Eloy Fritsch

Brazilian prog rock keyboardist/synthesizer player Eloy Fritsch has appeared on albums over the years as a member of Apocalypse, and also on his own as a solo artist. Born in 1968 in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, Fritsch was exposed to a wide variety of music at an early age - via a radio station that his father would work at as an electronic engineer. It wasn't long before Fritsch became interested in challenging progressive rock (Rush, Yes, Genesis, etc.), and began studying piano, cello, and other stringed instruments. By 1983, he helped form Apocalypse, along with members Chico Casara (vocals/bass), Chico Fasoli (drums), and his brother, Ruy Fritsch (guitar). It wasn't until the dawn of the '90s that the quartet began issuing albums, but they made up for lost time by issuing albums throughout the decade, including such titles as 1990's Apocalypse, 1995's Perto do Amanhecer, 1996's Aurora dos Sonhos, 1997's Lendas Encantadas, and 2000's Live in USA. During this time, Fritsch began amassing a sizeable amount of original compositions that went unused by Apocalypse, resulting in the keyboardist launching a solo career. Beginning in the middle of the '90s, Fritsch nearly averaged a solo release per year, as evidenced by the release of such albums as 1995's Dreams, 1997's Behind the Walls of Imagination, 1999's Space Music, 2000's Cyberspace, and 2001's Mythology. In addition to his recording career, 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, in Porto Alegre. During 1999, Fritsch created Electroacoustic Music Lab in the Institute of Arts at UFRGS, which supposedly houses the largest collection of computers, keyboards, music software, and recording equipment in all of Southern Brazil.