| The history
of Ľahká Múza
In 1984 the foursome young musicians (Gudrun, 677,German H. and Dr.K) found their band. On a post punk euphoria and new wave ground arise first songs of Ľahká Múza. The band has traditional set-up: vocal, guitar, bass and drums. Although the band came into being in a period of culminating communism, “where everything, that was having any breath of “western“ art, was defective“, it did find its place with its new wave production on czech underground scene, that was supporting all “unofficial“ arts. In this period was releasing of records to any unofficial artist impossible and therefore all such music used to be recorded only on tapes. This way comes out in 1988 first live album “Schizofónia“. Also in competition of established czech new wave bands they do interest with their musicality, musical skill and with “fresh-ness“ of music performance. The young band as the only one from slovak bands at that time makes regularly guest appearances on actions organized on czech underground scene. In 1989 came in Czechoslovakia the end of communistic government, what immediately manifested especially on an artistic field. Many undergroud activities got finally the right for its legal existence. One of those is also a label from Prague, Black Point, that is specialized on czech underground. At the end of 1990 bass guitar player German H. leaves the band. In this period goes the band through significant transformation of musical orientation, it definitely waives from new guitar sound and tends to raw minimalistic “guitar“ industrial. This period maps studio recording “Nevinnosť“, which until now belongs to the “rawest”, that the band ever released. Black Point shows an interest to release both albums and so are “Schizofónia“ and “Nevinnosť“ released on this label in 1991. With regard to clear movement to industrial music does the band obtain an invitation to significant Industrial festival in Prague. They perform there their actual album “Nevinnosť“ by which they enter to the tops of czechoslovak industrial scene. However, despite all artistic success, at the end of 1991 leaves the band also its drummer, Dr.K. Ľahká Múza is now only a duo: Gudrun + 677. In this period they limit their concert work and start to prepare their new album “Tieň bolesti“. In 1992 it appears as their CD debut on a slovak label ZOON RECORDS. Its high sound quality (under which is signed excellent studio, professionally of sound engineer and band´s self production) convince all music magazine reviewers and as follows the listeners too, that they come into contact with something very special, considering all conditions in Czechoslovakia at that time. After releasing of this album the band hires bass guitar player for their live shows. They play live in this set- up: vocal, guitar, bass + drum machine. Following great reactions on their actual album comes an offer from prestigeous club in Prague, Bunkr, to appear as a guest of an american electro band Stereo Taxice Device. The concert gets excellent reactions and that opens for Ľahká Múza doors to czech club scene. The band gets many offers for tours from abroad, which cannot be realized mostly of financial reasons. In 1993 Czechoslovakia falls apart and that brings along unpleasant results to band, that is well run in czech part of previous federation. At the turn of years 1994 – 1995 the band reaches to the very edge of “minimalistic“ industrial processes and it is looking for a way to new arrangement mains and to the overall sound expression. Gudrun and 677 surround themselves by modern machinery that allows to utilize advantages of samplers and sequencers. Co-operation with new technics and methods in arranging is clearly manifested on their second CD “Chvenie absolútna“, that appears, despite the separation of our state, on czech label INDIES RECORDS. This album presents Ľahká Múza as a very special electro-gothic-industrial project with an accomplished vocal performance, expressively asserted richer arrangements, hi-quality sound of samplers and characteristic dark wave atmosphere. Album had gathered success in czech music press and in the end of 1995 the band gets an offer to perform at prestigeous international music festival ALTERNATIVA in Prague. At this festival appear the tops of foreign scene – Asmus Tietchens, Kapotte Music, Esplendor Geometrico, Hybrids, Co – Caspar and the last day, together with Ľahká Múza also Test Dept. After excellent reactions to this festival had awakened some interest also in Slovakia. In Bratislava´s prestigeous U-Club the band starts series of successful concerts. In contrast to czech scene, where takes the possession of the band the industrial part of their subscene, in Slovakia it is its dark wave part. In 1995 in Bratislava takes place The First Gothic Festival, where Ľahká Múza successfully presents its actual album. The band beside its original music presents on the scene also an impressive stylization and the whole expression is performative. Despite to remarkable distance from more traditional genres the band keeps an expressive position on czech alternative scene. And therefore in 1996 the band makes again guest appearance on festival Alternativa alongside with the legend of czech underground, DG 307. Thanks to the distribution network of INDIES RECORDS, who carry the music carriers abroad, there is many foreign positive responses. The band goes through many interviews to foreign music magazines. By the year 1997 comes to the band another bass guitar player – VODA, who becoms after two years a regular member of the band. In this set – up originates also material for a new album “Sen ohraničeného života“, that is released at the beginning of 1998 by slovak label SONICCA. The band on its new album presents an original fusion of electronic and their special guitar sound. There is less of sampled areas and a ritual rhythm is added up. So are specific guitar parts and exacting and very emotive vocal performance. Reviewers and listeners highly rate not only the sound part, but also an original and impressive graphic expression of CD. Realeasing of this album is supported by many interesting concert activities both in Czech and Slovak republics. At the end of 1998 do the band start up its own Internet homepage http://artist.music.sk/lahkamuza. Immediately, after the enrolment of this page into the world inspectors of dark wave, gothic, electro and industrial music,there come many positive responses to their work. For all, at least some: Dark Velvet (USA), Delirium (USA), Dawn Razor (Norway), Eld Rich Palmer (Poland), Brum (Poland), Alter Ego (Ukraine), Bloodstained Tears (Germany), etc. As well the interest of small record companies – Hearse Records (Australia), Immortal Records/Extreme Art (Poland) – delights. In the beginning of 1999 does the band feel an inner strain for another music changes. And so it starts to work slowly on a new album. To more important actions belongs a common concert with Ordo Equitum Italy) in Bratislava´s club Duna. In September Ľahká Múza appears in RC Archa, Trnava also as a performative matter. Since this concert the band performs in the line–up of 3 musicians (Gudrun, 677, Voda) + female performer Cora. This show achieved great response and in this year finished all effort on creating of their new repertoire. The beginning of new season 2000 started with successful appearance at the ElectroMetroFest in RC Metro and with the offer from Polish label Black Flames to release new album. In the beginning of May 2000 goes the band into the studio where arises „Cesty svetla plynú temnotou“. In comparison to the previous recognition marks of the band – original vocal expression, dense guitar sound and minimalistic compositions – there held large space on the new album experiments with rhythmic and vocal structures. In June at the Stigma festival in Bratislava they present their new album in its premiere. After this comes very well achieved performance at the 7th year of the largest festival of Gothic & Dark wave music in Central and Eastern Europe – Castle Party (http://www.castleparty.com) in Polish Bolkow. On this ocassion is released on the compilation Sound of Castle Party 2000 also one track „Symboly prehier“ from their third album. During the summer they finish new videoclip to „Sen ohraničeného života“ (Rose Production). In September comes out their fourth CD on Black Flames. This new album got in the musc press good response and the band faced many interviews: Zillo, Orkus, Gothic, Black Magazine, Side Line, Vampiria etc... The end of the year was in the sign of the baptism of new CD which was held in the Archa club in Trnava. In 2001 they started out in the beginning of January in Bratislava`s club DUNA, where they appeared as guests of gothic band ALVAREZ PEREZ from Brno, who were baptizing their second CD. In January they absolved one successful concert in Prague`s ROCK CAFE, where they played at the Epidemia Rec. show. Then comes the multimedial evening with the presentation of David Cronenberg`s film Existence in Luhačovice and in May the two-part concert with Czech band XIII. Století in Bratislava. In the beginning of the summer puts on Czech Television channel ČT2 in their show „A Night with Angel“ video-clip „Sen ohraniče-ného života“. This screening was met with good responses and at the basis of it gets the band invitations to another interesting festivals in Czech Republic – gothic & dark wave music Fan Favorit in Brno, festival of alternative music Severní Vítr in Litoměřice and metal festival Brutal Assault in Přerov. To the culmination of their concert activities surely belongs very successful performance at the Castle Party 2001 in Bolkow, Poland, where they played at the small scene alongside with Endraum from Germany or Holland The Legendary Pink Dots. The concert activities in 2002 began at the concert with the legend of
Czech gothic music - XIII. Stoleti in Bratislava. In May they successfully
played at the largest festival of gothic and dark wave music Wave - Gotik
- Treffen in German Leipzig. In June they appeared at the international
multimedial festival "The Other Sex" in Prague's Palac Akropolis
with their performance side project Hieros Gamos (Gudrun, 677, Cora).
This show achieved positive reactions and Hieros Gamos do have an ambition
to perform also in the future mainly at the art & conceptual gigs.
The summer belonged to open air festivals - such as Pohoda in Trencin.
The fall was marked with two international festivals: 30.10. - 2.11. 2002
it was Dark Nation Day in Vienna's club Planet Music. They played there
on the last night with bands Ataraxia, Ordo Equlibrium Rosarium, Plastic,
Killing Miranda and NVN Nation. After the show they met with DJ Death,
who offered them cooperation in 2003. Another international festival -
Vampira - was about to take place on the 15th of November in Polish Poznan,
but due to the conflict amongst the organizers it had to be cancelled
only few days prior to the show. The year 2003 is filled with the work on the new album and with interesting concert and artistic activities. The most interesting of them was the cooperation with a Polish firm Leder Stahl http://www.lederstahl.civ.pl for which Gudrun designed and shot with Hieros Gamos a special collection of original metallic clothes. In the future is considered shooting of another video clip under the production of Leder Stahl. Out of the concert activities the most significant belong the appearance in Warsaw at the Kopalnia club under the wings of Sounds Of Cathedral, the greatest gothic festival of the Baltic countries Kunigunda Lunaria , Vilnius, Lithuania, where alongside with Fading Colors they belonged to the headliners of this 3 day festival organized by a Lithuanian label Dangus Production http://www.dangus.net The reaction was colossal, so Lahka Muza with DJ Death from Leeds come out on the front page of a leading Lithuanian paper as a cultural event of those days. In the summer they play with electronic bands on a Prague International day of electronic music, then on a three day festival Electrowerk in Brno and on a domestic festival Klikk. During the summer they record the songs for their new album and also finish the special visual part of this multimedia work. They had supposed that this album was going to be released again on the polish label Black Flames, but after the significant turn of the label to the special branch of electronic music they finally cancel the contract and look for a new label to cooperate with… By the end of the year they also prepare a special show with their project Hieros Gamos for the Vampiria festival in Warsaw, which was shortly before the date surprisingly cancelled… The end of the year belongs to the show of Ľahká Múza at the Black Silvester in German Dresden. By the end of the year the band also signs a new contract for a release of the fifth album with a Lithuanian label Dangus Production, stating, that the album was going to be released in april of 2004. During the year 2004 start the members of the band rearrange the concept of their side project Hieros Gamos, which is fixed in line up by Gudrun – vocal & performance, 677 – keyboards & programming, 2 Black Cats– performing. In march they play with German Schnee Wittchen a concert in prestigious Vienna`s Arena. In April is released the 5th album named “V záblesku večnosti/ In a flash of Eternity “ in a multimedia form. Beside the 9 new songs the data tracks contain the complete discography, all lyrics form previous 4 albums, 2 video clips, of PÁD (album 1992) and SEN OHRANIČENÉHO ŽIVOTA (album 1998) and a special photo gallery, where in 252 photographs the members of Hieros Gamos in 7 thematic sections present their visual art…The celebration of the new album is held in may in the well known Prague’s Matrix club under the wings of Neosphera.
They present first time on Slovakia HIEROS GAMOS live on festival of Tatto&Piercing in Bratislava at June.Lahka Muza plays and presents a new album by live show in Lithuania on the biggest festival
of dark&pagan culture in Baltica - festival Menuo Juodaragis,Kernave at august and where was one from headliners.
Also at the same month Lahka Muza plays on 1st multimedial festival Resistance in Bratislava.
They also play like main star on polish event 1st Birthday of Gothic.pl in Warsaw at September.
End of year is again for HIEROS GAMOS.They plays on X.Industry Festival in Prague at December.
On the Yahoo portal is generated their own page serving mainly the American fans and there increases the interest in a possible American tour…
Bassguitarist Voda leaves of Lahka Muza on end of year.Lahka Muza will play next live show
in this new set-up Gudrun-vocal&percussions,677-guitar&programming,Cora-grooves&sampling Start of 2005 is full of work for preparing of recording of debut album of HIEROS GAMOS.
This album will be contain outside music also data track - special picture gallery
with 160 pictures!He will be published thru 2005.Therefore will be Hieros
Gamos more on stages too.... |