MIMO 8 - Luka Belani and Spremište 07Jun2013 @MSU - Spring Season Finale

Friday night there was last MIMO concert for the season. Just like every time until now it was organized perfectly for listeners on Radio Sljeme, internet streamers and for live audience at Gorgona Hall at Zagreb MSU (Museum of Contemporary Art). I did not have a chance to see any of the performers live until now so I was looking forward to be surprised and perhaps swayed into fandom and also, as this was the last MIMO event of the season tensions were high and expectations great and it felt so in the electrified air.

Jelena Balent, our MIMO hostess, was particulary beautiful and styled and I rue not having any better photos but to my overexcited mind reality actually pretty much looked more like impressionistic painting and less like accurate depiction of the world so these photos will do until there will be some more on MIMO facebook page.

After short introduction, spotlight went a little bit to the left and Luka Belani started to play.

I have heard about Luka before. I have read some reviews and gig reports and have heard friends and acquaintances from the music business talk about him and I feel none of that information gave him the credit for things I got when he was standing there few feet away, performing. This is exactly why I think people should go and experience music firsthand.

First of all, this guy is stunningly handsome - tall, athletic, masculine, beautiful. In this world he does not NEED to know how to play the guitar, looking like that - but he does know how to play and how to sing and he does it wonderfully. From the first words he spoke and the music he made and the voice that appeared when he started to sing it was just apparent, in full view, that this guy loves his craft and loves to work on it to hone it. He played some new songs and some old ones, and he told us the titles in between songs as he adjusted the sound of his instrument, and his music, allthough being played in singer-songwritery lo-fi settings (as opposed to mixed and produced album quality) had definite taste of sellable and permeating stuff. In the end he played some new songs and told us that he's experimenting a bit with new sound and new sound will definitely stir some spirits and there is still left to see how this will fare with existing fans as it is nothing like the music he made until now.

And then there was comment quarter and Ante Perković and Dubravko Jagatić spoke to Jelena and to audiences both here and on radio and streaming about music and this project and have extended their support and love to this endeavor of promoting domestic artists. Perković also commented how he loved the new stuff Luka played for us and I second that and I love that he was called to comment again as his entusiasm as a music lover is wonderful and contagious and it is great to see that even in a market so small and cutthroat like ours people bearing genuine love for their work can survive.

Band part of the evening went to Spremište.

I haven't heard of Spremište before and it is a crying shame because they are beyond awesome! I will definitely listen to them more and keep an eye on any of their shows nearby so I can go and see them again and again and again.

They opened with a song Recesija borrowed from sibling band Hren and I was so utterly and overwhelmingly shocked with absolute greatness of how they performed it I (along with most of the audience in Gorgona hall) just sat there, not being able to clap. It took me halfway through the next song before I got myself together enough to believe that music this great is really happening - right now, in front of us, live!

They are a mixture of punk, ska, funk, jazz and their "original cast" contains 4 people (Stil - guitar, vocals, Klema - guitar, vocals, Norman - bass, vocals and Perić - drums) and for this event they were joined for a few songs by Brajković on guitar (so Klema could play keyboards) and 3-part brass section.

It was so wonderfully noisy and fun and joyful and noisy and when I got home I immediately turned the Internet upside down and from his pocket Spremište SoundCloud page, YouTube page and Facebook page fell out and I opened and perused them ever since and I hope you will too because there is some freakin' awesome stuff there, including several great videos and buch of great, profesionnaly produced songs - like Ispočetka, my favorite - on their SoundCloud stream.

Farewell MIMO until fall, I hope to see much, much more of you in the future!

MIMO 7 - Surka and Bamwise - Night of Surprise and Sorcery

It is often said that one should approach life with open heart and without expectations - experiencing happenings instead of fulfilling prejudice. This sounds rational enough but I'm still wary of instant wisdom like this - how exactly do you approach something with no expectations?

Surprises come in various containers.

One of such containers was yesterday's MIMO. As you all already know MIMO or Media Inventory of Music Originals is a music enthusiast project in Zagreb that brings forth Croatian most original quality music through the (back) door of Croatian mainstream media. It happens every second Friday that they arrange concerts in MSU (Museum of Contemporary Art) Gorgona hall that are transmitted by online streaming on the Internet, broadcasted on Croatian Radio Sljeme and can be viewed and listened to live at Gorgona hall. I am almost home team for MIMO and someone would think that I know everything there is to know about it - but one would be surprised almost as I was yesterday.

It was better than card tricks and more pleasurable then getting biggest box of magic tricks for your birthday.

Ladies and gentleman - Ante Prgin Surka!

 Even when you know there's gonna be a magic act you cannot help but hang your jaw in awe!

This is a magician of highest order, arch-chancellor of applies physics, eight son of eight son, incarnation of magic - a sorcerer!

MIMO hostess Jelena Balent gave a brief introduction and Surka went on stage and thanked her and said: "Now I don't have to explain it a bit - you said it all." and he begun with his craft. Surka is a musician described by his musician friends as "Rhythm machine, injection of adrenaline." and he is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and music innovator. Even if you know what he does and how he works it does not take away but adds to the magic of the fourth dimension - time. His music comes together in front of the audience's eyes and it is patched together from different sounds and beats and loops and he thinks it up and decides and plans and implements and makes music from scratch right there in front of the audience and it is wonderful and alive and dancing and completely new and damn pinnacle of sound engineering. I've seen it and I have a hard time believing it and I think I'm gonna go and see him play again whenever he'll be in town. Until then do check out his YouTube collection of live videos.


On some songs he had help from female string quartet and I found out later chatting with the organizers that this is just a recent development and that they just started to play together and I am impressed over the legal limit. I can hardly wait when MIMO videos will be uploaded to see and hear and be amazed again and again and keep your eyes on MIMO Facebook page so you can check it out too.

And then there were Bamwise...

... 6 musicians and one visual artist got together on this project that sounds and plays so professionally - effortless, liquid, relaxed - it is hard to believe they get so little mainstream media space. Dub/Reggae really is not my cup of tea as I find it extremely difficult to listen to it for prolonged periods of time while my music experiencing is not being facilitated by alternative states of consciousness but I suppose I could work on it by listening more of it at home so it becomes more familiar.

Their visual expressions were lovely, hypnotic and somehow really connected to the music and musically they were excellent with crystal clear sound (Gorgona hall acoustics just wonderfully accentuated it) and impressive taste of professional skill not spoiled by over-satiety of routine.

I was especially moved and overjoyed with a fact that I see few of band members regularly on various gigs and I even think their bass is sound-master in Attack! where I go to most of my punk gigs and this is a kind of "secret" I did not see coming. Heartwarming and intellectually stimulating - my favorite experience blend.

You can sample their music here, on their Myspace page and if you're up for more fun take care to attend last MIMO of the spring season, on June 7th 2013 at Gorgona hall of MSU Zagreb.

See you there!

MIMO 6 - Irena Žilić and Radost! @MSU 10May2013

Yesterday night it was again time for MIMO (Media Inventory of Music Originals)  at Gorgona hall of MSU Zagreb and it this time it featured Irena Žilić and Radost!. As you already know (but I feel it should be endlessly pointed out and repeated) organization was impeccable, and there was online streaming for international audiences as well as broadcasting on Radio Sljeme. I was looking forward to this MIMO incarnation the most (compared to past events) because I'm a fan of Radost! for quite some time now and I know every performance they give packs a powerful punch to the stomach of routine and pervasive Babbitt lifestyle so it gives me greatest pleasure to see them displayed for wider audiences.

As for Irena Žilić, I had to meet her for the first time live last night and I was not at all dissapointed.

 

Irena Žilić is a singer-songwriter active for about a year and you can check her official page here and download great EP Days of Innocence (2012) from her bandcamp page. I first heard about her around New Year's eve and shortly after that Pavlov wrote on Potlista lovely and engaging article on her work and EP. She has had quite a bit of gigs this year but somehow I never got to see them and I was not happy with this as I really enjoyed her recorded music. Finally MIMO brought her to me, just as it should be with best Croatian contemporary independent performers.

Attractive and kind, with an uncanny feel of someone who genuinely enjoys making music and making it so it conforms with her internal auditory standard of excellence, she is quite a sight to take in and enjoy. It was both beautifully endearing to see and hear her perform for us as it was exquisitely interesting; "fresh" performers always look so cute and genuinely human going through new experiences right before the audience eyes - they play for the crowd that is right in front of them (seemingly forgetting radio audience), they ask things like one human being asks another (not like a star would ask his target group/fan base), they are vulnerable and wonderful in their trust - and Irena was magnifficent at all this.

After few songs she asked us, the audience in Gorgona, to help her greet her international audience:

"Can I ask you something?" she said. "Don't worry - you won't have to sing or clap or anything like that." she laughed and paused...: "Since I know some people outside Croatia are watching this streaming on the Internet I would like you to help me say hello to them. I will say 1,2,3 and we'll all say "Hola!" OK? Will you help me do this?"

... and we laughed and we were endeared and we helped...

1, 2, 3,... Hola!

... and it was engaging and beautiful.

 She played her songs in slow succession, adjusting the sound of her guitar before each new song and it felt lovely and organic and just as it should be for someone who enjoys her craft. In some songs Luce (her friend who we should thank for getting Irena to step up and perform publicly) came to the stage and sang back vocals and they were both marvellous.

 And after a short break in which our lovely MIMO hostess Jelena Balent talked with Maja from U pol 9 kod Sabe and Aleksandar Dragaš...

... stage was re-set and musicians assembled so Radost! could overtake the party. Just like every single time I've listened to them live, and I have seen them 10 or so times live, they have again met my expectations and effortlessly exceeded them. Seriously, until you've seen flamboyant and expressionistic peformance Branko and the gang give you cannot appreciate their music in the real light nor give credit to ridiculously over-the-top obscenities used in their poetics.

Since I feel my enthusiasm with last night's performance is such I would likely describe and tell verbatim everything that happened in chronological order and that would be just too much information I will limit myself to few short sketches:

Most of the songs they played are quite new and most from their latest selfreleased album Radost! jede svoju djecu (Joy! eats its young) that you can download here from their bandcamp page but there were few oldies but goldies from their previous albums.

I loved how their sound is now full, vivacious and interwoven with jazzy and orchestral arrangements - the transition from almost bare spoken word, firm rock guitar and rare real funkiness of funky style from their begginings in 2006 is ginormous - bearing true mark of maturity, both musical and personal for band members and it is a wonderful, comforting sight and acoustic picture.

They performed my absolutely favorite song Kako je divan, oh, taj Gorski Kotar with changed lyrics. Since the song is full of obscenities and it was now being played live on Radio Sljeme they have, in honor of their hosts and of Museum of Contemporary Art, changed all obscene and doubious words to names of Croatian contemporary atrists, including Gorgona group (since gig is held in Gorgona hall) and some more artists because Gorgona group was too small to cover all of their... needs.

They had help from U pol 9 kod Sabe girls on coulple of songs (including Raslinje and U biti, nisam izašao iz jajeta) and it was a great sight. It was even more scenically and emotionally appealing then Bogunovic brothers and band doing it alone since girls bring wonderful chemistry to stage and also seem to genuinely enjoy Radost! music.

This time, I had foresight of expectations so I arranged everything in my favor meaning I found myself a cozy dancing spot so I can enjoy this to the maximum while enjoying perfect sound of this theatrical space with immaculate acoustics.

And lastly, I cannot believe that they managed to go through their whole set, including encore, and that noone from the audience yelled "Mišo!" (their wildly popular drummer).

I can hardly wait to see what alse MIMO has prepared for us so join me Friday May 24th in wonderful Gorgona hall at MSU and see how Bamwise and Surka will fare. See you there!

MIMO 5 - Ivan Vragolovich and The Bonebomb @MSU 26Apr2013

As you all already know MIMO or Media Inventory of Music Originals is a recent project in Zagreb that brings forth Croatian most original quality music through the (back) door of Croatian mainstream media. Every second Friday beginning 01Mar2013 they arrange concerts in MSU (Museum of Contemporary Art) Gorgona hall that are transmitted by online streaming on the Internet, broadcasted on Croatian Radio Sljeme and can be viewed and listened to live at Gorgona hall - and that's where I was this Friday, April 26th 2013.

MIMO concert concept is such that on every separate event there is one solo performer in the first part of the concert, then stage is re-set and a little talking intermezzo moderated by Jelena Balent, MIMO charming hostess, featuring two commenters is broadcasted from Gorgona hall. In second part, after commentaries, performs a band and that nicely rounds up this versatile event.

I had an honor to be asked to join in as one of the commenters and it was an immense pleasure both because I feel strongly about this project and also because other commenter was no other then Ravno Do Dna author and long time music authority Zoran Stajčić.

So how it went down?

Solo performer this time was Ivan Vragolovich, cute and funny looking youngster, walking around in an aura of effortless easygoing artfulness. As it happens he was the winner of first Croatian Blues Challenge in 2009. and subsequently has released wonderful blues album I am a Man, parts of which you can check out on his myspace page and if you like them you can buy the album here from his label Spona web page.

People frequently ask me why do I have to go and see live concert if I can listen to the music in the comfort of my own home and this is why:

If I were home, just listening to Ivan making music, I would not be curious and perplexed as to why does this musical picture feel so complete and intricate if there is only one guy with the guitar there singing live. I would not notice contraption holding harmonica around his neck and I would most definitely not notice bundles of wires and some strange tapping thing below his left foot that is really a kind of electric drum that completes the acoustic picture here. I just cannot see that listening from home and being here and seeing this I cannot help but admire his skill as a musician as well as his dexterity - and this admiration breeds respect.

He sang and played beautifully, he talked between songs and he growled at times toward the sound guys like any true musician would: "Mmhm, a little less monitor please, will you, there! It goes straight to my head." At times he was almost apologetic of his lyrics and he was just wonderful mixture of humility and taking pride in one's own work. All this AND he can make music!

After his act there we talked a bit - Jelena, Zoran and I - for the audience there in Gorgona Hall and Internet streamers and Radio Sljeme listeners. Zoran told some anecdotes about Vragolović and The Bonebomb and Ćato records and state of music scene in general from his unique position of  music expert and longtime member of the scene and people told me I had some interesting things to say too, but I have to take their word for it because I was so overwhelmed my mind just erased itself in the spur of the moment. Damn you, Cortisol! Damn your hindering of short-term to long-term memory consolidation process!

And then, there were The Bonebomb.

Their act is a celebration of grandeur and of splendid, immaculate, professional sound. They play and move around like only professional musicians can, with effortless dexterity and ease, flowing from place to place and from musical passage to musical passage like a river - powerful and undeterred.

As much as I was amazed and startled with the excellence of their music I also did not like listening to it there, in the dark, sitting down, not moving around or dancing. It was just... too much, somehow. Leaving MIMO I immediately bought their CD and I have already listened to it more than a few times and it is just great musical investment, acoustic picture evocative of old-school Hollywood and great big bands in contact shows from our childhood memories.

There are beautiful photos here on MIMO Facebook page and here on photographer Ivica Drusany web page (accompanied by his impressions of the concert, in Croatian) and please go browse through them and feel just how nice a project this is.

And, come! Come listen to music, mingle, see stuff and be a true music lover that can both enjoy the experiences and share and teach them to your children and your loved ones - next MIMO will be up soon, on May 10th 2013. in state-of-the-art Gorgona hall at Zagreb MSU. See you there!

MIMO 4 - Lovely Quinces and Druyd @MSU 12Apr2013

Fourth MIMO (Media Inventory of Music Originals) was held on April 12th at usual place in wonderful Gorgona hall of MSU Zagreb and it brought us Lovely Quinces and Druyd. Organization was impeccable, as always, and there was online streaming for international audiences as well as broadcasting on Radio Sljeme. Audience changed considerably from my last visit and there was noticeable lack of young urbanites of Pitchforky persuasion and considerable increase in organic cotton wearers with subtle hints of religious nonconformity among intoxicating preservative-free cosmetics smell. I fancied seeing that very much; it adds to the spirit of "Inventory" part in MIMO and noticing that diversity and yet "sameness" appeases my sense of security and consolidates the impression that all is well.

It is no accident that "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" was imagined to be the basis of Vulcan philosophy.

So, how was it?

I came forwarned that Dunja Ercegovic a.k.a. Lovely Quinces turns to primeval goddess as she starts to sing and that was stone chiseled truth.

She was frightened and confused and she was so cute in her stage fright I bet all of us had the irresistible urge to hug and comfort her... and yet, she bravely plowed on. She talked between songs and she told us titles and bits of stories about every song and she was both youthful and unmistakeably experienced and it was at the same time heartbreaking and heartwarming to see this lovely, young (21) creature transmute these experiences (seldom pleasurable) into wonderful songs. I was especially impressed by her powerful singing voice which she used with enthralling ease to sing emotion-ridden passages and it felt so calming, so matter-of-the-factly convinced that all will turn out for the best that I was and still am in awe.

And... I'm not really sure how to put this... it was an overwhelming feel of Sandman's sand in that voice, not so much the mythical character from Northern Europe but Gaiman's sexy and lethal Lord of Dreams facing the fact of life: "The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision."

You can sample that wonderful voice through this clip:

"Band part" of the evening went to Druyd:

 They are, and that can plainly be seen and heard here on their bandcamp page, world music at its best, that can go hand in hand with best of them in the business.This music is not something I really enjoy as it unnerves and troubles me to listen to it at home but it was a thrilling and enlivening experience to hear them live. I have not been aware that didgeridoo could be used as de facto percussion section; I always felt that it is a wind instrument and that it adds melody rather than rhythm - which did not appear to be the case here.

Druyd also have strong sense of knowledge and respect for world music lore and they were a sight to be seen and remembered; they wore stage clothes, had painted themselves with intricate nature-like details (singer wore wings!), performed bare-footed, were surrounded with the aura of obligatory nonconformism (to mainstream culture, that is) and wore perplexing smiles of deeply satisfied people.

Lot remains to be said about popularization of knitting through their work.

There is lovely photo gallery here on MIMO facebook page where you can see more clearly happenings of last Friday. More will be served in two weeks time, on Friday April 26th, presented by MIMO at wonderful Gorgona hall of MSU Zagreb.

MIMO - Rokambol and Marinada @ MSU 29Mar2013

MIMO or Media Inventory of Music Originals is a recent project in Zagreb that brings forth Croatian most original quality music through the (back) door of Croatian mainstream media. Every second Friday beginning 01Mar2013 they arrange concerts in MSU (Museum of Contemporary Art) Gorgona hall that are transmitted by online streaming on the Internet, broadcasted on Croatian radio HR2 and can be viewed and listened to live at Gorgona hall. As it is an interesting place and I was curious how "the indie people" are going to pull this off I went to see it.

First MIMO on March 1st 2013. featured Nina Romić and Olovni ples and they were all terrific. You can see photo gallery here and there are many reviews (in Croatian) available. Hall was full and we ended sitting on the steps but it was great as timing was perfect and acoustics in Gorgona hall so wonderful it brought tears to my eyes.

Nina was magnificent opening for this project and her velvety voice had just perfect timber there.

Olovni ples were vibrant with passion and their act had nothing of the darkness inherent to their studio albums. They also benefited immensely from brilliant acoustics as they performed last song walking around across the stage in kind of "every-man-for-himself" way and the sound was so wonderful that you could "see the movement in the sound" even if not looking at the stage.

No extraneous noise, no microphonics, no audio junk of any kind. Just bliss.

Second MIMO was held on March 15th and sadly I could not attend it due to other engagements. If featured Sara Renar  and Chui and I was later thoroughly briefed on excellence of their show by music-lovers and confidants so my heart ached (they did rub some salt there with diligence).

I went to see third MIMO featuring Rokambol and Marinada last Friday (March 29th 2013) and it was a bittersweet experience.

Rokambol was great.

He imagined his part of the show as very theatrical experience, from chosen attire to self-confidence he applied to direct the audience whether to clap or not. He greeted us; ones on the internet, ones by the radios and ones in attendance and then he just played and sung and went on playing in one awesome, super-practiced flow of songs one after another. Crystalline sound made for wonderful opportunity to discern his lyrics and stories just streamed forth from his lips and his fingers into darkness that contained the audience.

There are quite a few videos for his songs on his YouTube channel and his first studio album is apparently due this spring so I'll definitely keep my eye on Rokambol FB notifications.

And then, there was Marinada.

As many of you already know I'm in eternal love with all things from Rijeka and that heavy Fiume accent that the guy on the keyboards used to announce names of the songs and albums they were from was just a perfect ointment for my troubled soul on that fateful Friday. Every word and sound was just perfectly clear and wonderful acoustics of Gorgona hall was once again ideal partner for minimalist style and superior artistry. They played my favorite song - Instrument - in the middle of their set and that lifted my spirit and made the world bearable again.

I loved how they were just marginally connecting with the audience and I loved how the whole show was organized and orderly like browsing through books in a library: you read the label on the spine and take it out, you smell it, leaf through it, read a paragraph here - sentence there - get the feel by merely scratching the surface and then tidily return it where you found it, and pick up another. I love it because they say nothing in their songs and they say everything, they say all that matters. I love it because music, comprised of both instrumental sounds and sounds of their voices, enhances the experience. Information is added but message stays beautifully simple and intuitively understandable

Einstein once said that "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough". These guys can and they do. I'm in awe.

So where is the bitter part of "bittersweet experience" mentioned above?

Well, novelty already wore off and there were far fewer people there that I would imagine at a show like this one; perfectly organized, at a beautiful and clean place where there is no smoking and refreshments are available and that takes place so early in the evening that you can even go to with your kids or go clubbing after it. It is not expensive and there are lovely things to buy if you feel like having a memento of the evening. I would love if more people came to these events and listened and learned how to listen and to behave. It saddens me that this stays in the long tail and that it remains in the realm of "preaching to the choir".

So, prove me wrong - come and see MIMO 4 featuring Druyd and Lovely Quinces on April 14th!