Gregor Kosi: vocals / Jure Lavrin: drums / Marko Širec: bass guitar
Foto: Tadej Vaukman

NEW ALBUM “Zob za zob”. OUT NOW!

KAPA Records presents the third album of the Ljubljana based post-punk trio Nina Bulatovix. 

Zob za zob (A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH) is music for dancing in the time of unbearableness.

It was 2014. JATE (“flocks”) was released. Nina Bulatovix (self) ironically wondered, “What kind of flocks have we raised, comrades?”

Seven years later, it seems to go further. In a state where questioning and thus opportunities for reflection, discussion, agreement is almost non-existent. Apocalyptic? By no means. But damn realistic. Tolerable in small intimate worlds; mostly private, half-hidden. Hesitant. Knowing that beyond running and relieving everyday intolerance, there are only two other options: either the one who drills into your brain will soon knock on your door and finally take you to no return, or you will step out and do … whatever you need to do. 

The bittersweetness of time and space is captured on the album in seductive melodies, singing lyrics and the eclecticism of expression. Zob za zob (A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH) is music for dancing in the time of unbearableness. What more could you need?

(Die) Metronome, Prekerni, Tresem se, Zob za zob, Poj mi tralala, Morgenrot, Porini me v kader, Duma 2020, In ko me sprašuješ, Na kateri strani si?

The album was created on the streets and in the shelter of clubs, mostly in the rehearsal space at Metelkova and during artist residences at Layer House in Kranj and the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia in Berlin. The trio was joined by multi- instrumentalist Andrej Hrvatin. The recording and production are again the work of Marko Lavrin. Zoran Pungerčar is behind the cover image. The band photos are handled by Tadej Vaukman.

“Morgenrot is music for hugging. For two and more. It works best on the streets and squares. Or when camouflage clothes off.”

Prekerni is a sound postcard of the opportunities and joys of a subalpine paradise. The guidelines are known. Procedures defined. Results in the palm of your hand. Involvement in international currents guaranteed.
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Nina Bulatovix came together as a rebellious act against the reckless practices of the local administrations concerning Maribor as the European Capital of Culture of 2012 and their plans for renovating Pekarna Cultural Centre. In both cases the attitude towards the importance of underground and alternative culture was overly underestimating and completely unable of comprehension. But Nina rose up to the task of setting things straight with lucid cries of dissatisfaction, relentlessly holding mirror to those empty words and gesticulations, to polluted and narrow minds. June of 2009 marks their first appearance on stage; they performed in Gustaf in Maribor’s Pekarna. By that time, they were already threatened with a lawsuit for defamation.

The band members met years before in the magical land of Mariborski Radio Študent (Maribor’s student radio), where they worked together and were the voice of musical creativity and independent thought. They helped organise SolarPulseMusic, a series of concerts promoting innovative rock music, which was held in Gustaf hall, and were actively participating in Pekarna magdalenske mreže Insitute. Marko was at the same time one of the driving forces in the post-kraut-rock band Coma Stereo, Jure was drumming in the indie rock group We Can’t Sleep At Night and Vortex Magnolia (with his brother), and Gregor brought his vocal experiences from the melancholically trippy Vojtiva 8 and the electroacoustic impro collective Trak47.

The band had a dozen of tracks at their disposal in an instance, they played a few gigs in Slovenia and beyond, and they recorded and physically released their gig in April 2010 at Scena Festival. The raw and energetic recording brings about eight domestic political songs: Svetniki, mestni svetniki (a story of bullshitting, accepting, deciding), Boril se bom kot lev (a story about the lies of decision-makers), 180% (mumbo jumbo about changing society’s course), Ti jaz bom govorila sprehajal (an intimate view into the everyday workings of psychiatry), Duševne bolečine (aka profiteering of lawyers),  Šiki miki (a song about the inefficient voting system), Čolni in pavi (development concepts of urban rurality) and the closer Odločna (what do we do at the end of the day?).

The rhythm section decided to pound the pavement in Ljubljana rather than in Maribor and the rehearsals moved from Pekarna to Metelkova. Marko and Jure got involved in the synth-trash band Napravi mi dete and toured extensively; Marko also remained active with Coma Stereo, which released its third album. Gregor was sure that he ought to do something in the political scene, so he joined the then famed mayor “of revolt”. In the meantime Nina’s musical treasury grew bigger and bigger. Pieces finally fell into place again when the said mayor turned out to be a scam and when Napravi mi dete project fell apart. A new record was in the works.

Album Jate continues with Nina’s war cries against (self-)deception. In May 2014, eleven songs were recorded in two days in a DIY studio placed in Pekarna. Released on KAPA Records, it will include a vinyl and CD release along with the digital “name your price” release. The record was produced, mixed and sound-designed by Marko Lavrin (ex: We Can’t Sleep at Night, Vortex Magnolia, Napravi mi dete).

Jate invites to dance in the time of granite cubes (thrown by insurgents in Slovenia), self-nominations, grouping, singing tra-la-la and nibbling blisters on our lips. Tracks’ titles should speak for themselves: A A, V okove, Brecht, Gobci (foreva), Ljudmila, Z obema rokama, Pridi k skupini, Psihiatrija, Iz obrazov molčečih, Topla voda, Jate.

Reviews

Mladina – Top 10 plošč 2014

“… Preplet družbenokritičnih besedil, punkovske miselnosti in minimalistične glasbene izraznosti iz Maribora. Boben, bas, glas – protest! …” (more)

Dnevnik – Album tedna

“… Poet in frontman tria Gregor Kosi strelja ostra in bridka sporočila. V uvodni fazi zasedbe je upesnil izkušnje (v. d.) direktorja mariborskega zavoda Pekarna magdalenske mreže, kar je bil med letoma 2007 in 2011. Podstat za aktualno, drugo ploščo pa je (bila) še ena ponesrečena izkušnja, tokrat delo v županskem kabinetu Andreja Fištravca. Podprt z neomajnim godbeniškim tankom preostalih dveh soborcev – bobnarja Jureta Lavrina poznamo iz skupin We Can’t Sleep At Night in Vortex Magnolia, basista Marka Širca iz Coma Stereo in njune soudeležbe v zasedbi Napravi mi dete – je po krajši menopavzi Nine Bulatovix spet zmlel in izbruhal krvavečo ujetost v gosto meglo praznih besed, obljub in puhlic postvstajniškega časa… ” (more)

Radio Študent – Tolpa bumov

“… Nina Bulatovix je vzgojila album, ki vas raztrešči po plesišču z Ljudmilo, ki v prisluhih Iz obrazov molčečih koketira z drugo Nino, nemško punk mamo Nino Hagen. Vzgojila je album, ki vas Z obema rokama objame v hladen stisk ultra refrena Borghesije ‘Ni upanja, ni strahu’ in vas prizemlji z zadnjo mantro Jate – ‘in kakšne jate smo vzgojili, tovariši?’ …” (more)

Hrupmag

“…Nina se dobro zaveda nevarnega krogotoka velikih obljub in preloma teh. Zato “Jate” niso naivne, ne podajajo odgovorov, niti jasnih kritik. Med pazljivim poslušanjem postanejo abstraktne, dvoumne, izmuzljive – razmišljajo, preizprašujejo, dvomijo, upajo in v različnih žanrskih, besednih in idejnih kodih ujamejo zmešnjavo našega časa…” (more)

Radio Študent – Recenzija koncerta v Gala Hali 4.12

“… Nabito polna Gala hala je intenzivno pozdravljala pevčeve nagovore in skupaj z glasbo kričala refrene. Nina Bulatovix je definitivno bend, vreden ogleda, z novim izdelkom, za katerega bi lahko rekli, da je idealen za oder zunaj pred parlamentom na kakšni od vstaj…” (more)

Mladina – recenzija plošče

“… Studijski prvenec Jate je kolekcija kritičnih besedil, ki s punkovsko obarvanim distorziranim basom, trdnimi in konfuznimi ritmi ter izstopajočim vokalom silovito reflektira družbeno stvarnost našega vsakdanjika…” (more)