Bjesovi


Bjesovi are a Serbian alternative rock band from Gornji Milanovac.

Biography

Formation and breakup (1985-1997)

The band's history began in the mid-eighties when two seventeen-year-olds, Zoran Marinković and Goran Marić "Max", started writing for the famous Yugoslav music magazine Džuboks under the names McCrywack and Max Radackow. At the same time, they began making some home demo recordings which led to the decision to form a band. The band was formed in 1989 under the name "Baader-Meinhof". After changing the name to "Saint Gallen" and later to China Blue, the band got the name Bjesovi. Marić and Marinković, both vocalists and songwriters, were backed by Predrag Dabić and Goran Filipović on guitars, Božidar Tanasković on bass and Goran Ugarčina on drums.
The band then won the Zaječar Gitarijada Festival in 1989 and recorded their debut album U osvit zadnjeg dana released only on cassette in October 1990. Guest appearances featured Vladimir Vesović and Nikola Slavković on guitars and Dejan Marinković who provided narration on the track "On je sam". The album featured their version of Philippe Soupault's poem "Georgia" to which Zoran Marinković wrote the music, as well as the cover version af the Yugoslav beat band Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete track "Vule Bule", which itself was a cover of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs' "Wooly Bully". On the track "Zli Dusi", the lyrics included lines from the Gospel of Luke and Pushkin's poetry.
The year 1991 brought the band a new lineup since Ugarčina and Tanasković left the band and were replaced by Dejan Petrović on bass and Miroslav Marjanović on drums. The band then won the Zaječar Gitarijada in 1993 and Brzi Bendovi Srbije festival in 1994, which eventually led to a recording of a new album. The untitled album, also known simply as Bjesovi, proved not to be their finest studio effort. It showed the band in a new, more recognizable style. Heavy riffs, dark ambient, pessimism and unique vocals on each track of the album proved that the band could handle with more complicated themes than the common rock topics. Two tracks from the album, "Vreme je" and "Ime" were included on a various artists tape New Rock Power '93-94. A promotional video was recorded for the former and the latter included a quotation from the novel Dune by Frank Herbert.
Following the success of the second album, the band entered the studio to record their third studio album Sve što vidim i sve što znam and after thirteen months the album was released. The lineup, which recorded the album, included a new drummer, Igor Malešević from the band Hazari, and the original bassist Božidar Tanasković. Unlike the previous record, the band dealt with religious topics, the end of socialism and more optimistic ambient. Musically, the style did not change gradually and was still recognizable. The track "Sve će se doznati" included the theme from James Bond combined with quotations from the Gospel of Luke. The album was produced by Aleksandar Radosavljević, and Danilo Pavicević, Miša Savić and Nebojša Zulfikarpašić appeared as guests. This album is considered to be one of the most expensive albums recorded in Serbia. Promotional videos were recorded for the tracks "Dar" and "Kad mi stane dah". Soon after the release of the album, the band ceased to exist.
In 1999, Marić took part in a Christian rock various artists project called Pesme iznad istoka i zapada, which consisted of tracks recorded on lyrics written by Saint Nikolaj Velimirović. The project was released on Easter, April the 15th, 2001 through PGP-RTS and Radio Svetigora.

Reformation (2000-present)

In Spring 2000, Marinković, accompanied by two old members, Zoran Filipović and Miroslav Marjanović, and two new members, Slobodan Vuković and Dragan Arsić reformed the band. In the meantime, the untitled album was re-released by One Records.
On March 22, 2002, the band recorded their appearance in Gornji Milanovac. During the summer in the Free Zone Studio in Belgrade the recordings were remixed and post produced. Aleksandar Petrović "Alek" and Dejan Utvar, both percussionists from the band Eyesburn, made guest appearances. Na živo skipped the first album and focused on the second, with five, and third, with two songs. It also featured three new tracks, "Čekam dan", "Čak i da mogu" and "Kiša". The track "Raduj se" featured lyrics "Vreme mu ističe, zato besan je", which were not included on the studio version since it was dedicated to the former president Slobodan Milošević. The album was produced by Zoran Đuroski "Đura" from the band Eyesburn. The cover was designed by Marinković and the band's original drummer Goran Ugarčina.
On May 31, 2003 at Belgrade's KST, the band, consisting of Marinković, Marjanović, Vuković, Arsić, who played guitar, and Marko Marković on bass, recorded a concert and released it as an official DivX Live at KST, Belgrade 31.05.2003, free of charge and available to anyone. The band itself financed the release and made a thousand copies given to the fans, reporters and TV stations. On the disc there is a text file where it was stated that this was a present to all fans and that the copying of the disc is allowed and preferable. The DivX contains songs from all four albums plus all lyrics, biographies and interviews. The band's performance featured light show, girls painted in black, psychedelic effects and Marinković was taken to the stage in a coffin at the beginning of the concert. The track "Avioni pevaju" was sung by Marić who had a guest appearance.
In 2006, Zoran Filipović, who played guitar on the first three albums, returned to the band as a bass player. The band recorded twelve new songs in Češnjak studio in Kragujevac, and then moved to Vršac for the mixing of the album. Bolje ti, beside the title track, featured tracks "Ko te vide taj se seća", "Istina", "Besan pas", "Laku noć" and others. Part of the material has already been promoted on various radio stations. The band recorded videos for all tracks on the album and the first video presented to the audience was for the track "Laku noć". In the meantime, on March 7, 2007, the band performed as an opening act for Type O Negative. Having finished the album recording, the band started looking for a record label.
On December 26, 2008, the band signed a contract with the PGP-RTS record label and the album was released in April 2009. It was released in a DVD package, featuring the album itself and a DVD featuring promotional videos recorded for all the album tracks, plus an alternate version of the album title track. The following year, Multimedia Records released a various artists compilation featuring a live recording of "Ne budi me " recorded at the band performance at the KST on November 4, 1995.
At the beginning of 2011, the band was joined by the guitarist Ivan Kovačević "Kovač", a member of the band Plišani Mališan. On June 30, the band performed on the last evening of the first Belgrade Calling festival. In 2013, the band was joined by the second drummer, Ramon Hamel, a Gornji Milanovac-based Dutch. On the band's performances, Marjanović performed old songs with the band, while Hamel played the ones that would appear on the band's cover album.
In February 2015, the band released the cover album Svetla svetlosti, available for free download on the web magazine Nocturne. The band released the album in the following lineup: Zoran Marinković, Slobodan Vuković, Ivan Kovačević, Dragan Arsić and Marko Marković. Three drummers participated in the recording: Miroslav Marjanović, Ramon Hamel, and Eyesburn member Aleksandar "Alek" Petrović. The album was recorded from October 2010 to July 2013 in Češnjak studio in Kragujevac and Pavarotti Center studio in Mostar. It was produced by Momir Cvetanović and edited by former Saints member Caspar Wijnberg. The album featured guest appearances by keyboardists Vasil Hadžimanov and Đorđe Tomić. It featured covers of songs by Ekatarina Velika, Angel's Breath, Idoli, Asim Sarvan, Električni Orgazam, The Stone, Mizar, Borghesia, Tako, Grč and several other less known acts. During the recording process, a cover of Braća Left song "Aikido" and a medley comprising Bajaga i Instruktori song "Godine prolaze" and Riblja Čorba song "Užasno mi nedostaje", which did not end up on the album, but were released as singles.
In May 2016, the band released the single "Šta to bi?", originally recorded for Bolje ti, but unreleased on the album as the band believed it did not fit into the album concept. In October of the same year, the band released the single "Skoro 100%", another song recorded during Bolje ti sessions. Marinković stated that "Skoro 100%" lyrics were originally written in 1984 by him and Goran Marić.

Legacy

The lyrics of the songs "Ime" and "Vraćam se dole" were featured in Petar Janjatović's book .

Discography

Studio albums

"Ne budi me "