[quote author=“Spartak”]if both you and the source of the demo tape were from Croatia i would have said Croatia instead.
Ok, I will try sort this out once and for all as well - sorry, but I happened to find out about the ‘Demonstration Tapes’ origin being Yugoslavian from you. I stated my origins of collecting these tapes, have no idea who or why stretched it further, causing this confusion, cannot tell whether this distribution comes from any of the sources I was involved with directly or not. IF my ‘Demonstration Tapes’ took such an uneasy route (what I personally and truly doubt), I sincerely apologise to anyone here or anyone in general in that matter, believing (like myself) blindly that these were actually cut by DM.
[quote author=“Spartak”]But there is no Croatian Synthpop and there is no Serbian synthpop. There was Yugoslav synthpop.
Oh really? Well, I do agree with you on certain levels of such perception in terms of what’s ‘Yugoslav’ and what’s not. But look at your choice of words - ‘there IS’ and ‘there WAS’. The synth-pop you stated here is certainly part of one specific time in history and as such I also consider it Yugoslav synth-pop and never even intended reffering to as ‘Serbian’ or ‘Croatian’ alone.
[quote author=“Spartak”]If I hear Croats and Serbs speak of Denise & Denise or Max & Intro i feel a shared identity that gave me some hope that some cultural identity (synthpop) still stayed transslavic / not national. So to talk about synthpop in the Yugoslav region but treat the new nations as seperate entities with a seperate synthpop scene and identity seems very strange to me.
Maybe it seems strange to you, me or anyone else alright, but times have certainly changed somewhat rapidly and both, Croatia and Serbia now that we constantly point them out, do operate as separate entities regarding this kind of electronic scene which, especially today IS quite authentic as such. Especially Serbian scene which produced a considerable number of excellent new electronic bands and individuals, I personally made friends with some of them and pay my deepest respects to whatever they’re doing for it is unique. The groups you stated in your post, Denis & Denis or Max & Intro are now part of the past, to me musically speaking it is one decent musical past but groups like Lollobrigida, Apparatchik, Margita je mrtva, Ilegalne emocije, Florence Foster Fan Club, Monofonik or whoever in that matter NOW, form part to one decent musical present. There are certainly cultural links, especially those with the past speaking of influences and it still holds a candle to synth-pop which might be considered - from what you said - Yugoslavian. But when you look closer to it - Denis & Denis, Max & Intro or whoever in that sense creating synthie-pop back then wasn’t really ‘Yugoslavian’ trademark (except for singing in their mother tongue) - it was ‘just’ a revolutionary adaptation from abroad groups’ ideas - among which Depeche or The Human League made the strongest connection in terms of pop.
[quote author=“Spartak”]Then, I made clear in my reply i was indeed aware you were from Croatia but you felt the need to underline Croatia was not part of Yugoslavia anymore. This implied (for me) something was wrong with ‘Yugoslavia’.
Trust me, if there is someone who usually doesn’t underline any such whereabouts, that is probably me. As I said earlier, I just replied in most simple manner and you’re right - now this discussion is really going to miss the point of what’s there left to discuss about pre-DM. Regarding Yugoslavia, I guess something WAS wrong with it as such when it led its established federation of republics to collapse in the most horrific way - but that certainly had nothing to do with any of its former republics’ cultural and in that sense - musical sides of it. Just a sick political game but I am certainly not to start a new debate for things that we both probably cannot and will never understand/express properly.
And there is no need to apologise for you just stated your true opinion - it might be wrong in some ways just like these tiresome essays of mine might be wrong as well. Just like it might be right. The truth lies there somewhere, I guess… :wink:
[quote author=“Spartak”]And this whole ‘whodidit’ is just too banal. You said you coincidently named it the same. I made a ‘regional link’ (which i regret to have made but your remarks triggered my curiosity) but you said you didnt share it with anyone, so i take your word and even if i didnt that would have been my problem. But to be honoust, to make a drama out of some joke/ forgery of a few songs is just not worth it.
I cannot agree more. Respects. :D
