Iako Bei for crossover prog

IAKO BEI is a project of a singer, bassplayer, song-writer and lyricist Roman Jakobej. What makes the music unique is its innovative and original interpretation of rock music where the rock's main instrument – a guitar – is absent. Instrumentally relying on drums, keyboards, bass with many pedal effects and saxophone, the songs take a wide range of inspiration from the 70‘s space prog, the 80‘s pop/art rock, the 90‘s alternative rock to the 2010‘s prog metal. This creates a challenging but enjoyable sonic cocktail. 

The line-up of the debut album PURSUITS IN 1IFE (2018) consists of the award-winning saxophonist Nikola Bankov, a Slovak pop star, Karmen Pál-Baláž, on backing vocals, jazz/pop singer/keyboardist Stevie Heart and a current drummer of a legendary Slovak metal band Sexit, Tibor Rusnák. The songs from the album were played on the Headbanger_FM, the biggest metal radio show in Slovakia, and the band played a live set there as well. Rudi Rus, the Headbanger_FM's radio host, spoke very highly of the band and considered the record to be one of the best Slovak albums of 2018. The album was also nominated for the debut of the year within Radio_Head_Awards of the Radio_FM.

PURSUITS IN 2IFE: VORTEX FRAGORIS (2023) was completed by the end of 2021 and since 2022 the band has released 7 music videos. The line-up of the sophomore album is completely different with Viliam Stanek on drums, Lukáš Magoš on saxophone and (at the time of the recording only 15-years old) Šimon Majerník on keyboards.

1. We're Building Our Own Monument (5:58)

2. A Way to Oppose (3:52)

3. Living in Fear (4:54)

4. Pilgrim in Doubt (5:33)

5. Missing Colours (8:57)

6. Fake (The New Kind of Beauty) (4:36)

7. Don't Give Up That Dream (4:48)

8. Cortex Labyrinthus (14:50)

Total Time: 53:24

Label: Self 

Format: CD, Digital

April 19, 2018

Label: Self 

Format: CD, Digital

August 17, 2023