Zidar Betonsky - I gledem i sanjam i ne dam LP
Released in co-operation with Tajni Split, Guranje S Litice, Dare the Divine,
Geenger Records, Slušaj Najglasnije! and Debila Records
100x glass clear
200x grey black marble

“During the final months of the war in Croatia, the city of
Split witnessed the formation of a trio supergroup composed of underground
musicians and enthusiasts, making it one of the first Split-based band lineups
without a live drummer. Edi, Zdeslav, and Hrvoje brought with them valuable experience from their
earlier involvement in notable local bands such as Rapa Nui, Mistery Lapsus,
and Touch Friction, and were ready to embark on a new, more aggressive and
ambitious venture. That same summer, they recorded a six-song demo—later
forming the A-side of the record—under DIY conditions. Shortly thereafter, they
performed their now-cult concert at the Zlatna Vrata Theatre, titled In
Memoriam Jimi Hendrix, in the fall of 1995. As their audience began to grow, aided
by the demo and a measure of goodwill, the band connected with Marko Brecelj in
Koper, who organized their first mini-tour, alongside Ruzina Means Rust—who
would join Zidar Betonsky the following year. In February 1996, they performed
in Ilirska Bistrica, and recordings from that concert were later pressed as the
B-side of the release I sanjam i gledam i ne dam. Although the material was recorded at home under guerrilla-style DIY
conditions, the record sounds surprisingly fresh, well produced, and clearly
articulated. Looking back nearly thirty years later, it has retained its charm
and persuasive power. The unique position of Zidar Betonsky in the history of Split’s underground
scene later enabled collaborations between its members and Urban & 4, most
notably on the album Žena dijete and the hit “Black Tattoo.” In addition, the
members went on to realize dozens of successful artistic projects spanning
contemporary theatre, sound art, and music production—further underscoring both
the significance of the band and the enduring talent of its individual members. Composed of a series of authentic band artifacts, and featuring collaborative
design by Vinko Pelicarić and Igor Mihovilović, the lavishly produced vinyl
edition has been meticulously restored sonically by Višeslav Laboš and Ivan
Jakić, while the accompanying texts on the band are authored by Ivan Ramljak
and Igor Mihovilović. The record documents the group’s first year of activity,
when they operated as a trio. The vinyl itself includes two bonus tracks—cover
versions of songs by Bauhaus and Pink Floyd (not available on digital
platforms)—and is released in two limited editions: “concrete grey–white
splatter” and “crystal clear.” Released as the first audio edition of the media project Tajni Split, the
record is a collaborative effort involving five additional independent labels:
Guranje s litice, Dare The Divine, Geenger Records, Slušaj najglasnije!, and
slovenian Debila Records. The album is issued on the 30th anniversary of the
aforementioned concert in Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia, where the band performed
on February 10, 1996. The band’s pioneering and distinctive sound blends the emotional intensity of
1980s cold wave and goth rock with the bitterness and darkness of Split in the
1990s, filtered through the unmistakable abrasive guitar aesthetic of the late
Steve Albini and his protégés. It represents an indispensable rescued fragment
of a nearly lost chapter in the history of domestic alternative rock and
electro-industrial music. Zidar Betonsky is performing again in its original lineup, and the record is
released three months after their spectacular reunion in Split in November
2025, following a 25-year creative hiatus.”


Review (in Croatian)
Review (in Croatian)
Review (in Slovenian)
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