to draw and design under the James Enox alias. all in all a multi-talented, versatile man. in this mix we deliver a crossover sound between the leftfield, 80s/90s acid house, jack house, deep & smooth, whatever new sounds like classic, all with a twist. this is Blackball avant garde...

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Episode #15

born on the cusp of two decades so musically rich that undoubtedly growing up in that era helped build an appreciation for all forms of that which we call dance music, the enigmatic artist known as Thomey Bors truly came to existence on embarking upon a temporary move to one of the most significant musical motherlands to attend university.

on returning to Greece having completed studies in the UK he took to bedroom production and DJing and teamed up with long term friend and collaborator Petit Bear, another Athens based selector and regular on the capital’s low end. together the pair formed the Beatnicks, a two-way stab at bringing low end, bass, glitchy hip hop and what was briefly touted as wonky to a tightly constructed club mixed setting. the duo quickly found an appreciative audience and went on to feature at nights alongside the likes of Cinnaman, Jay Scarlett and Mark Pritchard as well as guesting at the debut Cloud City concept night alongside London hip hop head Paul White and Washington DCs producer and MC Pursuit Grooves.

last time we enjoyed a back to back session with le baron Thomey Bors I had to watch my car being towed away in the middle of a country road…so I played it safe and hosted his reappearance on the show in the Blackball headquarters. had to do it anyway as he’s churning out his own production at an alarming rate while varying the genres, influences, bpms and style of execution as he hones his craft. check the disparate, spaced out beauty of Synthetic Junk, the hypnotic drive of The Path or the Zarpa (to be released on This Side Music) as well as the old school influence of Celestial Beings and be prepared to be impressed at the depth, range and signature sound that defines his music.

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Episode #14

was about time I made some effort to get this project going once again. loads of traveling, a bit of well deserved time off and we’re on for another adventurous year. so its finally here. Blackball new season, fresh lineup, underground house masters for your ears. kick starting with a man I met for a few drinks some months back, turns out he’s a low profile, cool, like minded chap with serious skills on the wheels. spanning over two hours, the mix we produced is tight to say the least.

Lee Burton aka Liberto was born in Athens in the mid 80's. from the age of 9 he knew that music was his big passion. as a teenager, after years of music studies, he got involved with music playing as a guitarist and bassist for various prog. rock, jazz rock / fusion groups- projects , composing music and collecting records.

these early influences would later evolve in to a passion for house and techno , electronic music production and djing. however, it was at the age of 19, when he began making his first tracks and playing at local parties as a dj. after a few years and some changes on his music character he found himself releasing his debut album "Lullaby" as "Liberto" on the Athens based label Klik records, in addition to an ep called "Contra" on Klik's sub label "Nuevo", taking great feedback from the Greek and international press and putting his name on the map of electronic music.

in 2007, Liberto & Mihalis Safras teamed up for the first time, producing a unique style rather different from their own. they released various e.p's and remixes for labels such as Trapez, Cusp, Zenit and Syndikaat and their sound earned the appreciation of the modern techno scene. meanwhile, the duo launched "Material" record label, releasing techno music from great producers like Mark Broom and Lee Van Dowski, among others. material's releases were played and charted by some of the best djs in the scene.

at the same time, Liberto was attempting to express himself with more percussive elements and deep sounds. the resulting offerings "Plastikk" e.p on Playmobil and "Martini" e.p on Cusp entered the charts of many djs. as a dj, Liberto played at some of the best clubs in Greece and Europe including U-60311, Mangali (Ger), Solyanka (Ru), A.K.A, The Egg, Micro (UK), Cavo Paradiso, Fuzz (Gr).

in 2009 the "Lee Burton" alias was born, in order to produce pure tech- house music and his first tracks were released from labels such as Plastic City, Orpheas and Blind Stitch.

keep your eyes peeled for his new LP “busy days for fools” out Feb 2012 on Klik records.


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news bulletin

3rd season's shows abt to kick off with a fresh lineup including:

DimDJ
Katou
Lee Burton
Bomba Energia Trio
Plasteline Recs

+ more TBA

Episode #13

beginning in radio production at the tender age of 18 via her then university station, Miss Black Athena quickly began her ascent into underground music expertise, with an unquenchable thirst for new music and old. having worked in record shops, for labels, in promotion and dabbling in music journalism it wasn't long before she teamed up with her partner in crime and began putting on parties around London, before an unplanned move to the Greek capital where her momentum gathered and the Black Athena brand was born. typically English she is obsessive about music, obnoxious, and tends towards drunken hooliganism - however her knowledge, and quest for more knowledge sets her aside from your usual brawling bar room thug and places her on a particular pedestal of charm! you can catch her DJing around and about the Greek capital, hosting the Cloud City Pop-Up parties, playing twice weekly on Athens International Radio and helping out at the 360 record Store in Gazi; the timing was perfect for Jo to join me as this was the final episode of the series for the season...not your typical friday night extravaganza!! pulling out tracks that were sampled as hell back in the early days to shape the sound we call house music, some classics plus some fresh beats to sum up a year of endless turntable madness...

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Episode #12

Bodj began to collect music at the age of 12 after being put on to rock & punk by friends who would kindly compile tapes for him. by 15 he discovered a talent for the art of graffiti prompting him to begin collecting old school hip hop, disco and early electro. his passion for b-boy art forms eventually led him one step further and by 2000 Bodj began to play hip hop through house to a soulful style for friends at small venues around and about...
early 2005 Bodj took classes in sound engineering and electronic music production at the SAE institute of technology, the same period saw an explosion of the tech-house scene in which he immersed himself fully. influenced by his studies and a new breed of house/techno producers Bodj was driven to further develop his own skills and cement a style based around house & techno and their variable sub-genres…his impeccable mixing style and technique has made him one of the hottest Athenian djs for the time being,with appearances at respected Greek venues & festivals such as Entechno festival,European Music Day,Six Dogs,Loop just to name a few..Bodj is also releasing music in labels such as diaphan , percusa, monique musique etc, with more new stuff coming soon …


prepare to hear more of him in the near future..in the meantime here is the man's contribution on the show...two plus hours of back to back house extravaganza..

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Episode #11

Thodoris Triantafillou was born in Athens in 1977. from the early 80s he started listening to different styles of music, thanks to tapes that friends and family passed to him. in the beginning of the 90s, when the rave scene was exploding, he started buying vinyl records and spin them at a local radio station and many parties and clubs in Athens. back then he bought his first PC and started composing music and doing some productions for friends. on 1999 he released his first single and album which was digitally released and distributed for free via his website metadubsoundesign (MDSD). in the 00s Thodoris released 5 EPs as one half of the NOVOX project. after that he decided to work as a solo artist. many EPs and remixes came out on Katchuli, Quantized Music, Souvenir Recordings, Orpheas Music, Diaphan Music, Genowefa Recordings amongst others. the results were many sales and support from DJs like Nick Warren, Roberto Rodriguez,James Zabiela, Richie Hawtin, Groove Armada, Tiefschwarz, Dennis Ferrer, Jerome Sydenham, Josh Wink, Brothers Vibe, Phonique plus many others.he also is the co-owner of the Rhythmetic label which is also based in Athens. his latest works are released on Rhythmetic label.


his moto is "Music is not a format, it's freedom, amusement, mood and spreading love". so, under that moto, he still makes music that expresses him. as he says: "The quality and the mood of the final result is the one that counts and not the genre/style that you are playing". after 18 years as a DJ he has played the most of the music genres like Drum & Bass, Breaks, Hip Hop, Soul, RNB, Techno, House,
Dub, Disco, Trip Hop, Jazz. and this can be heard on his releases and productions.
Thodoris has played at the biggest clubs in Greece like Dybbuk, Cavo Paradiso, Animal, W Club, Tango, Monroe, Block33. he has also played abroad in places like Germany and United Kingdom. currently, he is resident at the Deepsoul Collective nights together with Theo Tag, G Spice and Kosta Tee, running weekly in downtown Athens. stretching over two hours, this show has proven to be a nicely drawn back to back mix between your host and a man of many milestones. respect for coming down and gracing the wheels of the Blackball show..

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Episode #10

Stathis Kalatzis is hidden behind the Mr.Statik moniker. born in 1978, he grew up in Volos, where his musical influences go back to 1990 and the rising hardcore/breakbeat scene. several parties, moving to Athens to study Political Science at Panteion University and a firm embrace of techno music lead to the form of Improvize- a mobile party with fellow dj Chevy aiming at bringing a fresh sound of techno and house in all its forms. during 2003 he performed in more gigs and club nights, and had the chance to make a wonderful trip to Cape Town with the Red Bull Music Academy. in the beginning of 2005 he forms the Mud Max project alongside amigo Motek (first releases out on Balkon and Ware). after the second half of 2006, Mr Statik starts to work solo as well, signing his first eps in labels such as Karloff, Stock5 and Octopus with a variety of tracks which embrace his moodier and atmospheric side...2007 finds him djing between his local residency at Fetisch and gigs abroad (with Monegros Festival and Tresor standing out as highlights) whereas in 2008 more releases and international appearances are on the way alongside a signing to UK label Immigrant and Berlin’s Rotary Cocktail and Perplex. 2009 kicks off with a series of rmxs, further appearances across Europe and a signing to Bpitch Control’s sister label Memo. in 2010 he continues working heavily on rmxing duties for various artists/labels, while preparing his Bpitch Control comeback and touring between Germany, France and Spain. he signs his first ep for Berlin based Mo’s Ferry released in autumn and signs Sinphony (feat. The Boy) to the upcoming Werkschau compilation on Bpitch Control. for the 10th Episode in the series Mr Statik joins your host on a 5 hour back to back session!!! this...a Blackball Marathon...

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PartA
PartB

Episode #9

Zak has been active in the Greek club scene since the late 80's, fortunate enough to live the house burst in the 90's throughout the last decade. his beloved residencies were at Amsterdam Cafe, a hip place in the heart of Athens with an obscure crowd that established the dj culture in cafe's, Camel Club late nigh marathons, Grooving basement dirt funk days, the glossy Limousine Ozon parties at the Hilton Hotel rooftop and the Big Chill sessions in Naxos as well as the Enchanted Garden in the UK and the neo disco sound of BBluz cafe with guests such as Todd Terje & The Unabombers.
by mid 90's he was putting on events with his buddies Dimitris, Alexees & Tassos as Flavour & Intrafunk with Dj Harvey, Paper Recordings, Simon Lee of Faze Action , Jazzanova & Tim Love Lee (Tummy Touch). his sound signature if it must be tagged is Leftfield House & Disco, an off center sound but that's not all. His passion for jazz, funk & fusion found a home on Jazz fm 102,4 and later on Cool fm 98,7. one day during his show on Jazz with James Mason on the decks he got a call from a surprised listener asking "who's playing this man?" ... "Who's asking mate?" he replies,. that was Mark S, a dear friend since then that introduced him to production tricks. Fiona M was already there, all the way, a driving force that dared. Coda Recordings label and studio was soon a dream made true. the Jazz fm basement was now taken over and revamped into the Coda Records HQ. Coda was dealing mostly with Greek talented producers and that was the plan, but life's got some twists & turns that you can't see coming your way, meeting up & hanging out with Paul McCartney was one of them. right before Paul's "Back in the U.S. Tour" in 2002 a promotional CD with remixes of Wings' tracks was put out and Zak reworked "Coming Up" a tough disco number, then flew to LA, backstage for the concert. that's when he realized what Rock n Roll is about !!!


nowdays Zak is a bit like David Mancuso, not leaving home unless there's a serious reason or sound system and i'm proud to say the Blackball show was one. occasionally he does The President Hotel Penthhouse 21 nights with Mr G, never scheduled and this is a mystery kids! took some time for this show to happen but it was worth the wait..this is the first time i shared my turntables with the man..no need to say more...just...

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Episode #8

quite a unique show this time as Mr Jazz GR joined me for a three hour boogie down house mix... alexees has been roaming the Athenian dance music circuit for more than a decade, after sowing his wild oats as a student in the States in the early nineties where he presented a radio show on WMUC 88.1 FM in the DC area and made some rare appearances at bars such as the Eighteenth Street Lounge and State of the Union.


in Athens, he started the Flavour crew along with Zak (featured in the next episode), Dimitri K, Brother T and Culture Mark Stephenson. they maintained a mid-week residency at the legendary Groovin and provided the soundtrack for the trailblazing Limousine parties on top of the Athens Hilton.

alexees has also thrown parties as Intrafunk, Boogie Dub Social Club and Urban Disco. he's played alongside several respected DJ figures such as Harvey, the Idjut Boys, Moodymann, Daniel Wang, Prins Thomas, Rainer Truby, Gilles Peterson, Jazzanova, Lee Douglas and Lovefingers, Tim Love Lee, Simon Lee, Mark E and others.

nowadays he expresses his taste for jazz, selecting records from his expanding collection of vinyl for the Jazz.gr podcast. he also prefers to get into Trouble, an event that he runs with Costis Black Athena which is devoted to the boogie sound of the late seventies and early eighties. this episode is clearly influenced by that boogie sound fused with some timeless house jems..enjoy

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Episode #7

and we're back to the base for the next episode of the series..this time long time friend Theo Lazos joined me for a two hour back to back mix...dub was the order of the day for this show, either in house or techno form, quite naturally as this is a major influence on the mans sound portrayed in his performances throughout the capital...over the last years Lazos worked hard to perfect his skills getting some major bookings including a Sub:conscious gig along side Mike Parker , a guest slot in epta ogdoa festival and a conspicuous warm up for Jeff Mills during his recent gig in Athens. watch out for future appearances in some of Athens underground dungeons..

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Episode #6

this was the first show out of Athens, quite an adventurous one to say the least...after a long drive up north, a broken tightener in the car's engine and some late night towage, Blackball managed to reach its final destination, the Beatnicks HQs. joined on location by local people and others migrating from Athens, the show kicked off with some delay but stretched for over three and a half hours as Thomey Bors, Petit Bear and myself took turns to provide a full on "history of house" mix. Numerous classics combined with some hot off the press numbers covering over two decades of the sound we love and share..


being low profile to the bone doesn't mean the Beatnicks, are not active in the local music scene. Petit Bear is running the biweekly Fantastic Vol.2 nights with Jo Black Athena while updating his 45mins blogspot and performing in selected gigs. Thomey Bors is concentrated on his studio work lately producing some unique and wicked beats. Keep your eyes peeled for future tracks and appearances of the duo..

once again a massive thanx to the 3well massive for their excellent hospitality..it was a joyful excursion to be remembered...and repeated for sure!!

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Episode #5

2010 was the year the d2 nights came to a close completing a remarkable adventure as we both have been heading away from our ongoing dnb excursions of the last decade .. special events that drew the attention of the unsuspected ear (and eye on some occasions) left a stamp on ourselves and the crowds of what we called future soul..this show portrays the duo's progression on different roads and yet again the merge on beatz we love on a different note as myself together with my main man the Runner spread some wonderful across the board all styles house vibes for the 5th episode in the series...


Runner has been anything but quiet lately getting booked on numerous events to portray his bass heavy sound while hosting guest nights such as Untitled, Subbed Out and Bloc Party. Next up is the Mutant House night where the d2 make a one off reappearance together with man of the moment Altered Natives..this episode is quite simply a taste of things to come...

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Episode #4

he has been in the forefront of Athens nightlife for quite a few years...together with partner in crime (and life) Jo they form the renowned Black Athena duo, a music collective online, in print and on air...as well as hosting a weekly show on Athens International Radio 104.4, Costis runs the 360 independent record store and also co-hosts the Trouble nights together with Alexees Urban Disco..music is written all over him nowadays and he enjoys it to the max.. needless to say its quite an achievement i managed to get him over for the fourth episode of the Blackball Show...

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Episode #3

the man needs no introduction ... part of Improvize, The Pins, Partycular and Urban Disco collectives as well as a member of the Red Bull Home Groove team, performing throughout Greece for ages now, Chevy joins your host for a two and a half hour back to back journey of rolling contemporary beatz ... seamless...

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Episode #2

from music lover, to vinyl junky, to sound engineer, to prolific producer,whether as a founding member of the notorious Palyrria band, or as a solo artist under his Ekelon moniker with productions on Planet mu, Creative Space, Tube 10 and PIH the man's journey through the ocean of sound is endless.. hosting life long friend Max Demian (aka K. Haller) would naturally point to a time travel down acid house and techno influenced beatz n bongs...turns out i was wrong as the show was a full on riding race of finely mixed underground jems....love it when the mix takes different routes than expected..highlight of the night was the airing of the first ever Palyrria 12" courtesy of the one and only Dr. Aja...

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Episode #1

for the first show of this years series _g, the sophisticated 3well massive ambassador and host of the "between House and Techno" nights in Athens comes along for a two and a half hour all styles house meltdown...respect to the man who kick started both years of the blackball adventure...

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