Matisse

They depict their highly acclaimed 2005 ‘Cheap As Art’ debut as ‘an invocation to lunacy, as art always bowed down to madness’. Now, a little over two years later and after eight months of self imposed imprisonment in the studio, Matisse unleashed upon the world their sophomore album, the playfully titled Toys Up. Matisse formed in Athens, Greece, in 1999 and has been performing since; everywhere from small Athenian clubs to supporting acts such as Reammon, Puressence, Shed 7, Frank & Walters, Drugstore etc.
In the summer of 2003, they released an EP, simply entitled ‘4’, through the Columbia label and 2 years later- after a nine month long recording phase- their first LP, ‘Cheap As Art’.
In the summer of 2005 and a few days after the release of their debut, Matisse opened the first day of Greece’s most prestigious rock festival, Rockwave, for Garbage and Marilyn Manson.
In December 2006, taking a brake from the recording of their sophomore album, matisse supported the Kaiser Chiefs for their shows in Greece and warmed up the crowd in all three solid packed venues. But what is truly interesting is the way the band has changed since their debut release. A change that is obviously portrayed throughout the songs in Toys Up. From the first riveting chords of the album opener, Call Me, Call Me, and the binding first words “I tried to make up verses and came up with the magic spell”, up until the soothing, wash like romance of Tel Aviv (Hill Of Springs) that concludes it Matisse jump head on into a new sound. Darker and more rough around the edges this visceral new attitude has infiltrated the seemingly bright songs of the album and has inevitably embraced the deep, intensely clouded lyrics. Summer 2007 Matisse played Athens festival FlyBeeyond with Tori Amos, Air and James and they are to embark to a major tour of Greece late 2007 along with the first European dates.