Discom is back with another excellent release that will undoubtedly appeal to anyone even remotely into excellent but rare-to-find music. If you ever wondered how unpublished eighties Yugoslavian synth-pop music sounded alike, now is your chance to witness some of the finest recordings, finally available on vinyl after forty years. Oskarova Fobija was a synth-pop outlet founded by Dejan Novčić on synths and Maja Atanasijević on vocals. The project briefly existed from 1983 to 1986 and appeared on several compilations, such as “Demo Top Ventilator Vol 3 (PGP RTB 1985),” “The Hidden Tapes (Minimal Wave, 2011),” and “Yugoslavian Space Program (Discom, 2016).” With this being said, they never published the proper full-length album due to their refusal to change their initial sonic direction, which caused RTV Ljubljana to sign Videosex instead.
This fine piece of plastic carries their unreleased songs, recorded from 1983 to 1986. Therefore, the A-side consists of their earlier works, while the other side showcases their later works. As you dive deeper into the “Synth-Pop Yugoslavia 1983-86,” you’ll hear their natural progression and how they improved their vocal, sonic, and rhythmic performance over the years. Of course, that doesn’t mean that those earlier works sound naive or less important. Quite the contrary, the entire material shines with many impressive moments that vividly describe the importance of Yugoslav synth-pop music at the time, inspiring the future generations of artists and bands, no matter which style they nurtured with their musical outlets. For example, tracks like “Antički Proroci,” “Sumrak,” or “Da Li Znaš,” demonstrate the perfect collision of minimalism and complexity. We all have to remember that the synths and electronics were limited at the time, so achieving such a profoundly catchy, addictive, hypnotic, irresistible, danceable sound demanded a lot of experience, skills, and knowledge. The sheer amount of cleverly constructed rhythmic structures, intricate low-ends, leads, themes, melodies, harmonies, and beats will immediately draw your attention and leave you craving for more.
On the other hand, their 85-86 recordings reveal sound maturity. The thing is, most artists and bands mature by realizing trials and errors on their sonic journey, but Oskarova Fobija sounded good from scratch. They just upgraded their sonic vocabulary by following some mid-eighties trends, which also played a significant role in shaping the direction of the music industry and, later on, affected the popular music we all listen to and adore. As soon as the final notes and beats announce the closure, you’ll realize that the entire B-side consists of nothing but the highlights. Tracks like “Beli Dekolte,” “Kućna Muva,” “Neobičan Par,” and “Čak Ni Ružan San” will immediately blow you away with the soulful, rhythm ‘n’ blues, almost funky approach to synth-pop. Of course, these additional elements serve as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details, while Oskarova Fobija remains loyal to the primary sonic direction. The leads, themes, melodies, harmonies, accentuations, and other sonic maneuvers are composed and planned to perfection. The duo also paid much more attention to the rhythm section, so you’ll hear how complex basslines invigorate all the beats, breaks, fills, accentuations, and additional percussions. Also, the vocals are on an entirely new level, with much more soul involved in the low, mid, and high notes. If you pay close attention while listening, you’ll notice how the impressive vocal register of Maja Atanasijević decorates each segment with such precision and finesse.
It’s also good to mention you’ll notice some similarities with many renowned acts that lurked on the Yugoslavian scene, but also some resemblance with the legendary international acts. However, Oskarova Fobija somehow avoided all the cliches of eighties synth-pop music, while simultaneously incorporating all the vital elements that made this magnificent music genre so popular at the time. Anyone even remotely into writing, composing, arranging, recording, and producing music knows that’s pretty much a difficult task to achieve, especially at the times when Oskarova Fobija existed. In one way or another, this exceptional synth-pop duo remained underground due to many circumstances, but they were ahead of their time for sure. As usual, Discom did an incredible job. From the visual identity that vividly captures the eighties era and the cardboard quality of the record jacket to the quality of the vinyl pressing, this excellent Belgrade-based record label specialized in publishing rare Yugoslavian music never ceases to amaze. Therefore, head to their web store and order this marvelous release as soon as possible because it’s limited to only 150 copies.
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