The Free

The Free is a musical project formed in 1994 by producers Felix J. Gauder and Olaf Roberto Bossi, also known for their work with Das Modul.

The group featured Charles Simmons on vocals and rap (serving as frontman) and singer Iris Trevisan. For health reasons she left the lineup in 1995 and was replaced by Ayla J. (also known as Alida). The troupe also included professional dancers Virginia Michailoglou and Nejet Yolcu.

Their creative process was meticulous: Felix J. Gauder, Olaf Roberto Bossi and Charles Simmons composed and arranged their music in a high-tech home studio, spending weeks refining the structures (intro, verse, bridge, chorus) to achieve a perfect rhythm that combined groove and melody. This careful work resulted in a typical Euro-Pop-House style suited to charts and clubs, along with some sentimental soul ballads.

They recorded the album “Crazy Worlds” and enjoyed hits such as Born Crazy, Lover On The Line (or “Lover On the Line”), Dance the Night Away and later Loveletter from Space.

Asked in 2003 about a possible comeback, Charles Simmons said it was unlikely, each member having pursued their own path: Olaf Roberto Bossi trained as a sound engineer, Felix J. Gauder produced Jimmy Sommerville and led the successful project Novaspace, Charles Simmons focused on R&B, Hip-Hop and Pop projects, and Ayla J. (Alida) was married and living in the United States. He concluded: “We all moved on, but The Free was a great adventure.”