K not K (Karpov not Kasparov) is a self-managed, independent artist duo consisting of composer, keyboard player, vocalist Valerius Borcos and drummer Eduard Gabia (conceptual artist, choreographer, actor). They make music based on the concepts, mathematics and strategies of chess. The output is a witty danceable electronic music with Balkan, jazzy vibes.
During the past 8 years, the band played in 38 out of 44 European countries on club or cultural stages, museums, art galleries but also for important festivals sharing the stage with great bands like GusGus, Underworld, AltinGun, Poni Hoax etc.
The debut LP “Soundtrack for a Game of Chess” has been nominated ‘album of the month’ by Vice Magazine, and declared ‘one of the most valuable releases of the year’ by Radio Romania Cultural. The Vocal Edits (2016) was declared Best Romanian Electronic Release of 2016 by Scena9.ro and considered “probably the best Romanian album of its genre in the last 30 years” by the journalists of musical blog Muzici&Faze.
Memory EP (2021) was featured on BBC 6. The release of a next full-length is announced for autumn 2023.
