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.

In 2026, they dropped their second EP Idemo dalje (trans. “Let’s Move On”) in mid-March. The release features four new tracks, some of which include guest appearances from Snoudrop and Bo, along with a cover of the cult classic “Samo ponekad” by the legendary Jarboli.

A further evolution of their songwriting is evident here, with arrangements that feel more eclectic than before. Tight, adrenaline-charged instrumentation is paired with half-screamed, high-pitched vocals and infectious melodies that push their sound forward while keeping its emotional urgency intact.

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.

Godine 2026, objavili su svoj drugi EP „Idemo dalje“ sredinom marta. Izdanje sadrži četiri nove numere, od kojih neke uključuju gostovanja Snoudropa i Boa, zajedno sa obradom kultnog klasika „Samo ponekad“ legendarnog Jarbola.

Dalja evolucija njihovog pisanja pesama je ovde očigledna, sa aranžmanima koji deluju eklektičnije nego ranije. Čvrsta, adrenalinom nabijena instrumentacija uparena je sa polu-vrištavim, visokim vokalima i zaraznim melodijama koje guraju njihov zvuk napred, a istovremeno zadržavaju njegovu emocionalnu hitnost netaknutom.

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.

SHOW THEM SUPPORT!

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)

GIG REPORT: UNABLE TO FULLY EMBRACE THIS HAPPINESS & PAGENINETYNINE @ARENA WIEN, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

YUP! You've seen it and you all know what i am coming up with. That's right! I went to see one of the classic cult screamo acts ever from Sterling, VA - pageninetynine and let me tell you: it was such a fucking blast!

The event itself was managed by Hardcore For The Losers and Generation Noir, taking place in Arena, Vienna, Austria. The band opening for them is a local emoviolence act Echelons aka. Unable to fully embrace this happiness.

It was a typically windy Monday in Vienna, slightly rainy too. As soon as I arrived by bus, I realized the venue was just an 8-minute walk away. Since doors didn't open until 8 PM, I took my sweet time wandering around the area. Truthfully, I hadn’t been to Vienna since I was about 10 or 11 years old. My only vivid memory from back then was visiting the Belvedere Castle.

Getting close to 8PM, i headed back to Arena and caught up with Dimitar of DIY Conspiracy, who was also excited to see. The doors open and the people gathered around at the merch table. They're mostly kids ranging from teens to young adults, who were eagerly discussing about both classic and contemporary screamo and sasscore.

I met up with the vocalist who was selling Echelons merch and we talked about 'Enjoy Life To This' - a 5-way split with Commuovere, Fei Lung and Te Lloraria Un Puto Rio. We agreed that it was somehow solid and it could've been so much more. He also mentioned never receiving the tapes from the labels — especially from me — which I was honestly surprised. I bought the tape and the classic pg.99 shirt (that was infamously used as a part of the 'skramz revivalist' character which haven't took off until years later). That was supposed to be it… until pg.99 absolutely floored me and I had to grab the Document #5 repress as well.

ECHELONS (FORMERLY UNABLE TO FULLY EMBRACE THIS HAPPINESS) hit the stage with some of the ferocious React With Protest influenced screamo for half an hour. Their debut 2017 album The Morning Sun & The End of the World gained a lot of traction for their lo-fi microwave production and raw, frantic energy. With that being said, their sound on stage is a bit too polished and would be better off with tight, on-the-floor squat setting. Still, their intensity and crowd interaction held strong.

PAGENINETYNINE (OFTEN STYLIZED AS PG.99) consists of nine people and they hit it off with the iconic, crushing track from Document #4, as well as all classic songs from 5, 7 and 8, having the crowdgoers let loose however they wanted. And it's not just that, it's Chris Taylor doing handstands, climbing on ceilings or crawling on the floor or Blake Midgette going off stage to get himself a can of beer is what makes it so memorable. Especially the encore where David of Echelons joins the hypnotic drumming sessions during 'By the Fireplace in White' where Chris literally gets off the stage, crawls on all fours, all around the room and into the backstage for about 5 minutes or so before the last blow.

At the end of the show, we all came out sweaty and immensely satisfied. If Garfield were there, this would’ve changed his entire opinion on Mondays :)

HOLDEN CAULFIELD VS. THE WORLD

Location: Zagreb, Serbia

Year active: 2023 - ?????

Members: ?????

Related bands: Biokill, Bojack Horseman Apologism Club, Spring Break,

FFO: Angel Garden, just friends., your arms are my cocoon, Nayru

Remember Spring Break? Well, here’s another project from the same person—though the revelation of it might surprise you.

Some time ago, I received a comment on my RYM list. Curious, I checked out who it was and what they had to say. To my surprise, it was from the person behind that dreadful MIDI mishmash known as Spring Break. He admitted he wasn’t too proud of it and instead shared links to his other projects. One of them caught my interest enough to warrant this review.

Holden Caulfield Vs. The World dropped its four-track debut EP, What Would Garfield Do If He Was in My Position, in 2023. Recorded during the summer and early fall, this project follows a similar formula to Spring Break but takes a few baby steps toward improvement. The production remains rough, the mastering nonexistent, but the songwriting has noticeably evolved. The screeching “kittencore” vocals are more confident, and while the fourth track leans into instrumental territory, it offers an interesting blend of dissonant skramz chaos and melodic twinkly emo passages.

Compared to Spring Break, this is a clear improvement—and honestly, I’d jam this one any day.

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Sećate li se Spring Break projekta? E pa, evo još jednog iz iste glave — mada će te možda iznenaditi u kom pravcu ide.

Pre izvesnog vremena dobio sam komentar na svoj RYM spisak. Iz radoznalosti sam pogledao ko je i šta piše, i ispostavilo se da je to autor onog nesrećnog MIDI haosa poznatog kao Spring Break. Sam je priznao da nije naročito ponosan na to izdanje i umesto toga podelio linkove ka drugim projektima. Jedan od njih me dovoljno zainteresovao da mu posvetim ovaj tekst.

Holden Caulfield vs. the World izbacio je svoj debitantski EP What Would Garfield Do If He Was in My Position 2023. godine. Sniman tokom leta i rane jeseni, ovaj projekat prati sličnu formulu kao Spring Break, ali uz nekoliko malih, ali bitnih koraka unapred. Produkcija je i dalje gruba, master praktično ne postoji, ali je sama pesmopisateljska osnova očigledno sazrela. Onaj škripavi „kittencore“ vokal sada zvuči samouverenije, a četvrta numera, koja naginje instrumentalu, nudi zanimljiv spoj disonantnog skramz haosa i melodičnih, „twinkly“ emo pasaža.

U poređenju sa Spring Break-om, ovo je jasna nadogradnja — i iskreno, radije bih pustio ovaj EP bilo kog dana.

WHAT WOULD GARFIELD DO IF HE WAS IN MY POSITION? (2023)

BRITNEY'S PIERCE

Location: Čakovec, Croatia

Year active: 2000

Members: Teo Petričević, Igor Bistrović, Krešo Žerjav, Karlo Horvat

Related bands: Clean, Dead Dog Summer, Downfall, Emphasis, The Farewell Reason, Latest, Nikad, Outré, Senata Fox, Subscale

FFO: Jasemine, Fingerprint, Anomie

The cleverly named Britney's Pierce is another short-lived band formed in Čakovec, Croatia, active in the year 2000. Channeling the raw intensity of early ‘90s French screamo (think Anomie, Jasemine, and Fingerprint), they played an emotional, politically charged brand of hardcore that centered around vegan straight edge ideals and animal rights advocacy. 

Despite their very brief existence, they never had an official recording to begin with. In fact, they only either recorded a demo or a session release that contains 6 untitled songs. Given that the band dropped nothing but these tunes, it's fair to say that they didn't last that long.

On Guranjeslitice's YT channel the first song was listed as two separate songs, but i don't think that way. The intro and the rest of the other half feel connected to each other, and that's more than enough for me to know what they're packing for.

Indeed, this is a forgotten screamo band - a short-lived yet passionate burst of emotion, now buried as a relic in the annals of underground screamo history.

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Duhovito nazvani Britney’s Pierce bio je još jedan kratkotrajni bend nastao u Čakovcu, Hrvatska, aktivan 2000. godine. Kanalizujući sirovu intenzivnost ranog francuskog screamo talasa s početka devedesetih (setite se Anomie, Jasemine i Fingerprint), svirali su emotivni, politički nabijen hardcore fokusiran na vegan straight edge ideale i borbu za prava životinja.

Uprkos kratkom životu, bend nikada nije objavio zvanično izdanje. Zapravo, snimili su samo demo ili sesijski materijal od šest neimenovanih pesama. Pošto im je to jedini trag, jasno je da nisu dugo opstali.

Na Guranjeslitice YT kanalu prva pesma je navedena kao dve odvojene numere, ali ja to tako ne vidim. Uvod i nastavak su povezani, i to je više nego dovoljno da se oseti šta su želeli da prenesu.

Zaista, Britney’s Pierce ostaju kao zaboravljeni screamo bend — kratkotrajan, ali strastven nalet emocija, sada zakopan kao relikvija u anale underground screamo istorije.

BRITNEY'S PIERCE

WILL TO FAIL

Location: Split, Croatia

Year active: 2002 - 2003

Members: Igor Mihovilović, Marko Pogačar, Ranko Smoljan, Karmelo Marin

Related bands: Breed, Crvi, Čuljić Mihovilović Duo, Death Disco, Dim, Dispro, Essence, Giht Shasie, Helmet, Kadet, Karmakumulator, Pale, PBK Theater, No Comment, Sivi, Stražarni Lopov I Dobri Ljudi, Talason, Wizard of Stone Mountain

FFO: Angel Hair, Mohinder, Navio Forge, Honeywell, March 15th

Another day, another band to cover. This time, we're diving into something even more obscure from our northwest neighbor. Credit to Igor Mihovilovic, a key figure in the Croatian underground punk scene, known for projects like Breed, Karmakulator, and Giht Shasie, as well as labels like Carpediem Records and Guranje S Litice. Today’s focus: a band whose brief existence and minuscule discography (just four tracks) are anything but forgettable.

Will to Fail was a short-lived post-hardcore/screamo band from Split, Croatia, active from 2002 to 2003. Despite recording only three proper songs - plus one rough demo - their music encapsulates pure, noisy, dissonant, anxious, and spastic emotional chaos. Imagine the serrated edge of post-hardcore with a hint of pigfuck (a term originally used to dismiss bands creating some of the most abrasive, guttural noise rock, only for it to become an emblem of raw sonic destruction).

The three recorded songs were captured in multiple sessions throughout their brief lifespan and later remastered in 2020. ‘Pelin Petak’ kicks things off with a menacing post-hardcore/screamo vibe for 2:17, while ‘Smrt od Basa s Britvom’ steadily builds into bursts of uncontrollable chaos over its short 1:19 runtime. Then there’s ‘Kolac Utorak’, layering a sense of urgency into the guitar riffs before detonating into raw, unhinged emotional breakdowns across nearly three minutes. Lastly, their rough demo ‘Bubamara u Drvenoj Kutijici’, despite being instrumental, offers a rare quiet moment - less menacing, more somber - stretching out for 4:19.

Will to Fail burned out after just one year, leaving behind a handful of songs that feel like unearthed artifacts of raw, unfiltered chaos. A fleeting spark, but one sharp enough to leave scars.

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Još jedan dan, još jedan bend za pokriti. Ovoga puta ulazimo u još opskurnije vode kod naših severozapadnih suseda. Zasluge idu Igoru Mihoviloviću, važnoj figuri hrvatske underground punk scene, poznatom po projektima Breed, Karmakulator i Giht Shasie, kao i po etiketama Carpediem Records i Guranje s Litice. Današnji fokus: bend čije je kratko postojanje i sićušna diskografija (svega četiri pesme) sve osim zaboravljivih.

Will to Fail bio je kratkotrajan post-hardcore/screamo bend iz Splita, aktivan od 2002. do 2003. godine. Iako su snimili samo tri prave pesme — plus jedan grubi demo — njihova muzika sažima čistu, bučnu, disonantnu, anksioznu i spazmatičnu emocionalnu erupciju. Zamislite nazubljenu ivicu post-hardcora s primesama pigfuck estetike (termin koji je prvobitno korišćen da omalovaži bendove koji su pravili najabrazivniji, najgrublji noise rock, a kasnije postao simbol sirove zvučne destrukcije).

Tri pesme su snimane u više sesija tokom kratkog trajanja benda i kasnije remasterovane 2020. godine. „Pelin Petak“ otvara materijal mračnim post-hardcore/screamo nabojem u trajanju od 2:17. „Smrt od Basa s Britvom“ gradi napetost do eksplozivnih ispada neobuzdanog haosa u svega 1:19. Zatim dolazi „Kolač Utorak“, koji unosi osećaj hitnosti u gitarske rifove, da bi se sve urušilo u sirove, razvezane emotivne lomove u skoro tri minuta. Na kraju, grubi demo „Bubamara u Drvenoj Kutijici“, iako instrumentalan, nudi redak mirniji trenutak — manje preteći, više setan — u trajanju od 4:19.

Will to Fail izgoreo je posle samo godinu dana, ostavljajući iza sebe šačicu pesama koje deluju kao iskopani artefakti sirovog, nefiltriranog haosa. Kratkotrajna iskra, ali oštra dovoljno da ostavi ožiljke.

LIVE SETS + SONGS FROM VARIOUS SESSIONS ON GURANJESLITICE'S YT CHANNEL.

WILL TO FAIL

VEŠTAČKI OMOTAČ

Location: Serbia

Year active: 2023 - ?????

Members: Uves

Related bands: ?????

FFO: The Jim Yoshi Pile, A Lot Like Paris, just friends.

Well, time to rest from the noise a bit and get down to something more quiet... slow... somber. Something like that.

Lately i've been wondering if there was any slowcore existing in this region. Now i know that slowcore is an entirely different thing, but keep in mind that many bands such as The Jim Yoshi Pile, A Lot Like Paris, Mineral and a lot of those belonging to Emo spectrum have been incorporating Slowcore in their music for quite some time. 

So i had to get down to it, starting with bandcamp to detect any release with that term and then  this project Vestacki Omotac (artificial covering) from Serbia (no city has been specified) came out of my radar. The project itself only dropped a full length self-titled album in 2023. The gorgeous cover was compelling enough for me to jamming the whole thing.

The album starts with a 1:35 minute glowing aura opener 'Toplo narandzasto svetlo' (warm orange light) as it is afterwards followed straight thru the 2:47 minutes of gorgeous lo-fi indie strumming as faint vocals are heard at the side in 'Napravljeno od lisce' (Made of leaves). Then we're getting all cozy in Pejzaz (Landscape) until 1:27 moody bass kicks in, with lo-fi synths intensifying the eerie atmosphere until it resumes back to lo-fi coziness. In 'Slamena Figura' (Straw figure), it's as similar as to 'Toplo narandzasto svetlo', until the cymbals amplify things around 3:27 where it rings around the rest of the song. The 2:15 minutes of lo-fi booming synths in 'Dalekovodi' (Power lines) is deliciously melancholic in its doom.

As the album unfolds, Vestacki Omotac continues its slow, meditative journey. Instead of focusing on individual tracks, it feels more appropriate to highlight the album’s overall atmosphere, one of muted melancholy and lo-fi intimacy. The songs bleed into one another, creating a seamless, dreamlike state where time feels almost suspended.

What stands out most is the project’s ability to maintain a consistent mood without feeling stagnant. Each track might share a similar palette of soft guitars, hushed vocals, and airy synths, but subtle shifts in tone and texture keep the experience engaging. It’s less about distinct songs and more about the cumulative effect, a long, reflective exhale.

The album thrives in its restraint, leaning into the slowcore ethos of doing more with less. It doesn’t chase catchy hooks or dramatic climaxes. Instead, it offers a gentle and enveloping listen, ideal for quiet moments of introspection or simply letting your mind wander.

While the uniformity of the tracks might make it difficult to pinpoint standout moments, it also strengthens the album’s identity as a cohesive whole. It's a collection of quasi instrumental slowcore goodness. Childlike and quirky, but unafraid to reveal itself.

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E pa dobro, vreme je da se malo odmorimo od buke i siđemo u nešto tiše… sporije… setnije. Nešto tog tipa.

U poslednje vreme sam se pitao da li je uopšte postojao slowcore na ovim prostorima. Jasno mi je da je slowcore poseban pravac, ali valja imati na umu da su mnogi bendovi poput The Jim Yoshi Pile, A Lot Like Paris, Mineral i još gomila iz šireg emo spektra već dugo u svoje pesme ubacivali slowcore elemente.

Tako sam morao da zaronim u potragu — prvo na Bandcamp, tražeći bilo kakvo izdanje pod tim terminom — i eto, ispliva mi ovaj projekat Veštački Omotač iz Srbije (bez konkretno navedenog grada). Projekat je izbacio samo jedan full-length, istoimeni album, 2023. godine. Sam omot je dovoljno lep i intrigantan da sam pustio ceo album bez razmišljanja.

Album otvara „Toplo narandžasto svetlo“ (1:35), blistava aura-intro, posle čega ulazimo pravo u 2:47 minuta prelepog lo-fi indie drndanja uz jedva čujne vokale sa strane — „Napravljeno od lišća“. U „Pejzažu“ se zavaljujemo u toplo lo-fi okruženje dok se u 1:27 ne ubaci setni bas, a zatim lo-fi sintovi podižu jezivu atmosferu pre nego što sve ponovo padne nazad u nežnu tišinu. „Slamena figura“ (Straw figure) kreće u maniru „Toplog narandžastog svetla“, ali se stvari lagano rasplamsavaju kada se činela uključi oko 3:27 i razlije do kraja pesme. A „Dalekovodi“ (2:15) — mračni, lo-fi bum synth komad — pruža melanholiju toliko ukusnu da graniči s doom estetikom.

Kako album odmiče, Veštački Omotač nastavlja svoju sporu, meditativnu putanju. Umesto da se hvata za pojedinačne pesme, smislenije je govoriti o celokupnoj atmosferi — prigušene melanholije i lo-fi intime. Numere se slivaju jedna u drugu, stvarajući besprekidan, snoliki tok u kojem vreme kao da prestaje da postoji.

Ono što najviše odskače jeste sposobnost projekta da zadrži konzistentno raspoloženje a da pri tom ne deluje monotono. Iako pesme dele sličnu paletu — meke gitare, prigušene vokale i vazdušaste sintove — suptilne promene u tonu i teksturi drže slušanje živim. Više je reč o kumulativnom efektu nego o pojedinačnim momentima, kao jedan dugačak, refleksivan uzdah.

Album uspeva baš u svojoj uzdržanosti, oslanjajući se na slowcore filozofiju „više kroz manje“. Ne juri za zaraznim refrenima niti dramatičnim vrhuncima. Umesto toga pruža blago, obavijajuće iskustvo — idealno za tihe trenutke introspekcije ili puštanja uma da luta.

Da, uniformnost pesama može otežati izdvajanje „hitova“, ali to je ujedno i snaga ovog albuma: jasno profilisana celina. Kolekcija poluinstrumentalnog slowcorea — detinjasta i luckasta, ali dovoljno hrabra da pokaže pravo lice.

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