A dialogue between oriental melodies and electronic soundscapes creating a captivating musical experience.This is Xadrex شطرنج) pronounced "Shadresh"), a new project by a Czech producer, drummer, and vocalist Cyril Kaplan (Vložte kočku, Mutanti hledaj východisko) and Husam Abed, an oud player, singer, and performer. The duo first collaborated on soundtracks for video art projects by Jiří Žák and now presents their debut EP, 7, released under the Swedish label Ostron Music.
Xadrex navigates the fragile balance between dialogue and conflict, capturing the interplay of cultures, voices, and rhythms. Across four tracks, they reveal both tension and harmony within human interaction, singing in English and Arabic. Each song becomes a metaphorical chess match where the line between collaboration and confrontation blurs.
The project was supported by the Czech music export office SoundCzech as part of The Year of Czech Music 2024.