From.uz

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From.uz
General information
Genre (s) Progressive rock , fusion
founding 2004 as Fromuz
Website www.fromuzband.com
Current occupation
Vitaly Popeloff
Bass, backing vocal
 Albert Khalmurzaev
Keyboard, backing vocal
 Igor Elizov (since 2008)
former members
bass
 Andrew Mara-Novik (until 2008)
Drums
 Vladimir Badirov (until 2008)
bass
 Surat Kasimov (2008-2009)
Drums
 Ali Izmailov (2008-2010)
Keyboard
 Evegeniy Popelov (session musician 2007)

FROM.UZ (formerly Fromuz) is a progressive rock and fusion band from Uzbekistan , founded in 2004 by Vitaly Popeloff (guitar) and Andrew Mara-Novik (bass). The name of the band was derived from the title of one of the first compositions and means "from Uzbekistan". Most of the compositions are instrumental. FROM.UZ is the most famous representative of progressive rock in Central Asia .

history

The group's story began in the spring of 2004 when Uzbek studio musicians Vitaly Popeloff (guitar) and Andrew Mara-Novik (bass) decided to form a band that would play their favorite music - progressive rock. Afterwards, the following musicians were invited to play along: The drummer Vladimir Badirov, well-known through his session work with Uzbek pop stars like Sevara Nazarxon and others, and the actor, director and composer Albert Khalmurzaev as keyboard player.

The band's first important project is “Sodom and Gomorrah”, a ballet with progressive rock accompaniment, which was premiered in 2004 at the Tashkent Youth Theater in Uzbekistan and also in 2006 as part of the International Chekhov Theater Festival in Moscow and in 2008 at the festival “Encounters in Russia ”was shown in Saint Petersburg . The musicians also took part in concerts of Vladimir Badirov's solo project "Greeting from Nostradamus".

In 2005, the band's first concert took place in the hall of the Youth Theater of Uzbekistan. In the same year the band performed at the “ Astana Blues 2005” festival in Kazakhstan . In 2006 the band received the “Crystal Awards 2006” from Snobs Collection as “Project of the Year” in Uzbekistan. In August 2006 the band was signed by the 10T Records label .

In February 2007 the debut live album entitled Audio Diplomacy (CD + DVD) was released, together with the concert recordings from the youth theater of Uzbekistan, which had previously been released in Uzbekistan under the title Playing the Imitation . The album consists of eight tracks, the DVD includes two additional bonus tracks. The band also performed successfully at the big festival " Baja Prog " in Mexicali / Mexico alongside Jordan Rudess ( Dream Theater ), Focus , Ritual and others, as well as at the festival "Letnie Notschi" ("Summer Nights") in Schymkent , Kazakhstan.

The second album by the band Overlook (2008) consists of five long compositions with a total length of about 70 minutes. It was recorded in the IOSIS studio in Tashkent and mixed at Charleston Sound (USA). Then Vladimir Badirov and Andrew Mara-Novik left Uzbekistan and the band. The vacant positions were taken by Surat Kasimov (bass) and Ali Izmailov (drums). In addition, keyboardist Igor Elizov joined the group as the fifth musician. The band began to work on new ideas, which grew together into a new project "Seventh Story / The Seventh Story". The band's music now also contained elements of progressive metal and sung passages.

In support of the new project, the band played a series of concerts on the stage of the youth theater in September 2008 and 2009 and decided to record the pieces in the recording studio. Then Surat Kasimov left the band; since then Albert Khalmurzaev has been the bassist. Seventh Story was released by 10T Records in February 2010, followed in October by the Inside Seventh Story DVD with the recordings of the “Seventh Story” concert in the youth theater. In 2010 Ali Ismailov left the band, so that the band has consisted of three musicians since then. A guest drummer is hired for concerts.

Concerts

In addition to participating in various international and local festivals (IOSIS Fest), the band regularly performs large solo concerts, which represent a concept show with theatrical installations. In addition to “Seventh Story”, the band has known the “Anthology” (anthology of the band's works) and “Quartus Artifactus” projects at the Ilkhom Theater .

Cover versions

The band has often played cover versions since its inception. Two of them were recorded in the studio. In 2009 10T Records released the album Undercover , which featured covers from bands from this label. The first track on this CD is Starless by King Crimson , played by FROM.UZ. In the summer of 2010, the cover version of the song Brush with the Blues by Jeff Beck was recorded in the IOSIS studio .

Discography

Albums

  • 2007: Audio Diplomacy
  • 2008: Overlook
  • 2010: Seventh Story
  • 2011: Quartus Artifactus
  • 2013: Sodom and Gomorrah

Videos

  • 2007: Audio Diplomacy
  • 2010: Inside Seventh Story

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.lastfm.de/music/Fromuz
  2. ↑ ".uz" is the top-level domain for Uzbekistan
  3. ↑ http://vampster.com/artikel/show/?id=22350
  4. ↑ http://powermetal.de/review/review-Fromuz/Audio_Diplomacy,9783.html
  5. ↑ http://www.rocktimes.de/haben/f/fromuz/seventh_story.html