Eloy Fritsch

Eloy Fernando Fritsch (born 1968) is an electronic musician, keyboard player and main composer of Brazilian progressive rock band Apocalypse. As a solo artist he creates cosmic new-age music.

History

In 1983 Fritsch formed progressive rock band Apocalypse. They are considered pivotal in the development of progressive rock in Southern Brazil.

In 1992, he moved to Porto Alegre and began his solo project composing electronic music. His first official solo album was Dreams, recorded in 1994 and 1995. During 1997, he released his second solo album, Behind the Walls of Imagination, which showcases his skills with various electronic and acoustic keyboard instruments. In the mid-1990s, Fritsch secured a recording contract with French label Musea. His third album for them, Space Music, was released in 1998.

The composer reveals his sci-fi style with Cyberspace. In this album Fritsch offers 1970s-inspired keyboard symphonic/electronic progressive instrumental music. Fritsch performs electronic music that evolves between Vangelis' ambient and impressionist electronic, and the synthesized progressive rock of masters such as Rick Wakeman. Nevertheless, Fritsch has found his own style within melodic electronic music framework. The compositions are very melodic and emotive, with multi-layered instrumental textures/voicings and solidly coherent arrangements.

Fritsch has earned a PhD in computer music, and has served as a teacher of electronic music at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). During 1999, Fritsch created the Electronic Music Center in the Institute of Arts at UFRGS.

In parallel with his work as keyboard player of the group Apocalypse and his academic activity, Fritsch releases music as a solo musician (through the Musea and Rock Symphony labels), such as the album Mythology, a large variety of original musical works in which he brings to maturity the use of synthesizers to compose melodic electronic music. This ambitious work uses the whole panel of his electronic sounds to depict fifteen tracks exclusively dedicated to the different gods worshiped in the past. Different cultures, such as Brazilian, Mesopotamian, Hindu, Amerindian, Inca, African, Greek, Egyptian, Scandinavian, Roman and Chinese, are outlined in the Mythology album by an instrumental composition, thanks to his panoply of keyboards including a Roland System 700 modular synthesizer.

Eloy Fritsch's love of the sky inspired him to compose the electronic suite Atmosphere (2003). Once again the composer reveals his ecological convictions: he presently defends the virtues of the gas envelope that allow everyone to live on Earth: the Atmosphere.

Landscapes (2005) was Fritsch's next work to emerge on disc.

In 2007 Eloy Fritsch wrote the book "Electronic Music" that was released in 2008 during the Book Fair in Porto Alegre. The book is accompanied by a DVD containing the electroacoustic compositions Synapse 5.1, Synthetic Horizon, Public Market, Indian Sampler, Mystery and Silicon Child created during his research in Electronic Music Center at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Eloy Fritsch received the Açorianos Music Awards. The awards ceremony happened on 28 April 2008, Tuesday night at the São Pedro Theater, Porto Alegre, Brazil. The Açorianos Music Awards honor the best albums, musicians and contributions to the music in South o Brazil. The ceremony was broadcast on television and event production presented a short film about the music and artistic works of the composer. He also released the album The Garden of Emotions. Musea company distributed the CD in Europe. The recorded company wrote the following lines about the album: "The ninth album The Garden of Emotions presents symphonic themes with choirs, analog and digital synthesizers dominating. Fans of classic VANGELIS, Jean-Michel JARRE and Rick WAKEMAN works will enjoy this. Some of the more solemn themes remind Isao TOMITA. "Lumine Solis" is one of the best compositions and a choir-laden track. "Solar Energy" introduces a spacier atmosphere, with phasing pads and Berlin School sequences. This is pure electronic music and a very good one, with all sorts of really fat analog timbres. "Beyond The Mountains" is a very cinematic and return to the classically inspired structures, with an extra ethnic elements. "Electric Light" is synthetic and even KRAFTWERK-like, with insisting sequences, vocoders and a simple repeating melodic theme. Flutes, marimba sound and percussion welcome the coming of "Savage" before a melodic synthesizers theme appears. "Space Station" is another foray into a purely synthetic world and you could also draw a comparison with Jean-Michel JARRE's "Chronologie". "The Canyon of Hope" finishes this album with flowing synthesizers, symphonic textures and a reflective electric piano". and the MCT Project – Music, Science and Technology funded by the Brazilian government. Fritsch has created the Brazilian Virtual Museum of Synthesizer and a documentary film about electronic music to be distributed to schools and music teachers. He also created an exhibition of electronic music at the museum of the university.

In 2011 Eloy Fritsch perform in South of Brazil with Apocalypse, Orchestra and Choral during the Symphonic Rock Concert

Selected discography

With Apocalypse 1991 – Apocalypse 1995 – Perto do Amanhecer 1996 – Aurora dos Sonhos 1997 – Lendas Encantadas 1998 – The Best of Apocalypse (Compilation) 2001 – Live in USA (Live) 2003 – Refugio 2004 – Magic 2006 – Apocalypse Live in Rio 2006 – DVD Apocalypse Live in Rio 2006 – The Bridge of Light 2006 – DVD The 25th Anniversary Concert 2010 – Magic Spells 2011 – 2012 Light Years from Home 2011 – The 25th Anniversary Box Set 2013 – DVD The Bridge of Light

Solo works 1996 – Dreams 1997 – Behind the Walls of Imagination 1998 – Space Music 2000 – Cyberspace 2001 – Mythology 2003 – Atmosphere – Electronic Suite 2005 – Landscapes 2006 – Past and Future Sounds – 1996-2006 2009 – The Garden of Emotions 2012 – Exogenesis 2014 – Spiritual Energy 2017 – Sailing to the Edge 2019 – Journey to the Future 2020 – Moment in Paradise 2021 – Cosmic Light 2023 – Epic Synthesizer Music Vol.1 2023 – Epic Synthesizer Music Vol.2

Compilations featuring Eloy Fritsch 1997 – Planeta Nova Era Vol. 7 Track: Lake of Peace Movement 1 and 2 1999 – Planeta Nova Era Vol. 13 Track: Cosmic Winds 1999 – Planeta Nova Era Vol. 14 Track: Starlight 2002 – Margen – Music from the Edge Vol. 6 – Track: Ionosphere 2005 – Edition #5 Track: The Garden of Emotions Suite 2006 – Brasil Instrumental 2006 Track: The Garden of Emotions Suite 2006 – Compact Mellotron 34 Track: Andromeda 2006 – Edition #13 Track: Shiva 2006 – Edition #14 Track: Atlantis 2006 – Edition #15 Track: Andromeda 2009 – Brazilian Electroacoustic Music Compilation Track: Synthetic Horizon 2012 – Schwingungen Radio auf CD – Edition Nr.210 11/12. Track: Moonwalk 2019 – Schwingungen Radio auf CD – Edition Nr.290 07/19. Track: Mermaids Island 2021 – Schwingungen Radio auf CD – Edition Nr.308 01/21. Track: Spacetime

Keyboards used by Fritsch

Throughout his albums Fritsch uses several instruments. Some of these are:

Minimoog Roland JD-800 Roland JP-8000 Roland JP-8080 Roland Juno-106 Roland JX-3P Roland System 700 Roland AX-1 Roland VK-8 Casio CZ-5000 Casio AZ-1 Korg MS-10 Korg MS-20 Korg 01/W Korg M1 Korg Triton Korg Polysix Korg Delta Korg MS2000R Yamaha SY77 Yamaha DX-21 Clavia Nord Modular Kurzweil K-2600 Ensoniq MR76 Digitech Vocalist AKAI S-5000 Tokai Tx5-DS Plus Labolida Nano1 M-audio Piano Pro Keys 88 Korg Oasys Korg Triton Extreme Korg Kronos Roland Sysytem-8 Roland Jupiter-80 Behringer DeepMind12 Roland Gaia Roland FA-06 Roland FA-08