The story of PUZZLS began on a warm summer night, with a girl named Réka holding her recently earned bachelor’s degree. You’d think she had it all figured out, right? Well… wrong, because at that moment Réka had no idea what she wanted to do with her life… In her high school dreams, she’d achieved more by now, but in reality, she had moved back in with her parents. Greatest failure in the world.
But what seemed like the “greatest failure in the world” turned out to be the greatest opportunity. The letdown from university led to a year of soul-searching. She didn’t want to dive straight into another random master’s degree (though she did enroll later on, but hold that thought). During her year of self-discovery, she realized she had nothing to lose and decided to rekindle her deepest passion, something that had been with her since childhood, though it had gotten a little misplaced along the way.
With nothing left to lose, she wrote her first song. Then the second one, third one and so on, compiled them, chiseled them and released a demo EP in January 2020. Not gonna lie, that EP was not the best… wasn’t the worst either, but let’s just go with not the best… She still can’t listen to those songs without cringing…
But, it started a chain of events that would change her life for the better. That first step towards the ultimate goal is probably the biggest one. Sure, learning recording, mixing, and mastering in just a few months didn’t result in a Grammy-winning debut—not even close. But it did open the door in her mind, with the words “you can actually do this” echoing loud and clear.
Being an “official releasing artist” introduced her to fellow independent musicians eager to collaborate, and that’s how her first fully-fledged songs, not just demos, came to life.
Collaborating with talented producers from all corners of the globe—from LA to India, Mexico to Germany, UK, Hungary, and beyond—helped shape her unique style. She dabbles in various genres, from Pop to R&B, Indie, Alternative and EDM. It might seem like a lot, but each project contributes to finding her true sound. In this era of genre obsession, why not have some fun and experiment a little in the beginning? Her Puzzls-only songs primarily fall into the Alternative R&B and Indie Pop categories, with a dash of Alternative Rock thrown in for good measure.
The official Puzzls debut EP, titled “Steps,” was released in 2021, thanks to her long-time collaborator, Jorge Arenas. The songs received immense love from all around the world—131 countries, to be exact. By the end of 2021, Puzzls had gathered an impressive 218.6k streams on Spotify.
Now, let’s jump closer to the present day. Réka, armed with a Music Management MA degree, made the exciting move to Berlin. She’s in a perpetual state of creativity, working on fresh musical gems alongside a mix of her trusted old collaborators and some fresh faces. Her quest to master the art of mixing and mastering led to the release of her very first fully mixed and mastered project in January 2022.
When it comes to live performances, Budapest holds a special place in her heart. In 2022, she won a coveted slot to play in the famous Szimpla Kert, the renowned ruin bar. And thanks to her online friendship with fellow musician Girlinthemirror, Puzzls graced the stage at Három Holló multiple times. And we can’t forget the year 2023, which marked her festival debut at Minifishing, the charming mini event of Fishing on Orfű. What a blast!
A little birdie told me that she started working on a debut album in 2023, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for some exciting news in 2024!
