Artisticka radna akcija
Encyclopedia
Artistička radna akcija (meaning: "Artistic Work Action
", also known under the acronym: ARA) is a new wave
and punk rock
compilation album released in late 1981 by Jugoton
in SFR Yugoslavia
. It presents a snapshot of the early 1980s Belgrade
underground music
scene through bands Radnička Kontrola
, Bezobrazno Zeleno
, Profili Profili
, Defektno Efektni
, Urbana Gerila
, Petar i Zli Vuci
, U Škripcu
, Pasta ZZ
, VIA Talas
and TV Moroni
, all of whom took part in the compilation as means of showcasing their material to a wider audience.
as a followup to the hugely successful Paket aranžman
that presented three Belgrade
bands Idoli, Šarlo Akrobata
and Električni Orgazam
, which, after the compilation release, quickly gained mainstream popularity. Still, despite employing a similar concept, Artistička radna akcija never managed to replicate the critical and commercial success of its predecessor. The compilation was recorded in the Druga Maca studio during April and May 1981 and was also produced by Enco Lesić just like Paket aranžman was.
The compilation featured the U Škripcu tracks surf
spaghetti western
"Pamflex dom" and ska
/ reggae
oriented "Južno voće", which became minor hits, along with Bezobrazno Zeleno tracks "Bežim niz ulicu" and "Beograd", and the seven piece band Petar i Zli Vuci tracks "Ogledalo" and "Kozaci", which were also released on single. The former appeared on the B92
list of 100 Greatest Yugoslav rock songs in 2006, ranked at the 90th place. The VIA Talas track "Lilihip" is a cover version of the Millie Small song "My Boy Lollipop
".
Half of the bands did not release any other recordings except the ones on the compilation. Bezobrazno Zeleno released two studio albums, Profili Profili released a split album with Kazimirov Kazneni Korpus, Petar i Zli Vuci released two singles, U Škripcu had several studio releases and gained mainstream popularity moving to synthpop, and VIA Talas released one studio album before disbanding in 1982. Unlike Paket aranžman
, which featured three young acts that almost immediately became critically acclaimed, even commercially successful, each one of the ten bands on Artistička radna akcija (with the exception of U Škripcu
) remained largely obscure.
Still, many of the individuals who took part in Artistička radna akcija found success in other bands, other forms of artistic expression or other professions altogether, such as:
In the years since its release, Artistička radna akcija has managed to gain some slightly wider recognition as a referential work that endeared itself to many, and, along with Novi Punk Val
and Paket aranžman, is considered an important symbol of the Yugoslav New Wave
era and the former Yugoslav Punk scene. The record today is a rarity
and a collectors item and has a cult status in the countries that emerged after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The album was never re-released on CD
.
Youth work actions
Youth work actions were organized voluntary labor activities of young people in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The actions were used to build public infrastructure such as roads, railways, and public buildings, as well as industrial infrastructure...
", also known under the acronym: ARA) is a new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
compilation album released in late 1981 by Jugoton
Jugoton
Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
in SFR Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. It presents a snapshot of the early 1980s Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
underground music
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene through bands Radnička Kontrola
Radnicka kontrola
Radnička Kontrola was a former Yugoslav punk rock/New Wave band from Belgrade, active in the late 1970s and early 1980s and notable for its appearance on the compilation album Artistička radna akcija.After the band ceased to exist, vocalist Zoran Kostić "Cane" rose to nationwide and popularity as...
, Bezobrazno Zeleno
Bezobrazno Zeleno
Bezobrazno Zeleno were a former Yugoslav New Wave/pop rock band from Belgrade. The band was notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project as well as for their later works....
, Profili Profili
Profili Profili
Profili Profili was a Serbian and former Yugoslav New Wave / experimental music duo from Belgrade, notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project in 1981...
, Defektno Efektni
Defektno Efektni
Defektno Efektni were a Serbian New Wave/punk rock band from Belgrade, notable as the participant of the Artistička Radna Akcija project in 1981.- History :...
, Urbana Gerila
Urbana gerila
Urbana Gerila was a former Yugoslav punk rock and New Wave band from Belgrade. The band is notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project in 1981...
, Petar i Zli Vuci
Petar i Zli Vuci
Petar i Zli Vuci were a former Yugoslav New Wave/ska band from Belgrade, notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project.- History :...
, U Škripcu
U Škripcu
U Škripcu was a former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, notable as participant in the Artistička radna akcija project as well as for their later works.- Formation and breakup :...
, Pasta ZZ
Pasta ZZ
Pasta ZZ was a former Yugoslav New Wave band from Belgrade, notable as the paricipant of the Artistička Radna Akcija project in 1981.- History :...
, VIA Talas
VIA Talas
VIA Talas were a former Yugoslav New Wave band notable as one of the participants of the Artistička radna akcija project...
and TV Moroni
TV Moroni
TV Moroni was a Serbian New Wave/punk rock band from Belgrade, notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project in 1981.- History :...
, all of whom took part in the compilation as means of showcasing their material to a wider audience.
Background
The album was released by JugotonJugoton
Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
as a followup to the hugely successful Paket aranžman
Paket aranžman
Paket aranžman is a New Wave music compilation album released in 1980 by Jugoton and its one of the most important and influential records ever made in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It features the eminent Belgrade artists: Šarlo Akrobata, Električni Orgazam and Idoli...
that presented three Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
bands Idoli, Šarlo Akrobata
Šarlo Akrobata
Šarlo Akrobata were a seminal Yugoslav rock band often categorized as late punk or New Wave, particularly art-oriented. Short-lived but extremely influential, in addition to being one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav New Wave scene, the three piece left an indelible mark on the entire...
and Električni Orgazam
Električni Orgazam
Električni Orgazam is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of New Wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed their style, becoming a mainstream rock act.- New Wave years :...
, which, after the compilation release, quickly gained mainstream popularity. Still, despite employing a similar concept, Artistička radna akcija never managed to replicate the critical and commercial success of its predecessor. The compilation was recorded in the Druga Maca studio during April and May 1981 and was also produced by Enco Lesić just like Paket aranžman was.
The compilation featured the U Škripcu tracks surf
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
spaghetti western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
"Pamflex dom" and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
/ reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
oriented "Južno voće", which became minor hits, along with Bezobrazno Zeleno tracks "Bežim niz ulicu" and "Beograd", and the seven piece band Petar i Zli Vuci tracks "Ogledalo" and "Kozaci", which were also released on single. The former appeared on the B92
B92
B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
list of 100 Greatest Yugoslav rock songs in 2006, ranked at the 90th place. The VIA Talas track "Lilihip" is a cover version of the Millie Small song "My Boy Lollipop
My Boy Lollipop
"My Boy Lollipop" is a song written in the mid-1950s by Robert Spencer of the doo-wop group The Cadillacs, and usually credited to Spencer, Morris Levy, and Johnny Roberts. It was first recorded in New York in 1956 by Barbie Gaye...
".
Half of the bands did not release any other recordings except the ones on the compilation. Bezobrazno Zeleno released two studio albums, Profili Profili released a split album with Kazimirov Kazneni Korpus, Petar i Zli Vuci released two singles, U Škripcu had several studio releases and gained mainstream popularity moving to synthpop, and VIA Talas released one studio album before disbanding in 1982. Unlike Paket aranžman
Paket aranžman
Paket aranžman is a New Wave music compilation album released in 1980 by Jugoton and its one of the most important and influential records ever made in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It features the eminent Belgrade artists: Šarlo Akrobata, Električni Orgazam and Idoli...
, which featured three young acts that almost immediately became critically acclaimed, even commercially successful, each one of the ten bands on Artistička radna akcija (with the exception of U Škripcu
U Škripcu
U Škripcu was a former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, notable as participant in the Artistička radna akcija project as well as for their later works.- Formation and breakup :...
) remained largely obscure.
Still, many of the individuals who took part in Artistička radna akcija found success in other bands, other forms of artistic expression or other professions altogether, such as:
- Radnička Kontrola members: vocalist Zoran "Cane" Kostić who formed the popular garage punkGarage punkGarage punk is a fusion of garage rock and punk rock. It is fast-paced lo-fi music characterized by a dirty, choppy guitar sound—usually played by bands who are on independent record labels or who are unsigned...
band PartibrejkersPartibrejkersPartibrejkers is a prominent Serbian rock band from Belgrade, as well as an acclaimed act of the former Yugoslav rock scene....
, and drummer Srđan Todorović who later played with Disciplina KičmeDisciplina KičmeDisciplina Kičme , is a Serbian band, one of the two spin-offs of the seminal Yugoslav New Wave and later post-punk band Šarlo Akrobata, the other being Ekatarina Velika...
, Ekatarina VelikaEkatarina VelikaEkatarina Velika , sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock group from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential music acts coming out of former Yugoslavia....
and Kazna Za UšiKazna Za UšiKazna Za Uši is a Serbian garage rock band from Belgrade.- Band formation, first releases :...
, and in parallel started a successful acting career - VIA TalasVIA TalasVIA Talas were a former Yugoslav New Wave band notable as one of the participants of the Artistička radna akcija project...
members: Bojan PečarBojan PecarBojan Pečar was a Yugoslav and Serbian musician, best known as bass player of the cult Yugoslav rock band Ekatarina Velika. Previously he was a member of the New Wave group Via Talas, who were featured on the Yugoslav New Wave compilation album Artistička radna akcija...
who joined Ekatarina VelikaEkatarina VelikaEkatarina Velika , sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock group from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential music acts coming out of former Yugoslavia....
and Miško "Plavi" Petrović who joined the popular synthpopSynthpopSynthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
duo D' BoysD' Boys-1982 - 1985:The band was formed in 1982, consisting of two musicians: Peđa D'Boy and Miško Mihajlovski, who reportedly "played the drum machine" and percussion... - Urbana Gerila members: Nenad "Kele" Krasavac who joined Disciplina Kičme, Branislav "Kebra" BabićBranislav BabićBranislav "Kebra" Babić is a Serbian rock vocalist and the founding member of the band Obojeni Program...
who formed the alternative rockAlternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Obojeni ProgramObojeni ProgramObojeni Program is a Serbian alternative rock band from Novi Sad. The band are pioneers of the Serbian alternative rock scene. The band is also famous for giving strange names to their albums, which is explained by the fact that the first letters of all the studio albums form an acronym of their...
. Also Branko Rosić, later to become a journalist, and Vladimir ArsenijevićVladimir ArsenijevicVladimir Arsenijević is a Serbian writer, translator, editor, musician, and publicist.In his early youth, Arsenijević played with a punk band called Urbana Gerila as well as its post-punk offshoot Berliner Strasse.After graduating high school and completing the mandatory military service in 1985,...
, later to become awarded and internationally acclaimed writer-novelist as well as co-founder and editor of the magazine Rende, and Slobodan "Loka" Nešović, later founder of Automatik Records company.
In the years since its release, Artistička radna akcija has managed to gain some slightly wider recognition as a referential work that endeared itself to many, and, along with Novi Punk Val
Novi Punk Val
Novi Punk Val is a compilation album of Punk rock and New Wave music from the SFR Yugoslavia. It covers the period from 1978 till 1980. It was released by ZKP RTLJ in 1980...
and Paket aranžman, is considered an important symbol of the Yugoslav New Wave
Yugoslav New Wave
New Wave in Yugoslavia was the New Wave music scene of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
era and the former Yugoslav Punk scene. The record today is a rarity
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
and a collectors item and has a cult status in the countries that emerged after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The album was never re-released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.
Track listing
- Radnička KontrolaRadnicka kontrolaRadnička Kontrola was a former Yugoslav punk rock/New Wave band from Belgrade, active in the late 1970s and early 1980s and notable for its appearance on the compilation album Artistička radna akcija.After the band ceased to exist, vocalist Zoran Kostić "Cane" rose to nationwide and popularity as...
- "Dosada" (3:50) - Radnička Kontrola - "TV u koloru" (1:45)
- Bezobrazno ZelenoBezobrazno ZelenoBezobrazno Zeleno were a former Yugoslav New Wave/pop rock band from Belgrade. The band was notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project as well as for their later works....
- "Bežim niz ulicu" (2:27) - Bezobrazno Zeleno - "Beograd" (2:05)
- Profili ProfiliProfili ProfiliProfili Profili was a Serbian and former Yugoslav New Wave / experimental music duo from Belgrade, notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project in 1981...
- "Majke ih guraju u metalnim kolicima" (2:55) - Profili Profili - "Nemir živaca" (3:25)
- Defektno EfektniDefektno EfektniDefektno Efektni were a Serbian New Wave/punk rock band from Belgrade, notable as the participant of the Artistička Radna Akcija project in 1981.- History :...
- "A" (3:00) - Defektno Efektni - "D" (2:00)
- Urbana GerilaUrbana gerilaUrbana Gerila was a former Yugoslav punk rock and New Wave band from Belgrade. The band is notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project in 1981...
- "Proces" (2:05) - Urbana Gerila - "Bez naslova" (1:45)
- Petar i Zli VuciPetar i Zli VuciPetar i Zli Vuci were a former Yugoslav New Wave/ska band from Belgrade, notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project.- History :...
- "Ogledalo" (3:28) - Petar i Zli Vuci - "Kozaci" (2:20)
- U ŠkripcuU ŠkripcuU Škripcu was a former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, notable as participant in the Artistička radna akcija project as well as for their later works.- Formation and breakup :...
- "Pamflex dom" (2:20) - U Škripcu - "Južno voće" (2:07)
- Pasta ZZPasta ZZPasta ZZ was a former Yugoslav New Wave band from Belgrade, notable as the paricipant of the Artistička Radna Akcija project in 1981.- History :...
- "FG & Acreppy" (3:20) - Pasta ZZ - "Drakula" (2:07)
- VIA TalasVIA TalasVIA Talas were a former Yugoslav New Wave band notable as one of the participants of the Artistička radna akcija project...
- "Hawaii (Najlepši kraj)" (2:00) - VIA Talas - "Lilihip (My Boy LollipopMy Boy Lollipop"My Boy Lollipop" is a song written in the mid-1950s by Robert Spencer of the doo-wop group The Cadillacs, and usually credited to Spencer, Morris Levy, and Johnny Roberts. It was first recorded in New York in 1956 by Barbie Gaye...
)" (2:00) - TV MoroniTV MoroniTV Moroni was a Serbian New Wave/punk rock band from Belgrade, notable as the participant of the Artistička radna akcija project in 1981.- History :...
- "Moja borba" (2:05) - TV Moroni - "Pada noć" (2:25)
See also
- Yugoslav New WaveYugoslav New WaveNew Wave in Yugoslavia was the New Wave music scene of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
- Punk in YugoslaviaPunk in YugoslaviaPunk in Yugoslavia was the punk subculture of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a state which existed until 1991. The most developed punk scenes across the federation existed in Socialist Republic of Slovenia, the Adriatic coast of Socialist Republic of Croatia, the Socialist Autonomous...
- Serbian rockSerbian rockSerbian rock is the rock music scene of Serbia. During the 1960s, 1970s and the 1980s, while Serbia was a constituent republic of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbian rock scene was a part of the SFR Yugoslav rock scene....