Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba
Artist: Srečna Mladina
Label: Obsešn
Release: 2005
They defined the young Slovenian scene and injected fresh blood and energy into the capital’s music scene. The fight to break through was tough and merciless, but they survived the test of time and made it all the way to today. Still, long gone are the days when a bunch of Ljubljana enthusiasts from the Bežigrajske stolpnice housing estate first gathered in a basement, picked up instruments and ran through punk and hardcore tunes. Srečna mladina grew into conceptual artists and musicians, and they’ve held on to something of their own. Authentic, provocative and aesthetically rounded out. It has always been about taking a step further, and the record Listen To Srečna Mladina proves it, because it’s more than just an empty album. It’s a cohesive whole of picture and sound. It’s the soundtrack of an urban culture that went from underground to part of everyday life.
First, it’s worth saying a word or two about the clever, tasteful design, where they wove a design minimalism that isn’t empty into the cardboard packaging. Less can be more. You realize that when you open the box and dig out the rich goodies inside. People often listen not only with their ears but also with their eyes, so Srečna Mladina use that moment to push the evolution of what Slovenian music has to offer. The first treat is a DVD with the film of the same name, where a whole range of Slovenian semi-pro skating virtuosos unfolds in front of you. Uroš Kovač, Igor Kragelj, Matic Gomboc, Anžej Košmerlj, Tomaž Šantl and Dean Gostimirovič demystify Ljubljana’s sidewalks and asphalt and, under the baton of Jaka Babnik, squeeze the maximum out of their boards. And to make the trip through the secret and slightly less secret corners of the Slovenian urban jungle that much more appealing, Srečna Mladina add the sound, a music that flirts with numerous genres and subgenres. Rock, funk, ambient and a spectrum of surf moves all intertwine. Picture and sound tell their own story, which doesn’t let up for a second. It’s certainly a challenge to build on the looser foundations of soundtrack-style music-making rather than sell something completely settled, compact and sonically direct like, say, a studio album. Srečna Mladina, as said, always pick the extra step and fill the void with fresh filling that never expires. They kill two birds with one stone: they weave together their own self-presentation and musical experimentation with the promotion of subculture street heroes who are unestablished, or at least little known or unknown to wider Slovenian circles. Extreme shakes hands with extreme and the whole thing becomes spontaneously self-evident, holistic and indivisible. Natural and organic. Alive, and not just a collage of forced moves where either side would have to strike rotten compromises.
We open the second pocket and pull out the classic CD. The soundtrack kicks off at full tilt with the opening chaos of ‘Humus Sapiens‘. Sax, guitar and drums crash into the unsuspecting listener without mercy. The concept is reminiscent of Demolition Group, and the music shows there are no conceptual boundaries, and that, in Srečna Mladina’s view, there shouldn’t be any. The overture, just under three and a half minutes long, builds the song to a peak where you don’t miss the vocals, or the lack of them, for a moment. Vocal cords are just a tool that colors and ramps up the tension. ‘Št. 19128_2’ as the second song combines a moment of funk-spirited bass playing with almost surf-rock soloing. The vibe is positive and free of negative charge. It forces you to move and sends the musical figures into a delirium that is natural and unforced. The middle section calms the tempo and livens it up with percussion. It adds an element of musical surprise that grows into a Ska-style play with rhythm, which develops into one of the more tastefully worked-out solos I’ve heard in Slovenian music lately. ‘Gen Genu‘ calms the record down a bit and rocks it into melancholy. The vocals are soaked in effects and the words are once again just plasticine, with which Srečna Mladina manipulate you to the point where you simply have to listen to their music. It’s impossible to ignore, and if you do try, it lodges itself in your cerebellum and subconscious. The psychedelia that glues the record into a whole is an energetic blend of hypnotic melodies and a balanced dance of light and shadow. ‘Organophobia’ with its gentle tempo, reminiscent of Massive Attack, eases the listener into the somewhat livelier tempo of ‘Divji Grm Na Vzhodu’ naturally and without any jarring sense of forcedness. Divji Grm Na Vzhodu continues the tradition laid out earlier, a minimalist instrumental journey through the dusty treasure troves of the musical heritage of surf. As if Ljubljana had been plonked down somewhere on the sunny California coast and not in the heart of a continental climate. ‘Jurileksmi’ with its a cappella intro sounds like a track off some record from the thirties that you may have dug out of an attic suitcase, if your grandmother or great-grandmother was a jazz enthusiast. And then, in my opinion, the peak. ‘I Have One Peasant In Switzerland’ is a gem, or at least one of the gems in the string of this record. More than just blues-ing, the song radiates feeling, a fullness of ideas and the tempo of an urban journey. The perfect tune for solo wanderings through Ljubljana at night, bathed in neon lights. You could also use it for a drive down the highway. I don’t know why, but night is a must here, since it would complete the intense feeling the song radiates from start to finish. Speed that isn’t speed because of a dictated tempo. ‘Št. 19128_1’ is a dirty blend of funk guitar and rhythm, but the eroticism of the moment is warm and caresses the ears. If you think they’re short on funk, think twice! ‘Zlati Tuš’ serves up a clear vocal for the first time, which, with a xylophone and a sexy guitar, sings a song you could easily hear more often on the radio waves. A story about love and beauty and physical touch. No platonic feeling of distant detachment. Sweet and convincing. Inviting. ‘Vumvum’ comes crashing in, steely and merciless. Heavy as a ten-ton hammer. As if Iommi himself had written the riff and the guys had turned into Black Sabbath. Halfway through the song the colors of darkness wash out and for a moment shine in their own shades. Keyboard psychosis and the chaos of an inevitable ending tie the album into a closed whole with the last song. Track 11 has no title. Without words it finishes the work that was started and gives us a metric pattern we keep returning to. A repeat of the feeling that the farewell came almost too soon. The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning. The condensed images are concrete and more than an illusion. The final winner of the duel isn’t known this time, since there’s no conflict of interests and no desire for dominance. Music won, in all its purity.
All I can really say about the record is that this time there’s no need to go on at length about a final verdict. Slovenian musicians, too, have the feel, the artistry and the energy we’re usually used to hearing from imported music. With this album Srečna Mladina won over that part of my heart I don’t reserve for every music product. They convince with straightforwardness and layers. They convince with music and know-how. They convince with just the right doses of the unspeakable, which is why the record deserves the title of masterpiece and will take a special place in my collection. To all the Slovenia-skeptics, I more than just recommend giving it a listen!
Lineup
Vlado Mihajlovič – guitar, vocals
Zava A. – drums, percussion
Tim Kostrevc – programming, keyboards, sax and vocals
Peter Dekleva – guitar, vocals, keyboards
Gašper Gantar – bass, double bass
Production
Srečna Mladina
Tracklist
1. Humus Sapiens
2. Št. 1912- 2No. 18118 2
3. Gen Genu / Gene To Gene
4. Organophobia
5. Divji Grm Na Vzhodu / Wild Bush On West
6. Jurileksmi
7. I Have One Peasant In Switzerland
8. Št. 19128_1/ No. 18118_1
9. Zlati Tuš / Golden Shower
10. Vumvum
11. 11
ALBUM LENGTH: 47:41
