Croatia

 

Aerodrom is a Croatian rock band from Zagreb. The group was active between 1979 and 1986, releasing five studio albums in that period. Aerodrom saw its greatest success in the early 1980s. After disbanding for more than twenty years, they launched a comeback in 2001. Also, lead singer Jurica Pađen had a successful solo career, while continuing to sing with the group. 

The second Aerodrom album Tango Bango appeared right during the New Wave boom in Yugoslavia 1981. In order to gain a larger audience, having learned lessons from the previous album, the band decided it would be necessary to abandon most of the more ‘prog’ elements from their music. The result was a huge success. The album starts with two great hits, the erotically seductive dance rock "Stavi Pravu Stvar" & the excellent power rock ballad "Tvoje Lice". These two songs remain among the bands best songwriting examples up to date.

Tango Bango is not a progressive rock album. It is a powerful, energetic rock & roll statement full of confidence & emotions. Judging it as a whole, having in mind its purpose in the mainstream New Wave scene in former Yugoslavia, it appears to be an even better record than the commercially unsuccessful prog debut. It is probably the best album of Aerodrom.

On Tango Bango, Aerodrom are: Jurica Pađen – guitar & vocals; Mladen Krajnik – keyboards; Remo Krstanović Cartagine – bass; Zlatan Živković – vocals & drums; & Branko Knežević – drums.

 Aerodrom – Tango Bango, Jugoton LSY 66117, 1981. 

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Side A –

Stavi Pravu Stvar

Tvoje Lice

Dobro Se Zabavljaj

Rock & porok

Nudistička Plaža

Side B –

Aerodrom

Mordorea

Mijenjam Se

Djevojke

Monotonija         

                                          

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Paraf was a punk rock & later post-punk band from Rijeka, Croatia, known as one of the pioneers of punk rock in the former Yugoslavia

Following the expansion of punk rock into Eastern Europe, teenagers Valter Kocijančić – vocals & guitar, Zdravko Čabrijan – bass & Dušan Ladavac – drums formed Paraf in the fall 1977. In 1978 the band had their first live appearances at the Rijeka High School along with three other punk bands: Termiti; Protest; & Lom.

Throughout late 1978, the band started performing frequently, even outside Rijeka. They played in Ljubljana, Beograd, Zagreb. The band also performed at the Novi Sad Boom festival, as well as an opening act for The Ruts concert in Zagreb. In 1979, they released their debut single "Rijeka", a cover version of the Ramones song "Chinese Rocks". Valter took credit as the songwriter in order to test the Yugoslav critics of the time. Despite the intention, it was the Džuboks magazine journalist Petar Luković who recognized that the song was a cover version.

After several delays, the band debut album A dan je tako lijepo počeo was released by ZKP RT Ljubljana during the spring of 1980. Due to the explicit lyrics, part of the lyrics had to be changed & the debut had to use an alternate album cover. Also, the Yugoslav Communist Party looked less than favorably on Paraf because of the band's punk politics & so heavily taxed the album to discourage its sale. Following the punk rock ideology of the day, the band’s material covered themes which were new to the Yugoslav rock audiences at the time: the ironic usages of Communist slogans; the mocking of one of the most popular bands, Bijelo Dugme as sell-outs; & the insulting of the police in songs like "Narodna pjesma" (Folk Song, one of the censored songs). After the album release, there were disagreements as to the bands future direction. Valter Kocijančić left the band, later joining the band Istočni Izlaz. He has since quit music & is now a teacher.

The new line-up included the vocalist Pavica Mijatović, using the pseudonym Vim Cola, new guitarist Mladen ‘Riči’ Vičić  & keyboard player Raul Varlen. With the arrival of the new members, the band changed their musical style, moving towards post-punk, influenced by popular British bands of that genre. Their second studio album Izleti appealed to a wider audience. After a series of promotional concerts for the new release, guitarist Vičić left the band, being replaced by a former Termiti member Robert Tičić.

The new lineup started recording the third studio album. In the period between the recording sessions & the album mixing the twenty-two-year-old Tičić got a fatal blood clot to his brain. Eager to try & triumph over adversity, the band found the guitarist Mladen Ilić, who would later go on to found the band Psi. This album, Zastave, released in 1984, became the bands final release. It was much more darkwave than any of their previous work. They disbanded in 1986. They have re-united with varying line-up for concerts & festivals in 1994, 2003, 2004, & 2008. Several of these live performances have been released in various forms & formats.

Paraf – Zastave, Helidon FLP 05-046, 1984. 

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Side A –

Nikad Nikad Nikad

Odlazak

Zastave

Kad Se Oglasi

Oj Ponose Moj

Side B –

Napunjeno Vrijeme

Divlja Misao

U Pobjede Nove

Željko

Zlatno Doba

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Bakterije are a punk band from Cakovec, Croatia, formed in 1995. Kanoti – guitar, Šavija – bass & backing vocals, & Marac - drums decided to form a band just to try playing music in the style of the bands they were  used to listening to on daily basis…street punk & Oi!.

At the end of '99, there was a change in the bands personnel. Šavija was out as bass & backing vocals. Instead, now Jakšić came on as vocalist, Matjašec as second guitar, & Kemač filled the spot on bass. In 2002, the band recorded their first demo Kaj pa (n) k (Do You Care?). At the end of 2004 Jakšić left the band & Saric became the new vocalist.

Their first full length release was Zajedno Smo Jači (Together We are Stronger). In June 2012 they released their second album Dižem svoj glas! (I Raise my Voice!).

Over the years they have shared the stage with many bands that respect & support:
U.K. Subs: The Vibrators; The Casualties; One Way System; G.B.H.; & No More Idols, to name but a few...

Bakterije - Zajedno SmoJači (Together We are Stronger), Varaždin DI, 2008.

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Tracklist –

Kako Da Zivimo

Sam

Ponosan

Slobodan

Zivio Punk

Klinci

Oi! Oi!

Punx & Skins

Plac

Stop!

Bonus

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Slave Complex is a one-man music project from Zagreb, Croatia. Dark creeping synth ambient, & alien soundscapes, with the occasional burst of noise. Soak your brain deep within the whirlpool of sound &  see what comes out on the other end.

Slave Complex says: “We are all puppets in the hands of human ‘gods’. The truth is well hidden beneath the remains of our own civilization. We are nothing, we become nothing & we consume nothingness from Nothing itself. Transformation is coming. Human will become Machine.”

All that talk about Nothin’ is giving me a stiffy.

Slave Complex  - Slave Complex, Stop/Eject EJECT26, 2008. 

(limited to 50 copies)

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Tracklist –

Camouflage    

Fragments      

Weak Spot     

Anthrax          

Dark Hours    

Ligaments      

Mechanical Dreams    

Mind Pulse     

Emergency Exit         

Enjoy,

NØ