TRIO TEKKE & DAVE DE ROSE – ZIVO (TRIO TEKKE 2017)
After a long break, the acclaimed Neo-Rebetiko group Trio Tekke makes a comeback with a strong new release. ‘Zivo’* is the title of the band’s third album, which initiates their collaboration with London-based Anglo-Italian drummer Dave De Rose. This album marks a departure from the purely acoustic sound of their previous two records and it’s their first to consist of exclusively original compositions. The band’s sound is enhanced by electric guitar, electric bass, effected tzouras, drums, percussion and some electronics, creating a genre-hopping cocktail of Greek Rebetiko-style tunes infused with Afrobeat, Cumbia, Acid Rock, Psychedelia and Jazz. The 12 tracks of the album produce a fresh sonic, stylistic and aesthetic outcome, which strengthens the band’s performance dynamic and makes it approachable for even more diverse audiences.
‘Zivo’ was recorded in London in February 2017 at Soundspecies studio, while three of the tracks on the album were recorded at an earlier stage in Lyon at Mikrokosm studio. Ιt was produced by Trio Tekke and Dave De Rose, mixed by Andreas Trachonitis at studio eleven63 in Nicosia, Cyprus and mastered by Yiannis Christodoulatos at Sweetspot in Athens, Greece. It is distributed by Xango in the Benelux countries and by Proper in the rest of the world. The cover was conceived and created by conceptual photographer Orestis Kalvaris. *Zivo is a term that Trio Tekke and Dave De Rose have been using metaphorically since their encounter to express feelings of soul rapture. Literally the term derives from the Cypriot alcoholic drink ‘zivania’, which 
effectively produces the above feelings when consumed.
Biography
With two acclaimed albums under their belt, Trio Tekke have continued to forge their own take on Rebetiko. From their early days of re-arranging traditional songs on ‘Ta Reggetika’ (2009) (a word that came to be a definition to a new Rebetiko sound over the last few years), through to the sonic explorations and original compositions of ‘Samas’ (2011) – an album that gained them a nomination for ‘Best Newcomer’ in 2012 Songlines Music Awards – Trio Tekke has been a vehicle of musical journeying for long time colleagues Antonis Antoniou, Lefteris Moumtzis and Colin Somervell.
2015 brought them together with drummer Dave De Rose (Moloko, Rokia Traore, Mark Ronson, Mulatu Astatke), giving a new direction and depth to their sound. Louder, punchier and guaranteed to keep you on your feet, they have raised the roof in their first few outings as a quartet. From their performances at Jazz a Vienne in France and Fengaros Festival in Cyprus, came a desire to write and record a new set of songs, featured on their latest release, Zivo.
Photo: archive
