Performer: Slon in sadež
Label: Cela Pametna Založba
Release: 2003
Rating: 3.4/5
Slon in Sadež is the name of a Slovenian duo of comedy rockers who first rose to fame on the show Štafeta mladosti on TV Slovenija. The two weirdos have already left their mark on the small screen with their gags, which were sometimes totally primal and sometimes almost unexpectedly clever. They’ve carried over these two different sides – the in-your-face and the more thoughtful – into their music projects too.
The album Kabare is this comedy duo’s first, and it does exactly what you’d expect from them. They bring their acting chops into the music, staging a proper theatre show where they play most of the roles themselves, and the only really notable guest is the rapper 6pack Čukur.
This short radio play, which plays out on the odd-numbered tracks (while the even ones are the “normal” parody songs), tells the story of two guys who set off for the seaside in a crappy car. The first obstacle comes right away, when an immigrant, the so-called cowboy from Ljubljana, jumps them in front of their apartment block. On the way, all sorts of strange adventures befall them, tied in with the musical numbers too. Later, once they’re already in Koper, they pick up the hitchhiker 6pack Čukur, who talks them into checking out an aircraft carrier in Koper, which they later sail all the way to Afghanistan (or near enough), ending up in prison. At first the humor in the story is genuinely good, smart and mostly juicy, but toward the end the story fades and the album starts to feel like it drags.
Musically, Slon in sadež take a swing at pretty much every genre (if they haven’t covered everything here, they’ve left a bit for the next album). With Veneti they show a good grasp of Balkan folk, Kavboj iz Ljubljane leans more country, while with Ekološki manifest they prove themselves as hippie singer-songwriters. Ma naj bo štrom is a punk parody, and Reper a rap one. And finally there’s a reggae track too, featuring the well-known Slovenian reggae act Siti hlapci.
It has to be said that these gentlemen aren’t just funny enough to crack you up (at times), they also have a great command of their instruments. We’re talking multi-talented, multi-instrumentalists who switch effortlessly not only between instruments but between styles too.
The album is great for a laugh, at least for me. Slon in sadež find the right mix of primal humor and cleverer wit. Just hearing their voices makes me laugh. Maybe the album won’t appeal to those who always look for some deeper meaning in music; this is mostly about having fun and goofing around. And that’s what these two do best, and in my opinion they’d do well to keep going that way in the future. Their next project, Komercialne pizde, is even better for me personally, so for anyone who wants to start somewhere with the duo, I’d recommend that one instead. But Kabare is great too.
Line-up
Slon in Sadež (Jure Karas and Igor Bračič) – instruments
Guests – Siti Hlapci, Marjan Stanič, Gal Gjurin, Matija Solce, vokalna skupina KIX, MC Tešky – Šerif, Tomaž Domicelj, zborček “Planika”, Zoran Petrovič, Boštjan Gombač, Sašo Fajon, 6pack Čukur, Urša Fajon, Erik d Erik
Production
Sašo Fajon
Track list
2. Veneti
4. Kauboj iz Ljubljane
6. Avtokleparstvo Strah
8. Za Metoda goriš
10. Ekološki manifest
12. Ma naj bo štrom
14. Reper
16. Rožica
18. Če bi le imela penis
20. Taliban reggae
