Borut Krzisnik,

a guitarist and composer, is the key figure of DATA DIRECT. He appeared on the Ljubljana’s alternative scene in the mid eighties and instantly attracted the attention with his unique approach to the guitar. He makes his career in different spheres such as composing music and playing in various bands, and collaborating as the author of music in theatrical, video and painting projects. In 1987 and 1988 he wrote music for the exhibition/installation of the painter and sculptors’ group Do You the Painter Know Your Duty. This was followed by a productive collaboration with theater director Emil Hrvatin, and by music for the video made in tandem by Marina Grziniè and Aina Zmid. From the very beginning, his music has been defined by strong contrasts and a variety of styles. He was recording in his home studio, where his first album was finished in 1991, and was released by well-known English label Recommended Records within its edition “Points East”. The LP was released as his solo project but we can already find the origins of DATA DIRECT in a global idea and in some musicians who formed the band or collaborated with it shortly afterwards. The critics’ response was positive and it enabled more concerts of the band – at that time under the name Data Processed Corrupted. The album opened the doors to some festivals which were trying to present “the music of the 20th Century”. The group played most successfully on the Ljubljana’s festival “Druga Godba” (“Other Music”) in ’93 together with Dull Schiksal and Franz Franz. The following year they performed on the “Vorax” festival in Vicenza, and at the “Synthesis – Music of the 20th Century” festival in Macedonia’s capital, Skopje. The quartet which represents the creative core of the group is joined in concert by other musicians: drummer and percussionist Zlatko Kauèiè, who worked with Steve Lacy, Kenny Wheeler, Irene Schweitzer and others, the Italian bass player Giovanni Maier end saxophone and flute player Bruno Romani, which makes their music sound even more complex and evocative

In addition to being the leader of the DATA DIRECT, Borut Krzisnik is very successful in writing music in “symphony orchestra environment”. It is much used for theater and video in customized arrangements. His music for art-video “Labyrinth” directed by Marina Grziniè and Aina Zmid won the first prize on the Nippily Danza Festival – Il Coreografo Eletronico, where the notorious dance video “Strange Fish” by DV8 was in competition as well. “Labyrinth” has also won some other prizes. Rome’s label B&M has bought the rights for the music for the “Labyrinth” to release it in their “Editions”. Borut Krzisnik pursues his permanent collaboration with the theater director Emil Hrvatin, who moved from independent theatrical production to Ljubljana’s elite theaters. Krzisnik’s album with his symphonic work “THE STORIES OF MAGATHREJA” was released in March of 1997.

The first album CURRENTS OF TIME has founded their “full of surprises” style. The second album by DATA DIRECT, “LA DOLCE VITA” continues to explore contemporary music which is defined as being ” in between creative constructiveness and destructiveness”. The directions are clear: there are elements of different music idioms – from electronic approach and very fluent sampling which particularly refers to machine-like rhythms, to the so-called avant-garde rock, especially in Borut Krzisnik’s brilliant guitar passages; from a wild combination of free outbursts and magic tenderness, which is the domain of Mario Marolt, the cool jazz of Primoz Simonèiè, to folk and ethereal atmospheres of the Balkans, achieved by Vuk Krakoviæ’s violin. The music moves between the extraordinarily disciplined music structures, and almost wild chaos and anarchy which are about to destroy them. Many different musicians have joined their talents as guests on the CD “LA DOLCE VITA” as well: Giovanni Maier, the prominent double-bass player from the Enrico Rava Group; Hugo Sekoranja, the soprano, tenor and baritone saxophonist in the Big Band of the National Radio Jazz Orchestra; Roman Decman, the drummer who joins Borut in the concert formation of Laibach, and the piano player Sandra Rekar. The wide circle of musicians tells us again that diversity is one of the basic means of composing which serves as the counterpoint of the greatest power DATA DIRECT is after – the power of unity.

Many different musicians have joined their talents on the CD “LA DOLCE VITA”: Borut Krzisnik (guitar, bass & drums programming) Mario Marolt (tenor saxophone, mouthpiece), Primoz Simonèiè (alto saxophone) and Vuk Krakoviæ (violin) are joined by some other well-known and distinguished musicians: a prominent jazz musician, double bass player Giovanni Maier from Italy, Hugo Sekoranja, a soprano, tenor, and baritone saxophonist, who is a member of the eminent Big Bend of the RTV Slovenia, Roman Deèman, who joins Borut in the concert formation of the Laibach, and the piano player Sandra Rekar. The wide circle of musicians tells us that the DATA DIRECT do not look upon their work as a playing field for their own ego trips, but rather see it as a possibility of exploring the boundaries of music through a creative process.

The pieces on the album by DATA DIRECT are mature and more compact. The music is richer in its contents. There is no unnecessary roving, and the accent is on the collective sound and balanced structures. The single elements which may at first sight seem incompatible with one another, together form a unique totality. These elements are not selected at random and in dynamic interaction with other elements they gain unexpected connotations. The result is something we may justly call “the music of the 20th century”, which happens to be the title of the Skopje’s festival. There is also a discreet but very important dialogue between the sound of electronic instruments, computer music, samples and synthesizers on one side and naturalness of acoustic instruments, the brass, the strings, piano, percussion, and even guitar, although electric, on the other. This is the creative collision that makes the thrilling tension. The strong contrasts, the “warm-cold” opposition, the swinging between alienated machines and the genuine sound of acoustic instruments do not only lead us to telling the music segments apart but above all to bringing them together.

DATA DIRECT recorded “LA DOLCE VITA” for German label Discordia and Slovenian label FV in 1995. The name of the studio it was recorded at – Polite Neighbours Studios – stands for a mobile home studio which made possible the recording on different locations in Ljubljana and in Italy. It also enabled undisturbed continuous development of their ideas in music for a longer period of time.

The CD was considered a part of the National Programme of Culture in 1995, and financially supported by the Republic of Slovenia’s state budget.