Evripidis and his Tragedies

Evripidis and his Tragedies

Evripidis and his Tragedies is the project of Evripidis Sabatis, who comes from Athens and later settles in Barcelona, where he begins performing solo concerts and building a local following. Sabatis studies music extensively, including 14 years of piano, chamber music, and training as a soloist. His work draws on a wide range of influences, including The Magnetic Fields, the Beach Boys, Phil Spector, the Red Bird sound, The Velvet Underground, Scott Walker, Nico, Kate Bush, Nick Drake, Belle and Sebastian, bands associated with Sarah Records, and 1950s doo-wop.

Line-up and musical approach

The project grows beyond a solo format through the use of vocal harmonies and additional musicians. Marisol, Nora González, Odil, and Annie provide doo-wop parts, while Cristina de Sola plays violin, Aleix Clavera of Extraperlo plays bass, and Jaume Ribell of Epic Kind plays drums. The arrangement gives the individual players space while also supporting Sabatis’ songs as a group.

Style and themes

The music moves between contrasting moods and subjects, including pre-Beatles pop, sinister and grotesque imagery, cabaret, romanticism, self-parody, idealisation, catastrophe, comedy, reality and fantasy, and sexual tension. Sabatis’ interest in vocal choruses, including 1960s pop, church chorus, and baroque music, shapes the project’s more elaborate sound.

Selected songs

Named songs associated with the project include “Ru Ru I’d love to…”, “Transylvania, Some nights are sleepless”, “Cause I shall rise again”, “Red is the sky above the harbour”, “I want to be there”, “Long-Lasting Lovers”, “Straydog”, “It’s June Again!”, and “Gregory (we’re coming out in the light)”.