KBO!
Encyclopedia
KBO! is a Serbia
n punk rock
band from Kragujevac
. They are one of the first hardcore punk
acts on the former Yugoslav punk scene
. Since the very beginning, the band accepted the DIY ethic by forming their own record label KBO! Records, through which they have released all their official releases. The band have toured across several European countries including Hungary
, Austria
, Greece
, Belgium
and Netherlands
and shared the stage with acts such as Gorilla Biscuits
, Babes in Toyland
. They released several studio and live albums, some of them for foreign record labels and were included in numerous international punk compilations featuring eminent bands.
. Getting the name by an onomatopoeic sound "kvo" made by a frog in a cartoon, written in Cyrillic alphabet
, the band name is often misspelled. The band had their first recordings released by English
record labels on various artists compilations International Brigade, released in 1984, and Liberate, released in 1985. They also performed at local festivals, until the band members went to serve the army.
On their return, in 1986, the band lineup changed as Mišić and Todosavljević left the band, Saša Vujić switched to vocals and his brother, Slobodan Vujić "Boban", joining the band as the new drummer. The new lineup started recording demos, releasing them independently through their own independent record label
KBO! Records, and so the 1986 Tama (Darkness), 1987 Nove obrade starih stvari (New Covers of Older Stuff), 1988 !OBK, and 1989 Moja sloboda (My Freedom), gave the band the opportunity to overreach local prominence. It is partially due to this fact that the band got the opportunity to perform in Budapest
, Hungary
, in March 1988, recording the show and releasing it as Live in Budapest. On May of the following year, the band performed in Thesaloniki, Greece
, and having performed for four times in Hungary, in October, the band went to Vienna
, Austria
, performing as an opening act for Emils and Gorilla Biscuits
.
O studio for only four hours, was released by the Greek record label Wipe Out Records in 1991, and the following album, Pozovi 93 (Call 93) was released by the Novi Sad
record label Start Today Records in 1992. The band promoted the materials on tours of Yugoslavia
, Hungary
and Austria
, and during the summer of 1991, the band toured Belgium
and Netherlands
. During 1992, the band performed in Skopje
, Republic of Macedonia
and prepared new material released on the CD Za jedan korak (For a Single Step) by the French
record label Onkra from Toulouse
in 1992. The band also performed at Ilirska Bistrica
and Koper, Slovenia
. In 1993, the band's song "Ubijte me" ("Kill Me") appeared on the various artists compilation The Dignity Of Human Being Is Vulnerable, released in Netherlands. In 1995, the band's song "IdI+odlazi" ("Go+leave") appeared on the anti-war compilation Mi za mir (We for Peace). The band's fourth official album, Svetlo ludila (The Light of Craziness), prepared for about two years, was released by their own record label in 1997, and featured cover versions of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy
" and "Grk" ("Greek") by Mikis Theodorakis
.
On October 1996, the band performed in KST in Belgrade and the cover versions of UK Subs
"Organized Crime", Alphaville
"Forever Young
", renamed to "Forever Punk" and Abrasive Wheels
"When the Punks Go Marching In", performed at the concert, appeared on the various artists compilation Punk You All, released in 1998. On December 1996, the band performed at the TV Politika
Paket Aranžman TV show fifth anniversary, and the live versions of "Ubijte me", "Samoća" ("Solitude") and "Lopovi" ("Thieves") appeared on the various artists compilation Svi protiv svih (Everybody against everyone) in 1998. The band, with Drama and Propaganda 117, appeared on the Goran Matić Život za sebe (Life on Its Own) movie soundtrack, with the songs "Balkanska rapsodija" ("The Balkans
Rhapsody"), "Ludilo" ("Madness") and "Pada noć" ("The Night is Falling") and rerelesed on CD the first two studio albums through KBO! Records.
(Ne) Menjajte stanicu ((Don't) Change the Station), released in 2001, featuring cover versions of ABBA
, Električni Orgazam
, Pet Shop Boys
, Mike Oldfield
, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
, Billy Idol
, Black and Prince
songs. The band also appeared on the Know Your Rights various artists compilation with the songs "Zgubidan" ("Absent") and "What Can I Say", released by NGO Millennium in 2001.
In 2002, the band appeared on the Ringeraja movie soundtrack with the cover of the Indexi
single "Bacila je sve niz rijeku" ("She has Thrown away Everything down the River"), featuring Zvoncekova Bilježnica
member Toza Rabassa on guest vocals, for which a promotional video was also recorded. The band also released the studio album Drugarska stvar (A Friendly Matter), which featured more politically themed songs. This was the last release to feature Aleksandar Vojinović who left the band in 2005, being replaced by Thimble member Ivan Ivezić "Iveza". The new lineup recorded the new studio album in 2008 with the work title Prosta proza (Simple Prose), the album was mixed and post-produced during the following year.
and digital download
as the first single The material to be released, featuring the tracks written since 1996, consists of thirteen out of thirty six new songs the band have so far recorded.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n 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...
band from Kragujevac
Kragujevac
Kragujevac is the fourth largest city in Serbia, the main city of the Šumadija region and the administrative centre of Šumadija District. It is situated on the banks of the Lepenica River...
. They are one of the first hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
acts on the former Yugoslav punk scene
Punk in Yugoslavia
Punk 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...
. Since the very beginning, the band accepted the DIY ethic by forming their own record label KBO! Records, through which they have released all their official releases. The band have toured across several European countries including Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and shared the stage with acts such as Gorilla Biscuits
Gorilla Biscuits
Gorilla Biscuits are a New York City-based vegan straight edge hardcore band consisting of Anthony "Civ" Civarelli, Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios, Alex Brown and Luke Abbey. The band is currently signed to Revelation Records.-Early career:...
, Babes in Toyland
Babes in Toyland (band)
Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
. They released several studio and live albums, some of them for foreign record labels and were included in numerous international punk compilations featuring eminent bands.
1980s
The band was formed in January 1982 by 17-year-old high school friends, guitarists Saša Vujić "Vuja", Aleksandar Vojinović "Aca", bassist Milorad Mišić "Miša" and drummer Rajko Todosavljević, becoming the first punk rock band in KragujevacKragujevac
Kragujevac is the fourth largest city in Serbia, the main city of the Šumadija region and the administrative centre of Šumadija District. It is situated on the banks of the Lepenica River...
. Getting the name by an onomatopoeic sound "kvo" made by a frog in a cartoon, written in Cyrillic alphabet
Cyrillic alphabet
The Cyrillic script or azbuka is an alphabetic writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...
, the band name is often misspelled. The band had their first recordings released by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
record labels on various artists compilations International Brigade, released in 1984, and Liberate, released in 1985. They also performed at local festivals, until the band members went to serve the army.
On their return, in 1986, the band lineup changed as Mišić and Todosavljević left the band, Saša Vujić switched to vocals and his brother, Slobodan Vujić "Boban", joining the band as the new drummer. The new lineup started recording demos, releasing them independently through their own independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
KBO! Records, and so the 1986 Tama (Darkness), 1987 Nove obrade starih stvari (New Covers of Older Stuff), 1988 !OBK, and 1989 Moja sloboda (My Freedom), gave the band the opportunity to overreach local prominence. It is partially due to this fact that the band got the opportunity to perform in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, in March 1988, recording the show and releasing it as Live in Budapest. On May of the following year, the band performed in Thesaloniki, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and having performed for four times in Hungary, in October, the band went to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, performing as an opening act for Emils and Gorilla Biscuits
Gorilla Biscuits
Gorilla Biscuits are a New York City-based vegan straight edge hardcore band consisting of Anthony "Civ" Civarelli, Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios, Alex Brown and Luke Abbey. The band is currently signed to Revelation Records.-Early career:...
.
1990s
The band's debut album, Forever Punk, recorded at the BelgradeBelgrade
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...
O studio for only four hours, was released by the Greek record label Wipe Out Records in 1991, and the following album, Pozovi 93 (Call 93) was released by the Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
record label Start Today Records in 1992. The band promoted the materials on tours of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and during the summer of 1991, the band toured Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. During 1992, the band performed in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
and prepared new material released on the CD Za jedan korak (For a Single Step) by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
record label Onkra from Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1992. The band also performed at Ilirska Bistrica
Ilirska Bistrica
Ilirska Bistrica is a town and a municipality in Slovenia. It belongs to the traditional region of Primorska.The town of Ilirska Bistrica is the major economic centre of the district of the same name...
and Koper, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. In 1993, the band's song "Ubijte me" ("Kill Me") appeared on the various artists compilation The Dignity Of Human Being Is Vulnerable, released in Netherlands. In 1995, the band's song "IdI+odlazi" ("Go+leave") appeared on the anti-war compilation Mi za mir (We for Peace). The band's fourth official album, Svetlo ludila (The Light of Craziness), prepared for about two years, was released by their own record label in 1997, and featured cover versions of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy
Ode to Joy
"Ode to Joy" is an ode written in 1785 by the German poet, playwright and historian Friedrich Schiller, enthusiastically celebrating the brotherhood and unity of all mankind...
" and "Grk" ("Greek") by Mikis Theodorakis
Mikis Theodorakis
Mikis Theodorakis is one of the most renowned Greek songwriters and composers. Internationally, he is probably best known for his songs and for his scores for the films Zorba the Greek , Z , and Serpico .Politically, he identified with the left until the late 1980s; in 1989, he ran as an...
.
On October 1996, the band performed in KST in Belgrade and the cover versions of UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
"Organized Crime", Alphaville
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
"Forever Young
Forever Young (Alphaville song)
"Forever Young" is the title track from German rock/synthpop group Alphaville's 1984 debut album of the same name. Though it was not the group's highest-charting European hit and failed to reach the American Top 40 despite three separate U.S...
", renamed to "Forever Punk" and Abrasive Wheels
Abrasive Wheels
Abrasive Wheels were a punk rock band of the late 1970s/early 1980s. They hailed from Leeds, England and were seldom out of the Independent charts between 1980 and 1984 when the band split. The band were Shonna Rzonca - vocals, Dave Ryan - guitar, Harry Harrison - bass, Nev Nevison - drums...
"When the Punks Go Marching In", performed at the concert, appeared on the various artists compilation Punk You All, released in 1998. On December 1996, the band performed at the TV Politika
RTV Politika
RTV Politika was a major Serbian TV station, owned by Politika AD, that was on the air from 1990 until 2007.It was founded in 1990 and it was a majority-owned subsidiary of the aforementioned Politika AD media company that solely dealt in print media up to that point...
Paket Aranžman TV show fifth anniversary, and the live versions of "Ubijte me", "Samoća" ("Solitude") and "Lopovi" ("Thieves") appeared on the various artists compilation Svi protiv svih (Everybody against everyone) in 1998. The band, with Drama and Propaganda 117, appeared on the Goran Matić Život za sebe (Life on Its Own) movie soundtrack, with the songs "Balkanska rapsodija" ("The Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
Rhapsody"), "Ludilo" ("Madness") and "Pada noć" ("The Night is Falling") and rerelesed on CD the first two studio albums through KBO! Records.
2000s
The band recorded a cover albumCover Album
-Tracklisting:#Misono to Utaou! Animedley I # #...
(Ne) Menjajte stanicu ((Don't) Change the Station), released in 2001, featuring cover versions of ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, 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 :...
, Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, Mike Oldfield
Mike Oldfield
Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
, Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, Black and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
songs. The band also appeared on the Know Your Rights various artists compilation with the songs "Zgubidan" ("Absent") and "What Can I Say", released by NGO Millennium in 2001.
In 2002, the band appeared on the Ringeraja movie soundtrack with the cover of the Indexi
Indexi
Indexi was a Bosnian rock band popular in the former Yugoslavia. It formed in 1962 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and disbanded in 2001 when singer Davorin Popović died...
single "Bacila je sve niz rijeku" ("She has Thrown away Everything down the River"), featuring Zvoncekova Bilježnica
Zvoncekova Bilježnica
Zvoncekova Bilježnica is a Serbian punk rock/hardcore punk band from Aranđelovac.- History :...
member Toza Rabassa on guest vocals, for which a promotional video was also recorded. The band also released the studio album Drugarska stvar (A Friendly Matter), which featured more politically themed songs. This was the last release to feature Aleksandar Vojinović who left the band in 2005, being replaced by Thimble member Ivan Ivezić "Iveza". The new lineup recorded the new studio album in 2008 with the work title Prosta proza (Simple Prose), the album was mixed and post-produced during the following year.
2010s
On October 2010, it was announced that during the following month the band would release the seventh studio and twelfth official band release Prosta proza, featuring the single "Tačka" ("Full Stop"), previously released on the Internet for streamingStreaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
and digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
as the first single The material to be released, featuring the tracks written since 1996, consists of thirteen out of thirty six new songs the band have so far recorded.
Official demo recordings
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Studio albums
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Cover albums
| Title | Released |
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Singles
| Title | Released |
|---|---|
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| "Ultranova" / "Ringišpil" |
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| "Samoća" / "Lopovi" |
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| "Forever punk" / "When The Punks Go Marching In" |
|
| "Ludilo" / "Pada noć" |
|
| "What Can I Say" |
|
External links
- Official website
- KBO! at MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- KBO! at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- KBO! fan page 1 at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- KBO! fan page 2 at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- KBO! at YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- KBO! at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- KBO! at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
- KBO! at Rateyourmusic