STRANDED IN DOG CITY

​Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Year active: 2023 / 2024–present

Related bands: Dio Perkins, Poguba, Requeson

FFO: Zbrucz, Mališa Bahat, Shizune

photo: @jakofvir

Stranded in Dog City is a Slovenian screamo quartet that emerged from the remains of a hardcore band Dio Perkins. While the lineup stayed the same, the shift in sound came gradually, becoming fully realized with the release of their first demo tape - three tracks marking a clear transition toward a more emotionally driven approach.

Initially rooted in straightforward hardcore, the band began reshaping their identity as they grew more connected to the expressive and cathartic elements of screamo. This shift was heavily influenced by the rising presence of bands like Zbrucz within the regional scene, whose impact helped open space for a new wave of screamo acts in an environment previously dominated by hardcore, grind, and crust.

A defining moment came after attending a show in Plac (Ljubljana), featuring Zbrucz, Mališa Bahat, and Shizune - followed by their visit to Third Impact Fest in Modena. These experiences solidified their direction, pushing them further toward a more emotionally charged and dynamic sound.

While still active through their original project Dio Perkins, Stranded in Dog City serves as a more personal and expressive outlet, leaning into the intensity, vulnerability, and sonic range of modern European screamo.

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Stranded in Dog City je slovenački screamo kvartet koji je nastao iz ostataka hardcore benda Dio Perkins. Iako je postava ostala ista, promena zvuka se odvijala postepeno, da bi bila u potpunosti zaokružena izdavanjem njihovog prvog demo izdanja — tri pesme koje jasno označavaju prelazak ka emotivnijem izrazu.

U početku ukorenjeni u klasičnom hardcore zvuku, bend je vremenom počeo da preoblikuje svoj identitet, sve više se povezujući sa ekspresivnim i katarzičnim elementima screama. Na ovu transformaciju značajno je uticao i rastući uticaj bendova poput Zbrucz na regionalnoj sceni, koji su otvorili prostor za novu generaciju screamo izvođača u okruženju koje je ranije bilo dominantno hardcore, grind i crust orijentisano.

Ključni trenutak dogodio se nakon koncerta u Plac-u (Ljubljana), gde su nastupali Zbrucz, Mališa Bahat i Shizune, kao i nakon njihovog odlaska na Third Impact Fest u Modeni. Ta iskustva su učvrstila njihov pravac i dodatno ih usmerila ka emotivno nabijenijem i dinamičnijem zvuku.

Iako su i dalje aktivni kroz svoj prvobitni bend Dio Perkins, Stranded in Dog City funkcioniše kao ličniji i izražajniji projekat, naglašavajući intenzitet, ranjivost i zvučni raspon savremenog evropskog screama.

PHOTO: aleksander.s.art

DREAMWALK

Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Year active: 1999 - 2015, 2020

Members: Jeremi Slak (vocals), Tamir Gostiša (guitar), Jaro Jelovac (guitar), Tomaž Vidmar (bass), Jaka Skočir (drums)

Related bands: SULO, Weed, Skyline Arcade, Hit By Plane, The Toronto Drug Bust

FFO: Finch, Underoath (early), The Used, Story of the Year, Funeral for a Friend, Enter Shikari, Leaf-Fat

Though stylistically leaning toward melodic post-hardcore, Dreamwalk emerged from the same Slovenian hardcore infrastructure that fed the wider Yugoviolence circuit.

Formed in Ljubljana 1999, Dreamwalk emerged from the fusion of members of the hardcore band SULO and the high-school project Weed. The band’s earliest phase revolved around Multimedia Records, Lonelyboy, and the release Far Away from LA, a melodic hardcore/skate punk album that gained notable exposure among Slovenian youth through repeated airplay on Videospotnice.

A decisive turning point came with the arrival of guitarist Tamir Gostiša, whose technical ability and strong musical personality reshaped the band’s direction. Together with Jeremi, he co-wrote Three Days Later - the band’s defining post-hardcore release and only record with notable international reach. Tracks such as “What If,” “Underneath,” and “Roses” gave Dreamwalk modest reach beyond Slovenia, including live performances in Varaždin and Pula and shared stages with Dead By Mistake, Things Fall Apart (later Kinoklub), and Leaf-Fat.

Internal conflicts led to a breakup and Jeremi’s departure. Subsequent projects followed: Jeremi formed Skyline Arcade (which released a full-length), while other members briefly continued under Hit By Plane. Tamir later joined the indie rock outfit The Toronto Drug Bust.

Years later, a reunion brought Dreamwalk back together. Through Brain Fuse Records, Three Days Later was reissued digitally, and the band released Next Big Thing, a pop rock track which received the MTV Play Award during the MTV Adria era. This period marked their strongest domestic concert run before family, career commitments and personal issues gradually dissolved the project once again - this time amicably.

In its final phase, Jeremi recorded additional material with a new lineup, including singles “Paper Hearts,” “Who I Am,” and “Battlefields & Butterflies,” though the band did not return to regular live activity.

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Iako su stilski naginjali ka melodičnom post-hardcoreu, Dreamwalk je potekao iz iste slovenačke hardcore infrastrukture koja je hranila širi Yugoviolence krug.

Formirani 1999. godine, Dreamwalk su nastali spajanjem članova hardcore benda SULO i srednjoškolskog projekta Weed. Najranija faza benda bila je vezana za Multimedia Records, Lonelyboy i izdanje Far Away from LA, melodični hardcore/skate punk album koji je stekao zapaženu vidljivost među slovenačkom omladinom zahvaljujući čestom emitovanju u emisiji Videospotnice.

Prelomni trenutak dolazi dolaskom gitariste Tamira Gostiše, čija su tehnička sposobnost i izražena muzička ličnost promenile pravac benda. Zajedno sa Jeremijem, koautor je izdanja Three Days Later - ključnog post-hardcore materijala benda i jedinog koji je ostvario značajniji međunarodni domet. Pesme poput „What If“, „Underneath“ i „Roses“ omogućile su Dreamwalku skroman iskorak van Slovenije, uključujući nastupe u Varaždinu i Puli, kao i deljenje bine sa bendovima Dead By Mistake, Things Fall Apart (kasnije Kinoklub) i Leaf-Fat.

Unutrašnji konflikti doveli su do raspada i Jeremijevog odlaska. Uslijedili su novi projekti: Jeremi je osnovao Skyline Arcade (koji je objavio album), dok su ostali članovi nakratko nastavili pod imenom Hit By Plane. Tamir se kasnije pridružio indie rock bendu The Toronto Drug Bust.

Godinama kasnije dolazi do ponovnog okupljanja. Preko Brain Fuse Records, Three Days Later je reizdat u digitalnom formatu, a bend objavljuje Next Big Thing, koji osvaja MTV Play nagradu tokom ere MTV Adria. Taj period obeležio je njihovu najintenzivniju domaću koncertnu fazu, pre nego što su porodične obaveze, karijere i lični razlozi postepeno doveli do novog, ovog puta sporazumnog razlaza.

U završnoj fazi, Jeremi je sa novom postavom snimio dodatni materijal, uključujući singlove „Paper Hearts“, „Who I Am“ i „Battlefields & Butterflies“, ali bend se nije vratio redovnim nastupima uživo.

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.

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