Last year, we decided not to work and to travel the world. We took the time to simply travel spontaneously by train, car, and ship – from Europe to America via Greenland to the north, then across the USA, on to South America, and finally back via the United Kingdom to Europe. After that, we continued to Scandinavia, all the way to northern Norway and the Baltic states." This trip was not only personally formative but also musically decisive. Preza took every opportunity to play along the way: "I tried to organize gigs, and a lot of it worked out. I played different music – not just rock, but also very quiet pieces with acoustic guitar. I even played in champagne bars. There were very different people there, and very different moods." The impressions of these months had a lasting effect: "I had a lot of time to see and a lot to think about. When I came back, I immediately prepared melodies – and recorded them in the end."

ORBITAL HOTEL exists as a trio, but the creative center clearly lies with Preza. "So far, it works in such a way that I compose everything and play all the instruments in the recordings. Live, we perform as a band and play the songs together." This way of working allows maximum control over sound, structure, and atmosphere – an aspect that is particularly noticeable in "Missing Link." The band's proximity to technical and scientific topics is striking. This is no coincidence: "Tamer (drums) is an expert in document management at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Teo (bass, guitar, and synths) works in cyber security at a startup, and I myself work in the field of data and AI at an American consulting firm." Despite these professions, the music remains deliberately analog: "We only use software for recording and mixing. We play real instruments. No AI, no generated sounds."

Preza's musical journey began quietly: "My first guitar was an acoustic one. I like classical music, also baroque. I started with quiet music." The electric guitar only came later – with lasting impact: "I bought a big, extremely loud amplifier. I still love that sound today, haha!" Characteristic of ORBITAL HOTEL is the connection of both worlds: "The rhythm guitars are often acoustic, sometimes several layered on top of each other, and on top of that I play distorted electric guitars with effects." Vocals deliberately play a minor to no role at all. "We originally started making music with vocals, but for me it's comfortable to make music without vocals. I like instrumental music – Joe Satriani, for example, but also a lot from the 60s and 70s." Nevertheless, Preza does not rule out vocals for the future.

The album title "Missing Link" encompasses several levels of meaning: "There's the faulty, the non-existent, the 'missing link' on the internet – 404, Page Not Found. That annoys me because I've been working with websites since the 90s. But there's also the concept of missing link in evolution. In the past, people thought there was a missing link between early hominids and Homo sapiens. Today we know that it's much more complex." This field of tension between science, error, and knowledge is also reflected in the artwork – deliberately pixelated, nostalgic, technical.

Thematically, Preza repeatedly takes up astronomical and cosmological concepts: "I read a lot about the development of solar systems, about molecular clouds and such things. That's where galaxies come from. I think a lot about photons. These things then eventually come together into a piece. The song titles reveal a bit of what drives me, even though I often find it difficult to find a good title for a piece." Live, ORBITAL HOTEL remains active, even though concrete dates are still being planned. "Our goal is to continue playing in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland." The band doesn't just appear in clubs, but also in unusual places – from vernissages to scientific conferences. "We played at the European Researchers' Night, at space research events, and also at the Data Masterclass in Berlin – there on a rooftop after the conference." "Missing Link" is thus far more than an album title: It is the expression of a search movement between art, science, technology, and emotion. ORBITAL HOTEL explores the universe not with telescopes, but with guitars – and deliberately leaves room for open questions.

Jonathan Jancsary
Legacy Magazine