Artist: Mrtvi kanal
Label: Dallas Records
Released: 2008
Length: 39:59
Rating: 5/5
The name Mrtvi kanal stands for more than just a little corner of Rijeka. It’s also a band that popped up at the turn of the ’70s into the ’80s, right behind the first wave of bands (Termiti, Parafi) in the music movement most of you (well, I hope so) know as the Riječki novi val. Why bring them up?
Once again I have to tip my hat to the generosity of the folks at Dallas Records, who’ve pulled off yet another great move to keep the legacy of the Riječki novi val alive. So, alongside the CD releases of Termiti, Fit, Grč and Ogledala, we finally get the complete Mrtvi kanal output on a disc for the first time.
Let me mention that in 1985 Mrtvi kanal released only one cassette, “Grč/Mrtvi kanal”, a split with Grč on Škuc, which is a huge rarity today, and after that there was never a peep about any other official release. All seven tracks from that cassette now appear on the compilation “Prošlost i budučnost”. Only the title of the track Ludnica was changed to U ludnicu, and the order of those first seven tracks on the CD was shuffled a bit. So it’s meant to be a carefully spruced-up reissue of that cassette, as the rest of the material shows, tagged with the squeezed-in word “bonus” on the back of the CD case. These bonus tracks are even older than the material on the “Grč/Mrtvi kanal” cassette. The album “Prošlost i budučnost” is thus a sort of anthology of Mrtvi kanal and at the same time (ah, I’m repeating myself) a thank-you to the band for its musical artistry.
With their genius, Mrtvi kanal lifted the legacy of first-wave punk higher and added new qualities with a recognizability all their own. The main trait setting Mrtvi kanal apart from the raw rush of the first wave is the far greater polish of the songs themselves. That comes from the fact that Mrtvi kanal were much better musicians, both as individuals and, breathing together for the same cause, as a unit. The more refined sound of the individual songs was also increasingly shaped by the “new wave” movement, which kept filling the foreign (worldwide) charts more and more, with its trademark integration of primitive single-note “synthesizer” lines.
Mrtvi kanal are yet another charismatic, instantly recognizable band that could boast of their charisma, their own vision of the musical direction they chose and, of course, the conviction of everything they did. Take the song Oglasi: it’s strictly punk-aggressive all the way, yet with a dead simple trick, that primitive synthesizer sound, it’s masterfully upgraded with the fashionable kitsch of the coming “new wave synth pop” era. A special trademark of this band was the use of an electric accordion, handled by Srečko Gačeša, the only known long-haired punk of the “Riječki novi val” movement, which gave the band’s sound a completely unique stamp. That same Srečko’s contribution proves that long hair was a fully justified relic, probably of the guy’s love and affection for a wide range of ’70s rock bands, which you could line up anywhere in an imaginary range, say, between Procol Harum and Uriah Heep.
The lyrics are simple, direct, cutting, socially minded, throwing a straight right hook at the ruling regime. Their delivery is so real that the emotions in them come alive with ease! Their chanting, through the effect of the echo, gives the general feeling that a whole mob is screaming in the songs, so the message cuts even deeper into the listener’s mind. The authentic energy of the riff and the shaking of unbridled punk explosiveness are by no means left out, and the solid rhythmic undercarriage is the foundation that all this dynamic communication of interwoven vocals, riffing and keyboards/accordion hangs on.
The excellent interplay among all the links in the chain was definitely a reflection of the band members breathing together toward a common goal, and what stood out most here was the one-of-a-kind pairing of the charismas of singer Diego Kernel and guitarist Goran Vrkić. Being provocative, having the guts to deliver intelligent provocation, which at times is hidden quite innocently in subtle messages. There’s a constant feeling of final tragedy in the air, of the general atrophy of a society living under the regime of the day, a state of affairs that Mrtvi kanal keep skillfully turning to their advantage by raising the all-around alarm! A condemnation, in short, of all the injustices the shoulders of the little guy are forced to bear.
The Mrtvi kanal opus is yet another captured moment reflecting human society, one that the unique glow of being part of life on the Kvarner Gulf (subjected to candles during power cuts, a shortage of bananas and real chocolate, and the hunt for gas coupons) reflected at the time these songs were written, which is why it sparkles so uniquely. That’s exactly the charm of alternative music. It’s used as a means of rebellion against those in power in countless forms that are impossible to predict. Energy has to be released out into the open spontaneously, without the calculations of human logic, no matter what kind of regime it’s born under. Its message is natural: “Smash the submission to cliché”!
Lineup
Diego Kernel – vocals
Goran Vrkić – guitar
Srečko Gaćeša – accordion, keyboards
Lari Njegovan – bass guitar
Igor Modrić – bass guitar
Željko Rebić – bass guitar
Odisej Pauković – bass guitar
Voljen Zubčić – drums
Aldo Trešnjić – drums
Aco Savić – drums
Davor Horvat – drums
Production
Davor Tolja & Miodrag Đuza Stoiljković
Tracklist
01. Oglasi
02. Menza
03. Slika na mramoru
04. Dijagnoza
05. U ludnicu
06. Smiješna djeca
07. Samo tijelo
08. Čovjek stroj
09. Crna kronika
10. Protekcije
11. Ljetovanje u Poljskoj
12. U korak
13. Poslednji valcer
