TECHNICOLOR LIES

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 2011 - 2018

Members: Srđan Janjić (vocals), Vladimir Pantić (guitar), Filip Gašić (guitar), Borko Vesković (bass), Stefan Dunjić (drums), Nikola Dimić (bass), Jovan Pavlović (drums), Mihajlo Đorović (guitar)

Related bands: Incomplete, Muerto Rico, Summer Deaths, Zicer Inc.

FFO: Taking Back Sunday, Cursive, Joyce Manor, Dreamwalk, Fall Out Boy

Technicolor Lies was an alt-rock / post-hardcore / emo-pop band from Belgrade, Serbia, formed in 2011. During their active years, they released two EPs and several standalone tracks. They shared stages with Serbian acts such as Sv. Pseta, Reflection, Young Husbands, and Incomplete, and toured the Balkans, most notably Romania and Bulgaria. After releasing a handful of singles, the band quietly disbanded. Guitarist Mihajlo Đorović later formed the project Summer Deaths and became involved with the rap collective Zicer Inc.

Their debut EP, Eclectic Youth, leans toward a more radio-friendly alternative rock and emo-pop framework, built on familiar pop-rock structures with occasional bursts of screamed vocals reminiscent of bands like Refused. Lyrically, it revolves around emotional displacement, fading youth, and post-utopian disillusionment, often framed through grand imagery - collapsed cities, dead suns, false gods - to express deeply personal feelings of isolation and exhaustion. While accessible on the surface, the EP carries a persistent sense of emptiness and unrealized promise beneath its melodic exterior.

With Wasted/Years/Broken/Words, the band noticeably hardens both its sound and tone. Screamed vocals move to the forefront, the songwriting becomes more confrontational, and the emotional focus shifts from abstract loss to accumulated damage - burnt relationships, hypocrisy, exhaustion, and self-blame. The production is more rigid and at times monotonous, which arguably mirrors the record’s themes of stagnation and burnout. While less immediate than its predecessor, the EP feels more inward-looking and abrasive, documenting the aftermath of disillusion rather than its onset.

The standalone singles (Air Max, Dementia & Daddy) released afterward sit somewhere between these two approaches, often sounding more balanced and focused, as if attempting to reconcile melody with the harsher emotional register the band had grown into.

In contrast to their relatively modest discography, Technicolor Lies were most memorable as a live band - energetic, emotionally charged, and the kind of act people would return to see multiple times. Their songs may have evolved unevenly, but their live presence consistently carried a sense of urgency that made their shows feel immediate and worth revisiting.

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Technicolor Lies je bio alt-rock / post-hardcore / emo-pop bend iz Beograda, osnovan 2011. godine. Tokom aktivnih godina objavili su dva EP-ja i nekoliko samostalnih singlova. Delili su bine sa domaćim bendovima poput Sv. Pseta, Reflection, Young Husbands i Incomplete, kao i na balkanskim turnejama, naročito u Rumuniji i Bugarskoj. Nakon objavljivanja nekoliko singlova, bend se tiho razišao. Gitarista Mihajlo Đorović kasnije je osnovao projekat Summer Deaths i uključio se u rap kolektiv Zicer Inc.

Njihov debitantski EP Eclectic Youth naginje pristupačnijem, radiofoničnom okviru alternativnog roka i emo-popa, oslanjajući se na poznate pop-rok strukture uz povremene izlive vrištavih vokala, koji podsećaju na bendove poput Refused. Tematski, tekstovi se bave emocionalnim izmeštanjem, nestajanjem mladosti i postutopijskim razočaranjem, često oblikovanim kroz grandiozne slike - srušeni gradovi, mrtva sunca, lažni bogovi - kako bi izrazili duboko lične osećaje izolacije i iscrpljenosti. Iako na površini pitom, EP ispod melodične spoljašnjosti nosi uporan osećaj praznine i neispunjenog potencijala.

Sa izdanjem Wasted/Years/Broken/Words bend primetno zaoštrava i zvuk i ton. Vrištavi vokali izlaze u prvi plan, pisanje postaje konfrontacionije, a emocionalni fokus se pomera sa apstraktnog gubitka na nagomilanu štetu - sagorele odnose, licemerje, umor i samookrivljavanje. Produkcija je rigidnija i povremeno monotona, što se može tumačiti kao odraz tema stagnacije i sagorevanja koje EP obrađuje. Iako manje neposredno od prethodnika, ovo izdanje deluje introspektivnije i abrazivnije, beležeći posledice razočaranja, a ne njegov početak.

Samostalni singlovi (Air Max, Dementia & Daddy) objavljeni nakon toga nalaze se negde između ova dva pristupa, često zvučeći izbalansiranije i fokusiranije, kao pokušaj pomirenja melodije sa grubljim emotivnim registrom u koji je bend vremenom ušao.

Uprkos relativno skromnoj diskografiji, Technicolor Lies su ostali najupamćeniji kao live bend - energični, emotivno nabijeni i onaj tip izvođača kome se publika rado vraćala. Iako se njihove pesme nisu uvek ravnomerno razvijale, nastupi uživo su dosledno nosili osećaj hitnosti koji je koncerte činio neposrednim i vrednim ponovnog gledanja.

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.

UBILI SU BATLERA

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 2021 - ?????

Members: Damjan Vitorović, Luka Lazarević, Matija Ilić, Relja Blagojević

Related bands: ????

FFO: Free Throw, Joyce Manor, The World Is A Beautiful Place, Snowing, Casper Elgin

I've following this band for quite some time now and it is about time that they've released an official debut EP for us to hear. Before that, lemme tell you all on how i found out about this Belgrade-based band from the beginning.

Photo by me

Back in 2022, the frontman guitartist/vocalist Luka dropped a two-track EP 'avgust' under the moniker Luch0 on Bandcamp. The tracks in question are instrumental math-rock/post-hardcore demonstration of his skills. At the time adding it to my list, i didn't realize that he was connected to the Butlers until he contacted me via their IG page. He was admittedly surprised and validated to find his stuff on there, given that he completely forgot about the project. That’s how far back this band quietly existed in the background, slowly crafting something more solid.

Anyway, Ubili su Batlera (trans. They killed the butler) was founded in 2021. They shared demos around YT or somewhere else and started performing around 2022. I actually had the luck to see them twice while reporting the gigs on here in between January and February 2024, especially when they released their first track 'Utorkom, ponekad' (trans. Sometimes on Tuesdays), as part of Hali Gali Kompilacija Vol. 2.

That track alone was a standout. A booming bassline leads the way, with swirls of guitar drenched in emotional nuance. The vocals walk the tightrope between anguish and resignation, held together by steady, deliberate drums. The lyrics hover between existential dread and emotional loyalty:

“U svojoj glavi držim eter
a u rukama prazninu,”

“Biću tvoj nezaposleni ortak utorkom
Biću tvoj poslednji pas u trci s vremenom.”

Then the breaking point:

“Ovde nema nikog
Nikog osim nas...”

It’s an anthem for those fighting quiet battles, trying to make presence mean something again.

Now, fast forward to May 2025: the band drops their long-awaited self-titled EP, recorded between February and March at Down There Studio, with cover artwork by Milica Berić.

Its opener 'Novi Svet' gets the listeners hyped up in pure 'Twinkle Daddies' fashion,  only 1:40 long, but it delivers that punchy, glittering introduction. It only continues with 'Smrt i Filozofije Palanke', merging twinkly guitars with pop punk elements and catchy hooks. My favorite being the next track 'Jedan! Dva!! Tri!!!' where the melody gets more infectious and It hits with a stream-of-consciousness urgency, pairing emotional volatility with vivid summer imagery:

“Opet samoća 

I ideje koje stvorilo je avgustovsko sunce”

“Svaka reč će 

na julskom suncu da ispari.”

Even lines like this carry a poetic weight that feels honest and unfiltered:

“I svaki korak koji naprave 

ove ofucane patike

u jednom smeru vode me

Bez cilja, ali iz potrebe”

The last one being the alt-rock-ish 'Ko Nema u Glavi¿'  where things seem to slow down a little, going straight to the alt. rock route. Think Dinosaur Jr. if filtered through a modern emo lens, less about fuzz and more about that 90s brand of youthful burnout. The unexpected trumpet adds a sense of dramatic finality that works way better than expected.

While many bands from this region tend to lean on trendy aesthetics without depth, Ubili su Batlera are a rare exception. Their music isn’t just stylish—it’s deeply lived-in. There’s an authenticity in their writing that makes them feel essential. They're in fact one of the few bands, whose songwritings actually carry justice in an otherwise the quasi 'emo-free' region. 

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Pratim ovaj bend već neko vreme i došao je trenutak da konačno imamo njihov zvanični debi EP pred sobom. Ali hajde prvo da ispričam kako sam ih uopšte otkrio.

Još 2022. godine, frontmen Luka (gitara/vokal) izbacio je dvotrekovni EP avgust pod pseudonimom Luch0 na Bandcampu. Te stvari su bile instrumentalni math-rock/post-hardcore showcase njegovih veština. Kad sam ih dodao na listu, nisam ni kapirao da ima veze sa Batlerima, dok mi se nije javio preko njihovog Instagram naloga. Bio je prijatno iznenađen i pomalo oduševljen što sam iskopao taj materijal, jer je i sam bio zaboravio na njega. To vam govori koliko je ova priča tinjala dugo u pozadini, dok nisu sklopili nešto ozbiljnije.

Ubili su Batlera (prev. They killed the butler) nastali su 2021. godine. Demosi su kružili po YouTube-u i ko zna gde sve, a svirke su krenule 2022. Imao sam sreće da ih vidim dva puta uživo, u januaru i februaru 2024, dok sam izveštavao sa koncerata – taman u trenutku kada su izbacili prvu pesmu Utorkom, ponekad, kao deo Hali Gali Kompilacije Vol. 2.

Ta stvar je odmah iskočila. Bas otvara, ogroman i pulsirajući, oko njega gitare pune emotivnih nijansi, dok vokali balansiraju između rezignacije i očaja, a bubnjevi ih drže čvrsto i promišljeno. Tekstovi lebde negde između egzistencijalnog očaja i odane bliskosti:

“U svojoj glavi držim eter

a u rukama prazninu,”

“Biću tvoj nezaposleni ortak utorkom

Biću tvoj poslednji pas u trci s vremenom.”

Pa onda kulminacija:

“Ovde nema nikog

Nikog osim nas...”

Himna za sve one tihe borce koji pokušavaju da povrate smisao samim svojim postojanjem.

Fast forward – maj 2025. Bend konačno izbacuje istoimeni EP snimljen u februaru i martu u Down There Studio, sa omotom Milice Berić.

Otvara ga Novi svet – čisti “Twinkle Daddies” momenat. Kratko, 1:40, ali direktno u čelo, svetlucavo i energično. Sledeća, Smrt i filozofije palanke, prepliće twinkly gitare sa pop-punk elementima i zaraznim refrenima. Meni lično favorit dolazi odmah posle – Jedan! Dva!! Tri!!!. Melodija tu kulminira, sa stream-of-consciousness urgencijom, ljetnjim slikama i emotivnim haosom:

“Opet samoća

I ideje koje stvorilo je avgustovsko sunce”

“Svaka reč će

na julskom suncu da ispari.”

Čak i jednostavne slike nose težinu:

“I svaki korak koji naprave

ove ofucane patike

u jednom smeru vode me

Bez cilja, ali iz potrebe.”

Poslednja stvar, Ko nema u glavi¿, vuče više na alt-rock, malo usporenija, kao da svesno pravi otklon. Pomišljaš na Dinosaur Jr. kroz savremeni emo filter – manje fuzz-a, više tog ’90s osećaja mladalačkog sagorevanja. Truba u završnici je potpuno neočekivana, ali daje pesmi teatralan kraj koji legne savršeno.

Za razliku od mnogih bendova iz regiona koji često skliznu u estetiku bez suštine, Ubili su Batlera odišu autentičnošću. Njihove pesme nisu samo “stajliš” – one se osećaju proživljeno. Njihov songwriting ima težinu, iskrenost i smisao, nešto što retko ko u ovoj kvazi “emo-free” zoni ume da ponudi.

SUPPORT THESE GUYS!

ZOMBIE ANIMAL

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 1999 - ?????

Members: Boris Milić, Tina Stupar

Related bands: MLEV, Mob Law, Tone

FFO: Dashboard Confessional, Senses Fail, The Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, Pidgeon

Zombie Animal is a Belgrade-based collaborative project led by Boris Milić, founded back in 1999. Their only album, simply titled Milić, was finally released in 2006 after a lengthy recording period between 2002 and 2004. Milić handled all the instruments and arrangements, while Tina Stupar contributed most of the vocals.

The album features 13 original songs and a Senses Fail cover, spanning a total runtime of 57 minutes. Musically, Zombie Animal falls somewhere between midwest emo and alternative rock. For example, the opener "Shining Mask" begins with a gentle, warm flow before launching headfirst into pop-punk territory. Stupar’s polished vocals — perhaps a little too smooth for the rawness pop-punk usually demands, are nevertheless catchy and invite listeners to sing along.

Another standout is "Trap-free", featuring Andrija Spičanović of 36 Daggers on guest vocals. While the production does feel somewhat dated by today's standards, it fits the album’s emocore sensibility, think Jawbreaker or Ashes rather than studio-polished mainstream emo. Tracks like "This Emptiness Hangs Heavy" even flirt with dream pop textures, showing surprising versatility.

Lyrically, the album deals with existential crises, the search for identity, societal alienation, and finding ways to survive in a world full of chaos, lies, and hollow values. Interestingly, the upbeat instrumentals often contrast with the dark thematic undercurrents, giving the record an almost bittersweet feeling.

That said, the album’s lengthy runtime can drag at points, and some songs start to blur together. It's not a tight or urgent listen, unless you’re joyriding with this CD on full blast, in which case it becomes a surprisingly pleasant, nostalgic soundtrack.

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Zombie Animal je beogradski kolaborativni projekat koji je 1999. godine pokrenuo Boris Milić. Njihov jedini album, jednostavno nazvan Milić, ugledao je svetlo dana tek 2006, nakon dugotrajnog snimanja između 2002. i 2004. Milić je sam odradio sve instrumente i aranžmane, dok je vokale u najvećoj meri donela Tina Stupar.

Album broji 13 originalnih pesama i jedan cover (Senses Fail), u ukupnom trajanju od skoro sat vremena. Zvukovno, Zombie Animal se kreće negde između midwest emo-a i alternativnog rocka. Već prva stvar, Shining Mask, otvara se nežnim, toplim uvodom, da bi se potom preokrenula u pop-punk pravcu. Stuparin glas je ispeglan, možda i previše gladak za sirovost kakvu taj žanr obično traži, ali i dalje dovoljno zarazan da povuče slušaoca na pevanje.

Poseban trenutak je Trap-free, gde gostuje Andrija Spičanović iz 36 Daggers. Produkcija danas zvuči pomalo zastarelo, ali zapravo se savršeno uklapa u emocore senzibilitet – bliže Jawbreaker ili Ashes nego studijski ispoliranim emo mainstream bendovima. Na mestima, kao u This Emptiness Hangs Heavy, bend čak koketira sa dream pop teksturama, pokazujući neočekivanu širinu.

Tematski, album se bavi egzistencijalnim krizama, potragom za identitetom, osećajem otuđenja u društvu i pokušajima da se opstane u svetu prepunom haosa, laži i šupljih vrednosti. Zanimljivo je da često vedra i melodična instrumentalna podloga kontrastira sa mračnijim lirskim nitima, dajući celini neku vrstu gorko-slatkog osećaja.

Ipak, dugačak format ume da bude zamoran – pesme povremeno počinju da liče jedna na drugu, pa slušanje u kontinuitetu zna da se razvlači. Ovo nije album koji nosi snagom urgentnosti, već više soundtrack za kasnu vožnju kolima, kad pustiš CD do kraja i prepustiš se nostalgičnom vajbu.

ZOMBIE ANIMAL - MILIĆ (2006)

SUPLEXX

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 2024 - Current

Members: Nemanja Ciric

Related bands: Eaglehaslanded, New Church, New Way Kids, Radost-Stradanje, Sv. Pseta

FFO: Mohinder, Embrace, Unwound, Glassjaw 

Early October, a friend of mine - Nugazing - sent me a IG teaser for their Changeover's 2024 Festival, the one which i was invited to perform at the time. While i wanted to attend to their gig, i was unable to due to scheduling conflicts. Then during mid-late October, i finally got the chance to see them as one of the openers for the stoner rock band Constellation in SKC, and let me tell you: their performance is one i would consider the wildest i've ever seen and that is enough to compel me into writing about them. What surprises me more is that Nemanja (of Sv. Pseta and Eaglehaslanded) is the vocalist of the band, further his pivotal role in the Belgrade punk scene.

Suplexx (named after an offensive move used in wrestling sports) is a newly formed 4-piece post-hardcore/emo band hailing from Belgrade, Serbia, straight out of 2024. When describing their music, they claim themselves to be 'inappropriate violent act' due to their wild, often unpredictable nature of their stage presence and their - at times - experimental songwritings. To this day, they've released two EP's: 'SWEET CHIN MUSIC' and 'RUDE AWAKENING'.

Starting with their debut EP 'SWEET CHIN MUSIC', Suplexx kicks off with their two old-school sounding emo/post-hardcore tracks, spiced up with math rock and borders on metalcore a bit. Dissonant, punky riffs, groovy bass line, desperate yelps all held together with steady, balanced drums. These two tracks help sandwich 'intermezzore', an experimental electro-acoustic track clocking around 6 minutes.

Following next with the latest one, 'RUDE AWAKENING' follows the similar formula, except the intermezzo 'Pillow666talk' is kept hidden from streaming, which adds a layer of mystery in their discography. While the punk tracks maintain the raw energy of their debut, the EP feels like an extension rather than a departure, possibly a deliberate strategy to build anticipation through smaller, punchier releases.

Their songwriting is dark, reflective and poetic, but also encourages its listeners to explore deep into their vulnerabilities. They tackle the themes of introspection, identity and struggles between isolation and connection, as well as existential questioning, blending emotional vulnerability with an underlying sense of resistance and defiance. It's honest and goes straight at you. Tracks like MILLION DOLLAR DREAM and RAZOR'S EDGE feel less like passive listening experiences and more like a call to delve deep into one’s psyche.

Compared to Nemanja’s past work, Suplexx feels like a raw nerve: confrontational, introspective, and unflinchingly honest. Whether it’s the furious punk energy or the experimental interludes, Suplexx’s music is designed to suplex your ego and challenge your perspective, leaving you grounded yet invigorated.

BANDCAMP

GIG REVIEW: REFLECTION + SPASIBO @ KC ZIVA

Ah, Živa. It's been a damn while since i visited, let alone performed there since that place was just newly opened. It's one of the DIY venues ran by folks who run places such as MKC Kombinat, Matrijarsija and Fijuk Sajam etc. It takes place in the bunker in the middle of Novi Beograd. When i came to, the lack of oxygen was extremely present. You could tell how long has it been laying here, that place hasn't been touched for decades. Nowadays, the air quality has sort of gotten better the second time i visited the venue.

Currently Belgrade-based Russian shoegaze/emo Spasibo started off the event with their statements in English and in Russian regarding the situation their country has been placed in, as well as the Moscow massacre not long ago, stressing that "it has been a catastrophe for all of us" and that "violence is never a solution for the future". The band also states that their lyricism deals with accountability and being compassionate with one another before kicking off their set.

Throughout their activity, Spasibo played various amounts of genres, ranging from Neo-Psychedelia, Hard Rock, Krautrock to Math Rock, Post-Hardcore and Emo. It took them a long time to explore for their own sound.

On this stage, Spasibo tends to lean a bit into the emocore/post-hardcore vibes from the 80's and 90's, with the frontman clean singing and borderline shouting, somewhere along the lines of Rites of Spring, At The Drive-In and Jimmy Eat World. Nearly the entire setlist probably consists of songs from their latest album Terpeniye, save for the shoegazy closure.

Tons of people who are packing the venues are from Russia and Serbia, which goes to show how established Spasibo is during their decade-long career, well before the war, as you can see in the pictures displayed here.

The crowd had carried along their set lasting a half an hour, warming up to the next thing that will eventually shake 'em up. Reflection from Gornji Mladenovac follows up with their usual introduction in Serbian before stomping at the crowd with bass pedals. They're active since 2017 and dropped their debut album Different Paths in 2019, borrowing lots of Melodic Hardcore groups such as Have Heart. They've given out all of their energy to lift up the crowd and even teased their new song.

This is definitely my first time seeing them live. I've been trying to catch up to them and ended up being held back by other day-to-day duties in my life and i finally took an opportunity to see them this time and i was completely intrigued by their raw energy. I figured this would be the next band to review for this blog.

I absolutely do not regret coming here, as it is vital that every active DIY venues of Serbia invites as many emo/screamo acts as possible. I even heard from my friends there that an emo/screamo show will take place in there this June, so i am completely fucking stoked. This is what keeps this otherwise dying scene alive.

Please do not forget to check these aforementioned bands out. They totally deserve your support.

Spasibo

Reflection

Plus Life

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 2005 - 2007

Members: Boško Miljušković (guitar), Igor Uzelac (guitar), Stevan Ćirović (drums), Stefan Unković (vocals), Vladimir Lekić (bass), Marko Stevanović Sicke - drums

Related bands: Dol, HomeSickHome, Jaibo!, Let's Grow, Lollobrigida, Seine, Straigh Mickey and The Boyz, Stray Dogg, Subout, Radost!, Roza, Tough Guys of America, Turisti, VVhile, Škrtice

Labels: Ha-Ko Bastards Records

FFO: Admiral, After Words, Assfactor 4, Chino Horde, Merel

Plus Life was a short-lived band with a span of two years of its activity. Formed in the capital of Belgrade, the quintet banded together to release their debut EP "Modern Life Mathematics in 2006. It was rumoured that the new material was in the works, however that never came to fruition and then the band called it quits in 2007. Afterwards, a few band members went on to play in various different bands (see related bands).

Their debut EP "Modern Life Mathematics" consists of 6 tracks of unnerving dissonant and fastened post-hardcore tensions, completely reminiscent of 2nd wave of emo, especially ones from Dischord and/or Ebulition Records. Although it relies a bit too much into hardcore (shouts and all) and comes off a bit of a cliche and dated, especially in the year 2006, it is cool to hear the old-school 90's emo in their songwriting. An underrated discovery.

LISTEN TO THE EP HERE.

DOWNLOAD HERE.

.minmo

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 2022 - Ongoing

Members: ???

Related bands: ???

FFO: Raein, Marjory Stewart Baxter, Eva Ras, Minaret, Mischa.

Label: Khya Records

When i was doing some house work, a band named .minmo contacted me, asking for a submission of releasing their stuff into tape. When i first read about them being from Serbia, i couldn't believe my eyes, then i had to do the research and i only found a blog post about them on Miss The Stars who stated the same. Nevertheless, i was more than happy to help release the demo for them.

.minmo is an upcoming band from Belgrade, Serbia, formed somewhere in 2022. With little to no information about them, the band seems to share vocal duties with their friends, also uncredited. They have recorded their three-track demo EP and then their 7-track demo EP, eventually released on tape by Khya Records.

Their music is a short, confronting and dark emoviolence with a hint of influences from the European bands, such as La Quiete, Minaret, Raein and Mischa and of course, post-rock.

The entirety of this short gem is simply fucking fantastic shit, nothing but pure raw lo-fi energy. Since this band is completely new, i'm totally looking forward to hearing what they'll be doing next in the near future.

STREAM THEIR MUSIC HERE.