Free Faces

Slovak alternative band Andrej Šeban (guitar), Oskar Rózsa (bass) and Marcel Buntaj (drums) played a trio in the mid-1990s, won on the Slovak scene. Their quality was verified by Ursíny, Brezovský, Varga and Filip. They worked as an improvisation trio and accompanying musicians. They could play anything and could switch between genres - drum n'bass, hardrock and psychedelia sounded in one session. There was a friendly, concentrated and creative environment in the trio. The live performances have come a lot of energy, remember the memorials. The trio was joined by lyricist and singer Maroš Hečko from the Helpless Handful project. The first demo recordings, including Nothing Happens, were brought by Rózsa and Hečko to the Opus studio, where the trio had spread the instruments. Just recorded Müller's Night Optics. And since Müller wasn't going to record then, Almost true story was created in the studio. The song Nothing happens kicked the band. It was their first song that defined them and determined the energy that Free Faces characterized. Therefore, Almost opens a true story. Her message? Nothing's going on, let's play. The album closes the song It´s gone now. Because it's over. While they were playing instrumental, improvised, and therefore unpredictable music in the trio, Almost True Story was given more work by studio work. Most of the songs are based on Rózs' electronic loops and keyboards, Šeban's guitar often only complements electronic motifs. The album is carried at medium tempo and in electronic undercurrents. Free Faces perceived what was happening in 1998 in the world. At that time, Kruder and Dorfmeister, Massive Attack, released their classic albums with Kid Loco, Radiohead and Portishead. What is the textual Almost true story? “At that time, I was quite dealing with my breakup, Doctor Says is a song for her, her, us. I had states from a breakup, but also from what was happening in this country. We took it over quite intensively. In addition to Mečiar, we also discussed a lot of music. The text Walk around & roll in arose from some post-traumatic syndrome after a raging weekend. When everything falls on you and you're wondering where it all goes. That we just move from one day to another. For me, the song Midnight in Europe is a basic feeling of what was happening in Europe at the time, as it was fragmented in 1997. We were not in any of the EU yet, “Recalls Hečko. The songs Diva, Choral, Follybear and Waltz were written on the lyrics of Beatrick poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and were released on a limited EP record which heralded the release of Almost true story. In 1998, they did not stream or download, but bought CDs. Being played on the radio was crucial, as radio was the main medium from which the music came to the audience. The market was dominated by the "Big Five" of the labels and Almost True Story was not a commercially interesting title for them. At that time, big names like Richard Müller sold tens of thousands of pieces, Free Faces were calculated to sell 5-6,000 pieces, which happened. Almost True Story was published by independent publisher Silberman and was played by Radio Ragtime from the beginning. After releasing the album, they went on a Free Faces tour, playing 14 concerts all over Slovakia in 14 days. Responses were excited, many concerts were sold out. Some bands blamed Hečka's accent and singing. In terms of sound, reflecting the trends of trip-hop sound. Nevertheless, Free Faces was an untypical and distinctive band for that time. They managed to capture the masses, their songs being strange but catchy. Gradually they got to other radio stations, playing video clips on television, in the state and private ones. The band went to play them live as something that listens well and looks at it well. It was an idyllic period, but at the same time very contradictory. Some of the energies in the band could not bear each other at some point. Therefore, Free Faces could not have a leader who commanded the whole band. A brief but intense history of the band showed whether it was an advantage or not. The book Rocková Bratislava in connection with the band writes about aristocratic space-rock or experimental rock with great ambitions and a promising perspective, which has not fully fulfilled. Free Faces was supposed to go on a foreign concert tour at the time of Almost True Story, but it didn't work out. Probably not yet time. For Almost True Story, however, they received the highest domestic award, the Music Academy Award such as Discovery of the Year, Record of the Year and Cover of the Year. The band did not come to the ceremony on TV. Prepared by: Peter Dolník Radio FM