The Estonian, Copenhagen based, composer and saxophonist Maria Faust (1979) grew up in The Soviet Union. Here, the march, as a propaganda tool, was part of the soundtrack of her daily life. Early on, she as well as many other citizens of Soviet Union, got used to reading the world between the lines, using the music as a hiding place and learning that the art is often the only place to find freedom and truth.
Maria Faust's works are known for its social criticism, and she is not afraid to voice political views in her music. She believes strongly that the artist has been given a voice and is obligated to use it. Sacrum Facere (in Latin human scarification) was created by Faust in 2014 for not just being a band that plays her music but for carrying the musical and philosophical ideas. With Sacrum Facere's two previous albums: 'Sacrum Facere' and 'Organ', Faust addressed the subject of women’s place and purpose in society (christian and non- christian) and female identity in reproductive purposes and rights.
MRR is a social critical work that brings attention to the ancient pain points of our world- tyranny, hierarchy, violence, the value of human life and is a follow-up to the choral work 'Mass of Mary' which was written for the victims of domestic violence. How wars begin is like a chicken -egg question: Where does it start? How do we break the circle of violence? MRR addresses both the domestic war in our homes and violence on the grand scale as seen in war between countries and beliefs.
As on the preceding Sacrum Facere albums, the very instrumentation has great symbolic meaning. This time the focus is on the snare drum. By taking the repetitive elements of the propaganda music of dictatorships and turning them upside down, slowing them down, rewinding them and zooming in — Maria Faust has effectively created a new map of the march, exposing it, shattering its pompous lies and allowing it to fail - thus liberating it. Simultaneously she is reclaiming the march from being a tool of tyranny to existing on its own premises – as music should.
Maria Faust - alto saxophone; Fancesco Bigoni - tenor saxophone, clarinet; Anders Banke - bass clarinet, baritone horn; Kasper Tranberg - trumpet; Mads Hyhne - trombone; Jonatan Ahlbom - tuba; Emanuele Maniscalco - snare drum; Peter Ole Jorgensen - bass drum, crotales, percussion.