FROMUZ was formed in the summer of 2004 in the city of Tashkent.
The band’s history is very simple. Session guitarist, Vitaly Popeloff, and his buddy, bass player (and novice producer), Andrew Mara-Novik, decided to play music together. They wanted to compose music that would bring the greatest pleasure to themselves, which could help to splash out emotions, to express their ideas and feelings.
The first experiments, with just two of them playing, did not suit their expectations. However, the search for like-minded people did not take too much time. Old friends, such as drummer, Vladimir Badirov, and composer/arranger (and actor), Albert Khalmurzayev (taking responsibility for playing keyboards), came to support the new project. Everyone had his own experience, own taste and zeal, a personal vision of the world. The common connection was a sincere love of complex music, with high demands towards creativity and performance. Style and direction were not even discussed. The band agreed that the music would be instrumental and come from the heart, without aim for commercial viability. Their goal was to raise the level of quality of instrumental music. Their first test of playing together live, was a performance of “Sodom and Gomorrah XXI,” composed by Albert K. for the Youth Theater of Tashkent. This only confirmed their wish to continue their collaboration.
There is no individual author or leader in the group. Each composition is born with common efforts, by the method of attempts and experiments, by the flight of fancy and emotions. Thus, one idea can “snowball” creatively through collaborative contribution. Decorated by everyone in his own way, finally it finds the form, which can already characterize the composition created in a firm style. May be this is the reason why there are a few themes in each composition, tempo and rhythm fluctuating unpredictably. Frequently the compositions sound not only rich, but also complex in their structure. However, the musicians do not compromise with themselves and audience, because they are bound by the striving to play good and clear music, going out from the depth of the soul, instead of the creation of light music for the masses.
The first (and while, unique) concert of the FROMUZ took place in April, 2005 in a hall of Youth Theatre of Uzbekistan, and was organized with the intent to test the results of their creative work on the public. The group wanted to check their abilities to attract an audience with this kind of music and to find an audience for their style of music. One more purpose was also to record it and analyze everything afterwards, with an eye toward future growth and experimentation.
The musicians arranged the concert seriously. They did not want just to come and play the program for kicks. It had to be an action that would help them in their development as a musical performing entity. At that time, their old friends helped them a lot. All was done within a short time frame: the concept of show was developed, the decoration of the stage was thought over, the necessary instruments were gathered, high class and powerful sound equipment was found. As a result, the concert went well. It is safe to say: such an event as this has never been marked in Tashkent before.
This is the birth of the band. It was through this experience (and experiment) that Fromuz has gauged their music against an audience in their homeland. Now, they are ready to share their music with audiences outside Uzbekistan, ready for other stages and the next step.