BEOGRAD - REMEK DEPO

"BEOGRAD (Serbian for Belgrade) was a Serbian electronic four-piece band that was formed in the capital of the former Yugoslavia in 1980. Influenced by acts such as Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Ultravox and Human League, they played a pioneering role in the Yugoslav synth-pop scene. Their debut studio album, "Remek Depo," was released in late 1982 on cassette and in early 1983 on LP by the state-run PGP RTB label. It achieved great media success and the public loved it, as it was released at the time of the buzzing Belgrade Alternative scene (BAS) - a vibrant 'underground' movement of avantgarde artists and musicians which included seminal bands such as Sarlo Akrobata, Ekatarina Velika, Idoli, Elektricni Orgazam etc. Unfortunately, the band disbanded shortly after the album's release. The original line-up of Beograd consisted of Slobodan Stanić (synthesizer), Ljubodrag Bubalo (bass guitar, synthesizer), Milan Bubalo (rhythm machine, electric drums), and Dejan Stanisavljević (synthesizer, vocals). In 2012, Dejan Stanisavljević and Milan Bubalo reformed Beograd with a group of younger musicians and released the album "Pola/pola" in 2015. Currently, the band is on hiatus, with the latest lineup comprising of Dejan Stanisavljević (synthesizer and vocals), Milan Bubalo (Ableton Live sequencer), and Sana Garić (synthesizer, vocals). Beograd's debut live performance took place at the Belgrade Dadov Theatre where they were joined by an additional member who operated a rhythm machine in the backstage area. For the purpose of subsequent live appearances, the band continued to expand, often including drummer Miloš Obrenović. They primarily performed at Dadov Theatre and the Engineering Students' Club. However, after Slobodan Stanić left the band, Beograd continued as a trio. To compensate for Stanić's absence, they incorporated music samples previously recorded by the band into their live performances. During the spring of 1982, the band released a 7-inch single titled "Sanjaš li u boji" ("Do You Dream In Colour?") backed by "TV" on the B-side. The single, written by Dejan Stanisavljević and arranged by Saša Habić, was released through Jugoton and is now considered a rarity and collector's item due to it's limited run of 500 copies. Their debut album was recorded between August and November 1982 at the PGP-RTB Studio V and released shortly after. It featured nine new songs, some with politically provocative lyrics, for example "Kontrolori" ("Controllers"), "Opasne igre" ("Dangerous Games"), and "Mrak" ("Dusk"). All lyrics, except for "Ulice su noćas..." ("Tonight, the Streets Are..."), were written by Dejan Stanisavljević. The record was produced by Saša Habić and is notable for it's guest musicians - timpanist Borislav "Bora Longa" Pavićević, avant-garde saxophonist Paul Pignon, and veteran jazz trumpeter Stjepko Gut who contributed to it's 'soul' feel, creating an unique warm/cold combination. Radio singles "Kontrolori" and "Opasne igre" became major hits and the album reached No.4 on the Dzuboks magazine's Top Ten Yugoslav albums list in March 1983.

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