Fairy Tale
Fairy Tale is the artistic child of Slovakian musician, composer and producer Peter Kravec, who came up with the name while studying philosophy at university.
During the dorm evenings, he not only bothered reading Heidegger. Thereby, between 1995 and 1998, he also put together three official demo MC tapes recorded on a 4-track Fostex tape recorder.
Later, during the following years, Peter worked as a music dramaturg and program director in several FM radio stations. In 2003, he managed the band Chill on the Sun, and that’s when he met the very talented Barbora Koláriková, singer of this pop-rock band. Barbora was excited by Peter musical ideas, so together with the support of other guest musicians, they revived the name Fairy Tale again.
Sound Mirrors, Dream and Loveland
The result was the first official debut EP album, Sound Mirrors(CD digipack, 2005) which was described as an unusual mix of rock, ambient, electronic and world music.
Three years later they recorded another album,Dream (digipack CD, 2008), which was released under the publishing brand Hev-Het Tune. Dream is an interesting mix of melancholy lyrics with elements of ambient, pop and clearer inclination towards classic art / prog rock sound. The album had very good reviews at home, as well as in other countries.
The third studio album, Loveland (digipack CD, 2011), is again a pretty ambitious piece and has received very positive reviews. Loveland indeed offers a colorful sound mosaic from rock/metal guitars to fragile lyrics of gentle pop ballads. However, the band does not shy away from experimenting with sounds and effects, and the result is a great connection of instrumentalists with the unmistakable lead vocals.
Babokalyps interlude
Fairy Tale albums always have their original sound and are very well produced. Because Peter Kravec has many years of experience and also runs his own professional recording studio.
In the following years, Fairy Tale took a long break during which the side project Babokalyps was created. The debut album, Veľký voz (digipack CD, 2017), has a different, more acoustic sound, also with the contribution of the pianist and singer Lucia Petáková. Another difference is the lyrics which are sung in Slovak, but honestly, the typical author’s songwriting is still recognizable.
Babokalyps was a very important album for its creators, like a glass of pure water and so after clearing their minds, they got a taste for another more prog-rock sound.
Between art rock and progressive music
The result was That Is the Question (digipack CD, 2021), the most progressive sounding album by Fairy Tale, with “one & only” artwork by designer Hugh Syme (Rush, Saga, Dream Theater, Gowan…) with a mastering touch by legendary British mastering engineer Simon Heyworth (Mike Oldfield, King Crimson, Simple Minds, Marillion…). An important album that surprised many in all senses of this word.
So far, the last act in the Fairy Tale discography is called Live Session in Studio, Bypass 1. (digisleeve CD, 2023). The EP album is the first of the so-called Bypass Series, which was created as a concept of spontaneous release of rare materials, outside the traditional context of Fairy Tale studio albums. The idea arose during the preparation of a video session
in the studio, where the band wanted to shoot a few shots for the video clip for the song “Wake Up”.
But in the end they decided to record everything live, all the musicians around a drum kit in one room… a very raw and loud approach, but also very live and unique.
Distribution Vallis Lupi
It is during 2023 Summer that Peter Kravec proposed to associate with Vallis Lupi Productions label to distribute Fairy Tale and Babokalyps albums… while waiting for news of a forthcoming album…