EVA RAS

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 2016 - 2025

Members: Filip Stojiljkovic (vocals, guitar, drums, piano, bass)

Related bands: Art of Heartwork, Ask for Answers, Bradikardija, Logical Flora, Minutes of Decay, Ruined Tongues, Sueisntfine, tužan dečak kavr bend, WAAS

FFO: Orchid, Hassan I Sabbah, Pg.99, Jeromes Dream, Louise Cyphre

Eva Ras began the way most reckless and sincere projects do - by accident.

While in college, I started assembling leftover instrumentals into something new and named the project after a Serbian-Hungarian actress from the Black Wave. The name felt absurd. It stuck.

The earliest releases (2016 demo, two 5-way splits) were pure DIY collapse: GarageBand, Mixcraft drums, an acoustic guitar pushed into a dying microphone. They sounded exactly like that. Somehow, they circulated.

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Eva Ras je počela onako kako većina nepromišljenih i iskrenih projekata počinje - slučajno.

Tokom studija sam počeo da sklapam preostale instrumentalne snimke u nešto novo i dao projektu ime po srpsko-mađarskoj glumici iz crnog talasa. Ime je delovalo apsurdno. Ostalo je.

Najranija izdanja (demo iz 2016, dva petostruka splita) bila su čisti DIY kolaps: GarageBand, Mixcraft bubnjevi, akustična gitara gurana u mikrofon na izdisaju. Zvučalo je tačno tako. Nekako je krenulo da kruži.

After switching to electric guitar and Logic Pro X, the 2017 self-titled EP followed - still lo-fi, still Orchid-obsessed, still structurally unstable, but intentional. Cheap programmed drums, no bass, harsh vocals. It was the project finding its shape.

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Posle prelaska na električnu gitaru i Logic Pro X, usledio je istoimeni EP iz 2017. — i dalje lo-fi, i dalje opsednut Orchidom, i dalje strukturalno nestabilan, ali nameran. Jeftino programirani bubnjevi, bez basa, oštri vokali. Projekat je tada počeo da dobija oblik.

Live shows followed: MKC Kombinat, Fijuk Sajam, later Hali Gali’s Nightmare at Drugstore - where I performed alone, screaming over playback from an iPod Touch. It was chaotic, awkward, and unexpectedly effective. For the first time, Eva Ras felt real in front of people.

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Usledili su nastupi uživo: MKC Kombinat, Fijuk Sajam, kasnije Hali Gali’s Nightmare u Drugstoreu — gde sam nastupao sam, urlajući preko playbacka sa iPod Touch-a. Bilo je haotično, neprijatno i neočekivano efektno. Prvi put je Eva Ras delovala stvarno pred ljudima.

The full-length Proliferation of Broken Dreams came next, released through my now-defunct Confusion Specialist Records. Reception was split. Some praised the ferocity; others (correctly) criticized the production and sloppy execution. Both readings were fair.

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Zatim dolazi album Proliferation of Broken Dreams, objavljen preko mog sada ugašenog Confusion Specialist Records-a. Reakcije su bile podeljene. Neki su hvalili ferocitet; drugi su (s pravom) kritikovali produkciju i aljkavu izvedbu. Obe interpretacije su bile tačne.

A turning point came with the double EP/Prekretnica dolazi sa duplim EP-jem:

 

This was the clearest version of Eva Ras: fast, suffocating screamo with no dead space. Tracks like “Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence” finally matched what I’d been trying to express for years. Reviews reflected that - Maximum Rocknroll called it “exceptionally harsh,” and for once, the description fit.

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Ovo je bila najjasnija verzija Eve Ras: brz, zagušujući screamo bez praznog prostora. Pesme poput „Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence“ su konačno zvučale onako kako sam godinama pokušavao da ih izrazim. Recenzije su to potvrdile - Maximum Rocknroll ga je opisao kao „izuzetno brutalan“, i po prvi put je opis zaista odgovarao.

Between 2019 and 2023, the project existed mostly as live shows and short releases, including the split Similar Genes, Distant Relatives with give.me.the.gun, followed by two structurally experimental EPs.

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Između 2019. i 2023. projekat je uglavnom postojao kroz nastupe uživo i kratka izdanja, uključujući split Similar Genes, Distant Relatives sa give.me.the.gun, a zatim dva strukturalno eksperimentalna EP-ja.

In 2025, while writing Moje ime, moj dom i moj teret amid political collapse, violence, and exhaustion, it became clear I no longer had the capacity to continue.

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Godine 2025, dok sam pisao još jedan album usred političkog raspada, nasilja i iscrpljenosti, postalo je jasno da više nemam kapacitet da nastavim.

Eva Ras began as a coping mechanism, became a weapon, and eventually drained everything it could.

Ending it with an album felt necessary.

This isn’t a hiatus or a tease.

Eva Ras is finished.

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Eva Ras je počela kao mehanizam za preživljavanje, postala oružje, i na kraju iscrpela sve što je mogla.

Završiti je albumom delovalo je nužno.

Ovo nije pauza niti najava nečega novog.

Eva Ras je završena.

It was nice to meet you.

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Bilo nam je lepo upoznati.

MUERTO RICO

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 2014 - 2019

Members: Filip Gašić (guitar), Kosta Jovanović (bass, vocals), Stefan Slavković (drums)

Related bands: Cannot, Young Husbands, Yobo

FFO: Loma Prieta, Amanda Woodward, The Farewell Reason, Lumber Lung

Muerto Rico was a post-hardcore / screamo trio from Belgrade, Serbia, active in the mid-2010s. They released their demo EP in August 2014, followed a year later by two EPs: Worst Coast and Undermost. Around the time of these releases, they played a show with Birds in Row (Deathwish Inc.) and Eagleshaslanded at Klub Fest. While Birds in Row were stopped at the Serbian border and couldn’t perform, the two opening bands continued with the show. They also appeared in numerous comps such as Miss the Stars’ third sample.

In that same year, Muerto Rico would expand into a quartet before announcing their breakup in 2019. Members have since gone on to play in bands such as Cannot, Young Husbands, and Yobo.

The band’s earlier material leaned heavily into rawness, often sounding unfinished and rough around the edges. Undermost, however, stands apart as their most focused and fully realized release. Across four tracks, Muerto Rico sharpen their sound into something heavier, darker, and more deliberate, with clear nods to Loma Prieta–style intensity.

Rather than relying on sheer chaos, the EP balances emotional volatility with structure, making it their most impactful statement.

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Muerto Rico je bio post-hardcore / screamo trio iz Beograda, aktivan sredinom 2010-ih. Demo EP objavili su u avgustu 2014. godine, a godinu dana kasnije izlaze dva EP-ja: Worst Coast i Undermost. U tom periodu svirali su koncert sa bendovima Birds in Row (Deathwish Inc.) i Eagleshaslanded u Klubu Fest. Iako su Birds in Row bili zaustavljeni na srpskoj granici i nisu mogli da nastupe, dva predgrupna benda su ipak odsvirala koncert.

U toj godini su se Muerto Rico proširili u kvartet, a 2019. godine bend zvanično objavljuje razlaz. Članovi su kasnije nastavili da sviraju u bendovima kao što su Cannot, Young Husbands i Yobo.

Rani materijal benda oslanjao se na sirovost i često je zvučao nedovršeno, grubo i neispeglano. Undermost se, međutim, izdvaja kao njihovo najfokusiranije i najzrelije izdanje. Kroz četiri pesme, Muerto Rico oblikuju zvuk koji je teži, mračniji i promišljeniji, sa jasnim uplivima intenziteta u stilu benda Loma Prieta.

Umesto oslanjanja na čisti haos, EP pronalazi balans između emotivne nestabilnosti i strukture, čineći Undermost njihovom najsnažnijom i najubedljivijom izjavom.

BANCAMP

LEITMOTIF

Location: Skopje, North Macedonia   

Year active: 2013-2018

Members: Blagoj Damjanovski, Blagoja Kamchevski, Predrag Mladenovski

Related bands: Disclone, Disease, Nervous SS, Gargara, Gears, Мариналеда, Nova Generacija

FFO: Uzmi Ruke, Mono, Moonraker, Slint, Funeral Diner, Breakwater

Leitmotif were a short-lived trio from Skopje, North Macedonia around 2013.  They released their debut EP ‘Luminescence’ through Deny Records and Подземни Фреквенции and a split with a fellow post-rock band Khara, as well as some live recordings such as ‘Point First’ for Radio 103 and a recording session made for the Maximum Rocknroll fundraiser at Kula. 

The band eventually dissolved in 2018 and the members would eventually play in bands such as Disclone, Disease, Мариналеда and Nova Generacija, etc.

Leitmotif plays the slow-burn post-rock that resembles much of the post-rock/emo hybrid, much under the vein of Moonraker, Slint, Uzmi Ruke and a bit of Mono with ocassional shouting vocals. Despite their small discography, some of their songs can go well up to 10 minutes. The lyrics are not only minimalistic and cryptic but also completely heartfelt.

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Leitmotif je bio kratkotrajni trio iz Skoplja, Severna Makedonija, aktivan početkom 2010-ih. Debitantski EP Luminescence objavili su 2013. godine za Deny Records i Подземни Фреквенции, nakon čega je usledio split sa post-rock bendom Khara. Pored zvaničnih izdanja, bend je iza sebe ostavio i nekoliko zapaženih live i session snimaka, uključujući Point First za Radio 103, kao i live session snimljen u Kuli u sklopu Maximum Rocknroll fundraisera.

Bend se raspao 2018. godine. Nakon toga, članovi su nastavili da sviraju u različitim projektima, među kojima su Disclone, Disease, Мариналеда i Nova Generacija, između ostalih.

Muzički, Leitmotif je delovao unutar sporog, postepenog post-rock izraza koji se snažno oslanjao na preklapanje post-rocka i emo-a - često poređen sa bendovima poput Moonraker, Slint, Uzmi Ruke, a povremeno i sa Mono. Njihove kompozicije bile su uglavnom dugog formata i strpljivo građene, sa pojedinim numerama koje su prelazile i deset minuta, oslanjajući se na postepeno podizanje tenzije umesto trenutnog efekta. Vokali su bili retki i povremeno vrisnuti, korišćeni više kao emotivni lom nego kao narativni vodič.

Uprkos skromnoj diskografiji, Leitmotif je ostavio jasan trag. Tekstovi su bili minimalistički i zagonetni, ali nikada ornamentalni - funkcionisali su pre kao fragmenti osećanja nego kao jasne poruke, dodatno naglašavajući fokus benda na atmosferu, uzdržanost i emotivnu težinu, ispred jasnoće ili razrešenja.

BANDCAMP

KALEIDO

Location: Zagreb, Croatia   

Year active: 2021 - present

Members: Mirna Čupić (vocals, guitar), Janet Beriša (vocals, guitar), Duga Bavoljak (vocals, trumpet), Andro Žamboki (bass), Martin Palčić (drums)

Related bands: Bongorodica, Gungula, panakota

FFO: Everyone Asked About You, Gregory & The Hawk, Modest Mouse, The Microphones

kaleido are an indie rock / midwest jazz-inflected quintet from Zagreb, Croatia. They dropped their first single “Snivaš” in 2021, followed by the 2022 debut EP Ja umirem ovdje (trans. I’m dying here), which drew considerable attention within the Croatian indie scene. A few years later, the band self-recorded and self-released their debut full-length Čiji je ovo pas? (trans. Whose dog is this?), with mixing by Anja Tkalec and Duga Bavoljak, and mastering by Uroš Mikić of Down There Studios.

While Ja umirem ovdje hinted at Kaleido’s direction, Čiji je ovo pas? is where their vision fully takes shape. Across eight tracks, the band sharpens their songwriting and gathers their ideas around a loose but persistent image - the dog - a subtle metaphor for inner tension, quiet exhaustion, and the feeling of constantly watching oneself from the outside.

Blending indie rock with touches of midwest emo, restrained post-punk dynamics, and understated jazz textures, the album unfolds patiently. It favors mood over immediacy and reflection over declaration, slowly building emotional weight rather than forcing catharsis.

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kaleido je indie rock kvintet iz Zagreba, sa izraženim uticajima midwest emo i jazz senzibiliteta. Prvi singl „Snivaš“ objavili su 2021. godine, nakon čega je usledio debitantski EP Ja umirem ovdje (2022), koji je privukao značajnu pažnju unutar hrvatske indie scene. Nekoliko godina kasnije, bend je samostalno snimio i objavio svoj prvi dugosvirajući album Čiji je ovo pas?, uz miks Anje Tkalec i Duge Bavoljak, te mastering Uroša Mikića iz Down There Studiosa.

Dok je Ja umirem ovdje samo nagoveštavao pravac u kom se Kaleido kreće, Čiji je ovo pas? predstavlja potpuno zaokruženu viziju benda. Kroz osam pesama, Kaleido izoštrava svoj autorski izraz i okuplja ideje oko labave, ali uporne slike - psa - kao suptilne metafore unutrašnje tenzije, tihe iscrpljenosti i osećaja stalnog posmatranja samog sebe sa distance.

Spajajući indie rock sa primesama midwest ema, suzdržane post-punk dinamike i nenametljivih jazz tekstura, album se razvija strpljivo. Prednost daje atmosferi nad neposrednošću i introspekciji nad deklaracijom, postepeno gradeći emotivnu težinu umesto da forsira katarzu.

BANDCAMP

MAN IN THE SHADOW

Location: Nova Gorica, Slovenia

Year active: 1996 - 2000

Members: Marko Rusjan (vocals), Miran Rusjan (guitar, vocals), Sašo Kotnik, Valter (bass), Nenad (drums), Jani

Related bands: Analena, Elodea, Elvis Jackson, Entreat., Hellcrawler, Iamdisease, Scuffy Dogs

FFO: Embassy, Fingerprint, Floodgate, Jasemine, Reach Out, Seven Sioux, Still Life

Man in the Shadow was a six-piece emocore band from Nova Gorica, Slovenia, and one of the very first emo acts to emerge from the Ex-Yugoslav region. During their short-lived activity, they released two 7” records and a demo tape, along with appearances on several compilations, before breaking up in 2000. After the split, members went on to play in bands such as Analena, Elodea, Entreat., and Iamdisease, among others. A full discography was released by Choose Life Records in 2001. The band reunited once more to play their final show at Mostovna in 2005.

Their sound sits somewhere between hardcore punk, anarcho-punk, and emocore, with lyrics that are largely political in nature and mostly sung in Slovenian. They were heavily influenced by French emo acts such as Ivich Fingerprint and Jasemine, as well as the California-based band Still Life - influences that are clearly audible throughout their work. The self-titled 7” leans more toward repetitive anarcho-punk structures, while Pax Americana expands further into emocore territory, marked by pained screams and raw, desperate growls.

Even if the sound is undeniably dated, that hardly matters. Their relatively small discography remains well worth revisiting, especially for fans of old-school hardcore and early emocore.

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Man in the Shadow je bio šesteročlani emocore bend iz Nove Gorice, Slovenija, i jedan od prvih emo sastava koji su se pojavili na prostoru bivše Jugoslavije. Tokom svoje kratke, ali intenzivne aktivnosti, objavili su dva 7” izdanja i demo kasetu, kao i učešća na nekoliko kompilacija, pre nego što su se razišli 2000. godine. Nakon raspada, članovi benda nastavili su da sviraju u sastavima poput Analena, Elodea, Entreat. i Iamdisease, između ostalih. Kompletna diskografija objavljena je 2001. godine za Choose Life Records. Bend se ponovo okupio još jednom kako bi odsvirao svoj poslednji koncert u klubu Mostovna 2005. godine.

Njihov zvuk se nalazi na raskršću hardcore punka, anarho-punka i emocorea, sa tekstovima koji su u velikoj meri politički intonirani i uglavnom pevanim na slovenačkom jeziku. Snažan uticaj imali su francuski emo bendovi poput Ivich, Fingerprint i Jasemine, kao i kalifornijski sastav Still Life - uticaji koji su jasno čujni kroz čitav njihov opus. Istoimeni 7” više naginje repetitivnim anarho-punk strukturama, dok Pax Americana ide dublje u emocore izraz, obeležen bolnim krikovima i sirovim, očajničkim growl vokalima.

Čak i ako zvuk danas deluje neosporno zastarelo, to je u suštini nebitno. Njihova relativno mala diskografija i dalje vredi ponovnog slušanja, naročito za fanove old-school hardcorea i ranog emocorea.

BANDCAMP

MITS'S LAST SHOW IN MOSTOVNA, 2005

heart-on-sleeve

Location: Bitola, North Macedonia

Year active: 2020

Members: Marijana Nikolovska (vocals, guitar), Stefan Apostolovski (guitar/drums), Aleksandar Petrovski (bass), Bojan Stanikj (drums, bass)

Related bands: YÖU

FFO: Ashes, Analena, Jejune, Mineral, Now now, Sore Eyelids,  Squirrel Brain, 125, Rue Montmartre

heart-on-sleeve is an emogaze band formed in Bitola, North Macedonia. It was formed as a kind of a side project in 2020, sharing members from other DIY MK bands, such as YÖU.

Their only material to this day is a live recording session taking place in Trnovo. It was recorded in collaboration with SPC Centar-Jadro, as part of their annual music program.

Live at Trnovo consists of seven tracks, all of them midwest emo lamentations soaked in reverberation, at times bordering on dream pop (though not in a psychedelic sense). It serves as a reminder of what emo sounded like in the ’90s - longing, somber, bittersweet, and heartfelt all at once.

Personal highlights from the release include Nevermind, City Lights, Happy Ever After, and Again and Again, mostly due to their emotional crescendos and the cathartic moments spread throughout the set.

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heart-on-sleeve je emogaze bend nastao u Bitolju, Severna Makedonija. Projekat je započet 2020. godine kao svojevrsni sporedni poduhvat, a članovi su istovremeno bili aktivni i u drugim makedonskim DIY bendovima, poput YOU.

Njihov jedini dosadašnji materijal je live snimak sesije održane u Trnovu. Snimanje je realizovano u saradnji sa SPC Centar-Jadro, u sklopu njihovog godišnjeg muzičkog programa. Nakon toga, bend nikada nije objavio studijski snimljen materijal.

Live at Trnovo sadrži sedam pesama - sve redom midwest emo lamentacije natopljene reverbom, koje se povremeno približavaju dream pop atmosferi (mada ne u psihodeličnom smislu). Ovaj snimak deluje kao podsetnik na to kako je emo zvučao devedesetih: čežnjivo, sumorno, gorko-slatko i iskreno, sve u isto vreme.

Lični favoriti sa izdanja su Nevermind, City Lights, Happy Ever After i Again and Again, pre svega zbog snažnih emotivnih kulminacija i katarzičnih trenutaka razasutih kroz ceo nastup.

Their first instagram post.

ACCESS THEIR BANDCAMP BELOW.

LARS FROM NORWAY

Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Year active: 2024

Members: Tilen Boršič (guitar, vocals), Anja Mikulan (drums, vocals), Martin Tomažič (bass)

Related bands: ???

FFO: Whirr, Wisp, Slowdive, Jejune, Sore Eyelids, Title Fight (later)

Lars from Norway is an emocore/shoegaze band formed in Ljubljana, Slovenia. They released their first demo single in November 2024, followed by a demo tape (stylized as D(emo) Tejp) a year later - notably recorded on a phone.

Since then, the band has dropped two more singles, some of which received airplay and support from Radio Študent. This led to greater visibility in the Slovenian DIY scene, pushing them onto stages across the country and into lineups alongside newer acts such as Falesia (ITA/SLO).

Their debut single leans heavily into old-school punk. At just around a minute and a half, it can come off repetitive and doesn’t quite reflect the musical direction Lars would explore in their later work.

D(emo) Tejp, on the other hand, shows a dramatic shift. The blurry, reverb-soaked fuzz gives the songs a dreamy, ethereal mood - complete with alternating dual vocals and the occasional harsh shout. It’s raw, lo-fi, and imperfect, but it’s also the first glimpse of the identity the band seems to be carving out for themselves.

The first thing that catches your ears is the way the project builds atmosphere - with slow, saturated chords, teenage sadness and vocals that sound like they're coming from some foggy bedroom. It's the kind of music that doesn't try to be "big" or production-heavy; on the contrary, it relies on intimacy, rawness and a sense of inner distances.

As part of a scene that is rarely associated with such genres in our country, Lars from Norway brings something fresh: music that stands between shoegaze melancholy and the emo sensibility of the early 2000s. It's not just nostalgia, but a real attempt to capture the moment - that mixture of tiredness, longing and tenderness that you feel when the world quiets down a bit.

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Lars from Norway je emocore/shoegaze bend iz Ljubljane, osnovan 2024. godine. Članovi su Tilen Boršič, Anja Mikulan i Martin Tomažič. Prvi demo singl objavili su u novembru 2024, a godinu dana kasnije izbacili su demo kasetu pod nazivom D(emo) Tejp - snimljeno direktno na telefonu.

U periodu posle toga objavili su još dva singla, a nekoliko pesama dobilo je i emitovanje na Radio Študentu. To im je donelo veću vidljivost u slovenačkoj DIY sceni i omogućilo nastupe širom zemlje, uključujući lineupe sa novijim grupama poput Falesia (ITA/SLO).

Njihov debitantski singl oslanja se na old-school punk pristup - kratak, repetetivan i ne baš pokazni primer onoga što će kasnije razviti. D(emo) Tejp, s druge strane, predstavlja veliki estetski zaokret: mutni, reverbom zamagljeni fuzz stvara sanjivu, eteričnu atmosferu, vokali se smenjuju i povremeno pucaju u oštrije krike. Sirovo, lo-fi i tehnički nesavršeno, ali istovremeno prvi pravi nagoveštaj identiteta koji bend danas gradi.

Prvo što upada u uši jeste način na koji projekt gradi atmosferu - sporim, zasićenim akordima, tinejdžerskom tugom i vokalima koji zvuče kao da dopiru iz neke maglovite spavaće sobe. To je onaj tip muzike koji ne pokušava da bude „velik“ ili produkcijski ispeglan; naprotiv, oslanja se na intimnost, sirovost i osećaj unutrašnjih daljina.

Kao deo scene koja se kod nas retko povezuje sa ovakvim žanrovima, Lars from Norway donosi nešto sveže: muziku koja stoji između shoegaze melanholije i emo senzibiliteta ranih dvihiljaditih. Nije to samo nostalgija, već pravi pokušaj hvatanja trenutka – one mešavine umora, čežnje i nežnosti koju osećaš kad se svet malo utiša.

SUPPORT LARS FROM NORWAY ON BANDCAMP BELOW!

NORTH OF ME

Location: Zagreb, Croatia

Year active: 2025

Members: Dino Kezo

Related bands: ???

FFO: Lunar, Man Zero, Moving Mountains, Toundra

North of Me is a Zagreb-based project that is run by Dino Kezo. He plays a somber instrumental post-rock that somehow borders on the Emo Revival, while also nodding two familiar croatian post-rock bands such as Lunar and Man Zero, as well as some from abroad like Moving Mountains and Toundra.

He dropped a two-track EP 'Second Chapter' this spring. Although it was made under the demo production, it also gives us a hint of what this newly formed project would be. If that's the case, i am really looking forward new, full fleshed sounds from this project.

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North of Me je zagrebački projekat iza kojeg stoji Dino Kezo. Njegova muzika naginje ka sumornom, instrumentalnom post-roku koji povremeno skrene u Emo Revival estetiku, dok istovremeno vuče paralele s domaćim post-rock imenima poput Lunara i Man Zero, ali i sa stranim bendovima tipa Moving Mountains i Toundra.

Ovog proleća izbacio je dvopesmični EP Second Chapter. Produkcija je i dalje demo, ali dovoljno jasna da pokaže u kom se pravcu projekat razvija. Ako je ovaj EP ikakav nagoveštaj onoga što dolazi, realno — ima tu prostora za nešto vrlo lepo i zaokruženo.