Checkmate in 2 Flats
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Music
Press
"…Maybe a CD like this one (Mat se Dio Ifesis) could lead to “the rock of our future”…"
- Hitech magazine
"…A very good Greek album (Psema san Alithia) intending to remain forever in every collection that acquires it…" - Diphono magazine
"…this album (Psema san Alithia) exemplifies an ideal production of the contemporary international music scene…" - Apogevmatini
"…I would say “excellent”, for excellent are the instruments, the arrangements and the voices performing these songs… An album (Psema san Alithia) able to make you a little more optimistic concerning new Greek music releases. It could take you from the coast of Ireland to the mountains of Crete, just for the journey’s sake…" - e-go.gr
"…Sometimes they draw on tradition, other times on what we call “art song” and ultimately on our hopes that the game of discography is not yet lost…" - Os3 magazine
"…Sometimes they draw on tradition, other times on what we call “art song” and ultimately on our hopes that the game of discography is not yet lost…" - O?3 magazine
Discography
Mat se dío ifésis - Filocalia Romana Productions, 2003
Pséma san alíthia - Universal S.A, 2005
Trípio Fengari - Parousia, 2009
Ta Téssera Tragoudia tou Míltou Sachtouri - www.matse2ifesis.net, 2011
Guest appearances:
Apostólis Boulassíkis: Tis pólis xotikó (2003)
Anexítila simádia: Soundcheck (2004)
Marínos Karvelás: Stis paryfés tou Ouranou (2004)
Níkos Xydákis: Imerolóyio déftero (Universal, 2005)
Suara: Voices from 3 continents (Limkokwing University, 2007)
Tasos Yiannikos: Spoudi sto tipota ke sto káti (2010)
Photos
Bio
The band "Checkmate in 2 Flats" was established in 1999. Three years later it shaped its own material and released its first album with the same title, which was produced by Nikos Grapsas and "Forces of Aegean": Filocalia Romana Productions, January 2003. After releasing the album, the band was led into a series of performances in Athens, and in festivals in broader Greece and abroad (Éire, 2003). Further experiments on the sound of the group along with the intention to co-operate with well-established members of the ethnic-jazz music scene in Athens, led to a long process of recording which concluded with their second album, entitled "A Lie that Sounds True", produced by Nikos Xydakis and Haig Yazdjian for Universal Music in November 2005.
May 2009, 4 years after their previous album and 10 years after their establishment, they are releasing a new album, called “Empty moon”, which is totally their own production. In 2011, "Checkmate in Two Flats" produced and released online their latest studio work, including four compositions based on poems by Miltos Sahtouris.
"Checkmate in 2 Flats" have collaborated with great musicians in Greece such as Nikos Grapsas, Haig Yazdjian, Ross Daly, Vassilis Rakopoulos, Christos Thiveos, Orfeas Peridis.
During the years 2003 and 2004, the group performed as a session band in three albums. In 2005, they participated in Nikos Xydakis' album "Second Calendar" by composing an instrumental tune called "Roi... Waltz". Additionally, in 2007 they re-arranged the traditional song "On the rose tree" for a world music compilation cd by the Limkokwing University (Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia) named "Suara: Voices from 3 Continents". In 2008, “Checkmate in 2 flats” composed and performed a soundtrack for one of Lotte Reiniger’s animated videos in collaboration with the Music Department of the University of Athens.
Their music genre features elements of Greek traditional music, shaped by a contemporary harmonic and rhythmical development, influenced mainly by jazz.
Links
