Giolì and Assia “Playing Chess”
Giolì and Assia “Playing Chess”

Giolì and Assia release new single “Playing Chess”

The single is extracted from their forthcoming album, ‘Fire, Hell and Holy Water’

Giolì and Assia, the Italian multi-instrumentalists, singer/songwriters, DJs, and label owners, have released the new single “Playing Chess” from their upcoming third studio album, ‘Fire, Hell, and Holy Water.’

Following the release of recent singles “Fire Hell and Holy Water,” “Silence,” and “I’ll Be Fine,” the fourth single, “Playing Chess,” brings us closer to the LP, which is set to be released on Ultra Records on September 9th. The single is a piece of Depeche Mode-style electronica inspired by Florence & the Machine’s “Shake It Out.” ‘Playing Chess,’ one of the album’s most energetic singles, is led by Gioli’s uptempo drums and complemented by her captivating piano chords and Assia’s vocals. The push-pull effect of the instrumentation reflects on the contrastingly intense and introspective nature of the record, all while showcasing the couples’ unending love for one another.

The lyrics revolve around the metaphor that we are nothing but pawns on a chessboard; part of a game, of a mechanism that is none other than the society in which we live today, which alienates us away from our more human and true form. The only escape from this game is the night; only in the night we reveal our true selves, only during the night we can be free, ‘but when it’s dark I know our souls are true, yeah when it’s dark I see the light in your eyes, but when it’s sunshine, you hide – Giolì and Assia

Giolì and Assia, from Palermo, Italy, have won the hearts of fans all over the world with their sublime and ethereal soundscapes. The duo creates genre-free sounds that are entirely their own from beginning to end, with no outside collaboration. Giolì, a masterful pianist who has been honing her craft since the age of 8, plays the piano, cello, drums, guitar, and handpan, with Assia commanding lead vocals and guitar across the album.

Giolì and Assia will continue to tour throughout the world throughout the summer and fall, returning to North America in September for their biggest headline shows to date at LA’s The Novo and Brooklyn Steel. The duo also have festival slots at Czech festival Colours of Ostrava, Austria’s FM4 Frequency Festival, Chicago’s ARC Music Festival, Las Vegas’s Life is Beautiful, San Francisco’s Portola, and more.

Along with the release of the single today, Giolì and Assia have released a live performance video of “Playing Chess” from their boundary-pushing video series “#DiesisLive.” The videos have been a cornerstone of Giol & Assia’s artistic development and creative expression, carving out their own aesthetic niche and garnering the band millions of views from around the world for each production. The high-octane productions, which began in April 2019, invite viewers to watch intimateGiolì and Assia live performances filmed in remote and jaw-dropping locations. These have included a volcano in the Aeolian Islands, the Andromeda Theater in Agrigento, Isola Delle Femmine in Palermo, the breathtaking Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon in Iceland, and, most recently, the Krysviksberg Cliffs in Iceland.

‘Fire, Hell, and Holy Water,’ due out September 9th on Ultra Records, is the band’s most ambitious work to date, 16-track labor of love. The record, named after a well-known local Sicilian saying, documents their turbulent and intense highs and lows as a couple, as well as the health issues and untimely deaths of relatives during the pandemic. Referencing a plethora of major sonic influences, the pair cite London Grammar, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Labyrinth’s Euphoria score, U2 and Ludovico Einaudi as just a few of the many formative inspirations on their landmark forthcoming album.

Around the album launch and tour dates, Giolì & Assia recently launched a contest to win a golden custom G&A handpan, vinyl test pressing, merch capsule, 2 tickets to a headline show, meet & greet and more. Enter to win by following this link.

Giolì & Assia - Playing Chess (Official Video) [Ultra Records]