Music from EX Yugoslavia
 

Well, since I've noticed that some people are interested in music from EX Yugoslavia I thought I should start a thread and tell them all I know about that music. Since I'm from Serbia, I'll be mostly talking about bands/musicians from Serbia, although I'll mention those that I know of from Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro and Macedonia. Since I mostly don't listen to this music, I'll be posting about the artists that are currently popular (although I really hate some of them), while of course I will highlight those few that I listen to. I hope you'll find something worth listening in here.

First let's start with the music that I like.

1. Van Gogh
When I was a kid, this used to be one of my favourite bands. They've become very popular these days, but I think none of their stuff past 2002 is worth mentioning. These are the two of my favourite songs by them:



2. Negative
This band now actually really sucks, but they had their period of good music. These are my two favourites by them:

Now a little bit from Serbian ethnic music. I am not really that familiar with the genre, but I know some people that like it, and there are a few songs worth mentioning:

Now pop. I don't have much to say about pop, since I don't listen to it. These are, however the most popular pop songs from Ex Yugoslavia.

Karolina Goceva (Macedonia)



Ana Stanic (Serbia)



Nina Badric (Croatia)

Rock/Metal/Alternative

There are quite a few bands worth mentioning in this section

Siddharta (Slovenia) Rock/Metal



Omega Lithium (Croatia) Metal


Trigger (Serbia) Metal


The Stone (Serbia) Black Metal

I don't really know how to classify this









This is it for now. I'll post more these days...

Would you like this to be put into the journal section or left here?

Just keep it here. It isn't in any way different than any of the threads in this section

That truly made me happy. Still haven't taken the time to buffer all the videos, but will surely do so today, and write some feedback.
Keep it up :thumb:

But I must warn you, though there is some good music, some of it just sucks (in my opinion), but it is on this list because it's popular. I'll let you decide :)

Urgh...Nina Badrić. The Croatian music scene in general is pretty depressing at the mo. I'm hard pressed to think of anything (outside of The beat fleet, which I've already made a thread on a while back) others would find interesting. The only other thing I personally really enjoy is the collaboration between Zdenko Runjić and Oliver Dragojević. Runjić was one of the most talented songwriters from these areas but I'm not sure if other people would get the appeal of the music.

Here are a few noteworthy examples of their work:






Oh and here's a really nice song by Lvky with an appearance from Oliver with a pretty cool video:

Thank you, Scissorman and adidass, for sharing some songs from former Yugoslavia!

Scissorman, I liked the Serbian ethnic music with Sanja & Balkanika, which had the nice violin solo--very pretty. I wondered whether it sounds "Serbian" to you...I couldn't hear any particular sound that would make me think of Serbia, perhaps because I haven't heard a lot of Serbian music!

The song I especially liked of those you posted is "Misreality" by Vroom. You weren't sure how to classify it. I might call it "alternative jazzy folk rock rap!":) The lyrics are a little thought-provoking and critical, which I like.



adidass, the first three songs you posted, resulting from a collaboration between Zdenko Runjić and Oliver Dragojević, have a romantic muzak sound to me.

My favorite is your final video of the peppier song "Projav" by LVKY & Oliver. I'm guessing it is about a man remembering his (lost) romantic partner or relationship...which I assume didn't end so well due to the burned out car. My, it looks like the Mohawk is back, bigtime, in this video! That made me smile. Are those cypress trees in the video? The countryside reminds me of Italy, and the apartments remind me of East Germany.

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Thanks for giving it a go...:)
I posted the slower, more romantic songs but they have some more upbeat stuff too.

Anyhow, the scenery is exactly that, Mediterranean meets communism...:laughing:

I guess the song is about a lover trying to keep his love, he tells her how good he feels when he's with her etc. Standard love stuff, but I don't really place that much importance on the lyrics, I just really like the music. ;)

thanks 4 listening to it >D lol, that song by sanja ilic & balkanika doesn't actually sound like the rest of their work, although it is classified as Serbian ethnic music. I posted that song because that is the song that I myself like :D I'm glad that you enjoyed some of the music :)

Heh, and there's me thinking these countries just pretended they had bands & artists for Eurovision...

It's still a highlight of their career...:laughing:

lol eurovision :D only the shallowest musicians take eurovision seriously :D

So I'm adding these two to the list. They have been extremely popular lately, I personally don't know why, but maybe the genre just isn't my thing. They are actually sisters

Good call on Vrooom :thumb:
I would like to add some Serbian New Wave, post-punk and the like. Belgrade early 80's:

ELEKTRICNI ORGAZAM - "Nebo" (S/T 1981)


"Krokodili dolaze" (that would meen - the crocodiles are coming) from the same album


Only first two of their albums are very good, later they went totally mainstream.


ŠARLO AKROBATA had more funky influences
"Niko kao ja" was a great hit in ex-Yu


"Mali Čovek" (my favorite)


"Pazite na decu" (trans. watch for your kids) more experimental


Šarlo Akrobata released only one full album in 1981.


DISCIPLINA KIČME were the noisiest. Their lead Koja was previously in ŠARLO AKROBATA.
Early live 2 songs - "Nemoj" + "Pečati"


They were gradually developing toward more drum and bass based music.
"Cudna suma"


"Buka u modi" (trans. noise is trendy)



That's it for now. I can do more of this if anyone is interested and if the OP doesn't mind.

Thanks for these interesting videos! :)

Wow, Scissorman...those sisters' songs are perfect examples of a genre of music that I really, really, really, really, REALLY don't like, either! What genre *is* it? It sounds jazzy to me. The radio here plays similar sometimes.

Those were interesting to listen to. I think I also preferred your favorite due to the upbeat and simple ska (?) sound of it. What are they singing about? I suppose my only complaint is that the song sounds pretty much exactly like other songs I've heard in that genre. Perhaps the lyrics give it some individuality that I can't appreciate since I can't understand them?

Well, they say that it is soul. Both of their albums were produced in the USA, Aleksandra Kovač even won an MTV award. In my opinion their music really, really sucks, which is sad, because I have met them both and they are really nice persons...

Mali covek (Little Man) is one of my favorites from Sarlo Akrobata, but if I have to choose from those bands, I kinda lean more toward Elektricni Orgazam and their synth driven melodies. I actually like their second album better, but unfortunately couldn't find anything on You Tube.

As for the lyrics, a somewhat free translation would be:
Little man wants to cross the line,
He wants to, but he can't,
The prescribed norms are suffocating him,
(But) his place is across the line.
And that's it. The lyrics from all those bands, but especially Sarlo Akrobata, are pretty minimal and repetitive.

This Belgrade new wave scene had a fairly uniform sound, but since I listened to it for so long, I can hear a lot of varieties. But I understand how it can all sound very similar to someone who's hearing it for the first time, especially since it's so influenced by western new wave and post-punk.
This scene (and its counterparts in Croatia and Slovenia) had a major influence in shaping the rock'n'roll sound in the 80's and 90's, and it still has a cult place in ex-Yu rock history. A certain compilation "Paket Aranzman" (1980) played a great part in it. It compiled songs from three bands Elektricni Orgazam, Sarlo Akrobata and Idoli

I totally forgot to present something from IDOLI, so I'll do it now. They were probably the most popular band from that scene.

"Maljciki" - a satirical song on communist ideals which were in the early 80's, when Tito died, slowly becoming a thing of the past.


I actually found a translation in English in the comment section on You Tube, so that will spare me some time:
Flaming dawns wake me up from my sleep.
Factory mornings - smoke from chimneys
The song echoes on - young workers!
Steely mornings - I'm rushing to my factory.
My comrades, laborous, happy!
They ride bicycles, full of pride!
My comrades, laborous, happy!
New victories we'll achieve!
Sun is shining - the wind whispers.
The morning dew - smell of the land!
Sun is shining - aaaaaaah!
Rich crops - happy I am!

I love soundtrack and movie Black cat white cat - I think I can really recommend if somebody doesn't know it :) Crazy, funny, full of energy.

Movie by Emir Kusturica and music by Goran Bregovič.
It's from ex-Jugoslavia, probably from Serbia.

Ha ha! I *thought* the word sucks, but didn't have the guts to say it! When I hear those two songs (which sound like love song pap to me), I want to grab a stack of paper, rip it viciously into shreds, and throw it into the air. But that's just ol' chipper, happy me! :) Now I'll have to go visit the soul section to see if this is my universal reaction to all soul songs, or just some. ;)

I think there are probably many musicians whom I'd like as people, even if I dislike their music...and I hope they wouldn't take it personally, just like I hope those two nice sisters would understand and not be offended that you like them but not their music, Scissorman.

Thank you, dankrsta! Simple but meaningful lyrics. I'll listen to the song again with those in mind. And thanks for the info about the Belgrade new wave scene and its influence on songs in the 80's and 90's.

HA HA HA HA HA!!! God, I love satire. Thanks for sharing that song and the lyrics about those "happy" workers, so "full of pride," riding their bikes to their smoky factories. I think I have found my new favorite song and video! ;)

I especially like the part at 2:08 when the man in his nerdy suit starts playing the maracas more and more wildly. I laughed and laughed until I started to cry!

Part of what I like about this song is that I spent some time in East Germany before the Wall came down, and so I got to find out from my friends what life was like there, plus see some of it firsthand. All the propaganda! The limitations on freedoms and enterprise! The rules! And of course, all the soldiers with guns, and the barbed-wire fences and no-man's land to keep you from escaping.

It is sad what people who want to maintain power and control will do to other people paternalistically. I like when songs like this use satirical humor to jab at the ruling order. Satire is the greatest political weapon, I think (well, after machine guns, that is)!

I like Siddharta. And I've found some lyrics translations here, although Domine isn't there.

Kinky video! I can guess at the lyrics from the S&M content. I like the sound of the song (the guitars especially). I don't think I've ever seen a musical video before featuring female sprinters/models!

I like their video of Ring too. The digital effects are fabulous:

Yes, excellent digital effects, Zaqarbal! I read through the Siddharta lyrics that you posted earlier, and I can see their lyrics are usually descriptions of problematic relationships. They use many metaphors, though, which I like. Their lyrics all seem to deal with unhappy feelings of disappointment and hurt, which comes out in the sound of their songs, I'd say.

I found a translation of "Ring" that makes me wish I knew exactly what it means in Slovenian (?). I can see the basic idea in the video: she is someone who builds him up and then destroys him. This isn't talked about specifically in the song itself, based on the translation I read. I like how the video provides a physical example to illustrate the lyrics. The video brings out the painful and chilling feeling of the song, I feel.

I'm enjoying their music! I like the feeling of anger and misery in it. :)

Yes, but it doesn't seem to be a man's fantasy. :D As I've read in another YouTube's video, director is a woman: Dafne Jemersic.

They've made an English version. It is called My Dice.

I don't think the video's scenario or the song would be *anyone's* fantasy! Well...maybe if the song were about revenge...but I don't think it is...I think it is about people who hurt each other in their relationship or aren't sure they really want to be together.

Thank you for the link! I like the original version's meaning much more than the My Dice lyrics. Still, I feel it's a good song. And the video is mesmerizing, especially when it gets to the part where she bashes this man to dust and he looks at himself after the first hit. The contrast between her gentle actions that seem tender (but really aren't) and the obvious abusive destruction is disturbing.

In my last post I mentioned a compilation "Paket Aranzman" and its cult place in ex-Yu rock history, but it wasn't the only one. Croatia and Slovenia had a pretty developed punk and new wave scene as well, as is represented through another compilation Novi Punk Val (New Punk Wave). It compiled songs from Pankrti, Paraf, Prljavo Kazaliste, Termiti, Berlinski zid, etc.

I will link a post from another thread on this forum 'Interenational music (in general)'. A poster Swink presented a few punk bands from Slovenia. I would like if he/she could come back and continue with it in this thread.Slovenian punk

Anyway, I will continue with Croatian bands.
PARAF was formed in 1976 and lasted till the middle of the 80's. They were at first a proper punk, punk-rock band, as is evident on their first album A dan je tako lijepo počeo... (translated: "But The Day Started So Good...") from 1980. Later they started using keyboards and went for a more challenging and artistic sound, post-punk actually (album Izleti 1982). The third album Zastave from 1984 incorporated a somewhat gothic/dark wave sound. This album did not have any success and went almost unnoticed, but has gained a cult status since then.

First single Moj zivot je novi val 1979

PRLJAVO KAZALISTE is a long lived band (I don't know if they still exist), very popular in ex-Yu. I think that only their second album can be considered new wave - Crno bijeli svijet (Black and White World) 1980. Later they made some pretty conventional, mainstream rock.



HAUSTOR (formed in 1979) was probably one of my favorite Croatian bands from that period led by great Darko Rundek. Their music was coloured with tropical and reggae sounds, sunny feelings, which made them unique in the Yugoslav new wave scene. (First album S/T from 1981). They had about 5 albums and Darko Rundek is now doing some interesting solo work (from what I've heard).

Moja prva ljubav (My first love)1981


FILM or Jura Stublic & Film was another Croatian band very popular in ex-Yu with lots of hits. I will post a video that shows best their new wave side, their first hit 'Neprilagodjen' (Unadjusted) from the first album Još jučer samo na filmu a sada i u vašoj glavi 1981.



I found this pretty informative Wikipedia article on New Wave music in Yugoslavia with a list of bands (some of them even I'm not familiar with), so if anyone is interested, it's a good read.
New Wave music in Yugoslavia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I read on some blog that there were "statements by the editors of British NME Magazine that Yugoslavian new wave scene was the second strongest in Europe (right after England)". I don't know if that's true as I can't find the actual quotes from the British NME Magazine, but if it is, that's pretty cool. EDIT: Still, I seriously doubt it. There was some tough competition in Europe like German dark wave and industrial or French cold wave. Hmmm...

I have Paket Aranzman, a very enjoyable comp, I shall check out Novi Punk Val then... and of course the bands you just mentioned.

Great posts btw :thumb:

I only know Boban Marković because of Emir Kusturica movies.

Thank you NumberNineDream for showing interest. In my next post I'll jump to Slovenia and write about the two most interesting bands and imo probably the best that came out of ex-Yu from that early to mid 80's period - Laibach and Borghesia. Some of you (industrial fans especially) probably know them, particularly Laibach.

Anyway, I was listening to the clips you were posting in your Lebanese Music thread and I'll continue to follow it, as I have a soft spot for middle eastern melodies, although I practically know nothing about the music from that part of the world.

Well thank you for showing interest too. I got a soft spot for Ex-Yougoslavian music (and I also don't know a thing about it)... seems like we're complementary in these subjects.

Btw, I'll try to update the "Arabic Music" thread too, a lot of unmentioned names on there... and looking forward to reading about the Slovenian 80s period.

Cheers.

I enjoyed your write-up, too, dankstra, and especially the last song by FILM. The Wikipedia article about Yugoslavian New Wave music was interesting. It makes the government at that time not sound so terribly repressive:

Well Yugoslavia's government was always more tolerant compared to that of other communist countries. Yugoslavia wasn't even in Eastern Bloc, but was rather Non-Aligned trying to have good relations with both East and West in the midst of the Cold War. But still, it had a totalitarian regime. There was nothing that brutal and extreme like Siberia in Russia, but we had our own Goli Otok for political prisoners. The regime was much more rigid in the decades closer to WW2, but the grip was loosening as the time went by and people started being disillusioned. The film auteurs were the first (in popular art somewhere in the 60's and 70's) to challenge that idealistic communist point of view and some of the films were indeed banned. When Tito (Yugoslavian dictator) died in 1980. the idolatry was nearing the end and there was more breathing space. That's when all this punk and new wave boom was happening. But, there were bands that had trouble with the police because of their massages, Paraf for example when they were a punk band. Laibach's concerts were banned and their name was forbidden because it was the name of Ljubljana (the capital of Slovenia) during the Nazi occupation. Laibach was the most radical band in music, massages and image. They were toying with a fascist and other totalitarian imagery trying to show that it's all the same thing. Naturally, it was very disturbing for communists, especially when they see that they share many similar traits with their mortal enemies, the fascists.

Thanks for the insights, dankstra. I like how music can unite people and raise awareness. I'd say the U.S. has also transitioned away from greater oppression to quite a lot of free speech, which is wonderful. The sign of a strong government is one that allows and even encourages criticism and handles it openly, rather than trying to squelch it.

LAIBACH from Slovenia