Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Various Artists
Label: Društvo kočevskih glasbenikov
Released: 2013
Runtime: 64:02
Rating: 4/5
Late last December saw the follow-up to the annual music almanac from the Kočevje and Ribnica corner of Slovenia, »Kočevje špila«, this time subtitled »Lik of«. With the help of the local Association of Kočevje Musicians, the area’s artists get the badly needed support to push their original music out into the wider Slovenian scene. The compilation lines up eighteen tracks by eighteen different acts. A few names already appeared on the previous release of this kind, »Kočevje špila – Grupni« (2012), which is only logical and, I’d say, entirely fitting, since the region has a limited number of artists and musicians really aren’t swarming around every corner there.
The new compilation is beautifully put together! It comes in a pocket-book format. It’s enriched with excellent illustrations by several artists, whose creative inspiration captures the art character of each act and song in a way that makes sense. The music, packaging included, has a clearly chiseled character of real originality and one-of-a-kind-ness, not just in what it expresses musically but in the geographical sense too. As a calling card for the music world of the Kočevje and Ribnica corner of Slovenia, the compilation rounds out the pulse of the local scene and its artistic reach just about perfectly. And that’s the basic goal of releases like this.
The content is colorful once again. There’s a bit less rubbish than on the previous release, which is far from saying it doesn’t keep up the quality of musical substance the previous compilation offered. It opens with the intriguing 4 Dementions and their instrumental Danica v meglici s tartufi. Judging by the band name and the song title, this is a properly “bonkers” piece of work. Jazz rock fusion with woodwinds as well as a retro keyboard sound (dulcimer?), seasoned with bluesy guitar spices, like made for the soundtrack of a typical Slovenian drama. Fobija deliver Sanje, one of the few bigger holes on this compilation, and what bothers most is the imprecise delivery of the vocal melodies.
The moments of the compilation that stand out artistically include the already mentioned 4 Dementions, then Poglejte me by Inn, with a dynamic, lively production of a funk-leaning groove and a really tasteful female vocal performance. It’s a track with great predispositions for spinning on the radio waves. In terms of quality, Zadnja noč by Foršus also stands out on the compilation; they already flagged their talent on the previous compilation, »Kočevje špila – Grupni«. It’s a melancholic but superbly packaged composition, where the distinctive charisma of singer Sara Levič’s female vocal really comes through, and she could well try her hand as a solo artist. She has a recognizable tone of voice that grabs your attention in an instant. If February can’t be January, it can at least be a jaguar. Old acquaintances Jaguar Februar from the previous compilation deliver Lep V this time, which works like an extremely softened-up version of the musical principles of Demolition Group. The sound is organic, with guitars and woodwinds in a bold combination of background accompaniment, and socially critical, engaged lyrics that don’t do sugarcoating. The second instrumental of the album and yet another extremely interesting track on the compilation comes from Nanjara, titled Polnočni blues. It has a juicy organic makeup with a warm resonance, backed up by a “country” feel and a noticeable blues connotation, and it’s the absolute oddball of the eighteen-track set. Včasih se mi zdi by Jasna Poje is another gorgeous track that’s made for heavy radio rotation. As a composition it has a tasteful dose of musicality and is carried out with great feeling throughout. A solid groove, thickened with an active melodic bass line, acoustic guitar accompaniment with little dashes of precisely measured electric guitar tones (slide shots too), and a charismatic female vocal at the center of the action! Stylistically, the two that come closest to it are Zadnja noč (Foršus) and the track Vonj pomladi by Sebatage, led by guitarist Sebastijan Vukan.
In the rest of the material we run into funk rhythm once more and a fat, dense sound built on prominent wah-wah guitar combined with organic keyboard makeup in Pet do (Špilej) by Ram Session, where the vocal performance will likewise need more attention in the future. With Neoliberalci, Sintetika bring one of the few moments of typical Slovenian “punk rockerism”. Full of sarcasm, and at the same time in a glow of rebellious fury! We Slovenes remain champs of socially engaged punk rock, no doubt about it!
The sarcasm stays unconcealed in the easygoing yet cheekily playful Ti na pladnju by Zadnji Taxi, where guitarist Roman Zupančič also tries himself as a vocalist and comes across like a younger vocal brother of Gaber Brin. Kočevje’s singer-songwriter nightingale Gaber Brin tries his hand at Serbo-Croatian verses this time, presenting the track Pozovi me. The compilation also brings some reggae. The track Ta moment, directed by Semo, who already drew attention to his vocal quirks and strengths on the previous compilation, is one more reminder of how enormously resourceful Semo is at fitting the Slovenian language to reggae elements. Especially in the metrical solutions within the verses. It’s Slovenian that gives the otherwise predictable reggae vocabulary a special dimension of difference. SKA merrymakers Sell Out, much like Semo before them, bring one of the few optimistic moments of the compilation with Pir, which is otherwise mostly steeped in melancholy as well as socially critical engagement. Z glasbo živim by Perception definitely belongs to the decimated little squad of optimistic points on the compilation. A track that flirts with elements of rock n’ roll, it would fit right into the Slovenian mainstream of the eighties. The only truly crushing moment of the compilation comes from Nčodnč with Fight for Life, a sort of collision of NYHC punk and even thrash metal springs. And then there’s the beer-hall-cabaret Razodetje, with an added alt rock figure as well as a dash of bluesy cheekiness, by Kine Mine. In its shades of lucidity it recalls the work of Marko Brecelj from a long time ago and similar oddballs. Stuff for those with nerves of steel, but with tangible content and a real message.
This time, the latest richly illustrated picture book of the Kočevje region’s colorful musical mosaic brings less noise than the previous compilation, »Kočevje špila – Grupni«, while it’s also clear that the artists often build their expression on a live, organic sound, a compatible jigsaw along the lines of guitar, keyboards and woodwinds. At the same time, most of the tracks are suffused with melancholy and a sense of unease, which is no longer surprising given the geographic region where the inspiration for the music of the compilation’s core bands and artists is born.
Track list
1. 4 Dementions – Danica v meglici s tartufi
2. Fobija – Sanje
3. Inn – Poglejte me
4. Ram Session – Pet do (špilej)
5. Sintetika – Neoliberalci
6. Zadnji Taxi – Ti na pladnju
7. Semo – Ta moment
8. Foršus – Zadnja noč
9. Nanjara – Polnočni blues
10. Jaguar Februar – Lep v
11. Charlie Butter Fly – A Man With No Face
12. Gaber Brin – Pozovi me
13. Sell Out – Pir
14. The Perception – Z glasbo živim
15. Nčodnč – Fight for Life
16. Jasna Poje – Včasih se mi zdi
17. Kine Mine – Razodetje
18. Sebatage – Vonj po pomladi
