Karpov Not Kasparov

Valeriu Borcos and Eduard Gabia are Karpov not Kasparov, a musical game of chess between synthesizers and drums. Beginning in Bucharest in 2009, the duo soon incorporated an analogue visual artist and contemporary dancers into their live performances, resulting in a theatrical show and a kind of real-time soundtrack to the action around them. The duo’s unique dynamic creates a psychedelic synth-driven sound, combining oriental melodies with the drive of a full live drum kit. Having garnered great acclaim within their native Romania, their debut EPs also received high praise internationally from sources such as WFMU. While in 2014, Mehmet Aslan’s re-work of “Mechanical Turk” released on Huntleys + Palmers made waves across the dance floors of the world.