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Demolition Group

From Unearthing The Music

Demolition Group. Photo by Mate Božinović, taken from the band's website

Demolition Group is a Slovenian / Yugoslavian band, formed in 1983 under the name Gastarbeiters (also Gast'r'bajtr's). They began – along with Silver Baracudas – as a studio offshoot of the then well-known and witty pop group Gastrbajtrs, playing their own version of funk music. As Gastarbajtrs, the group released two LPs in the former Yugoslavia.

In 1986 Gastarbajtrs transformed their music into a fusion of heavy rock, funk and electronic rhythms and changed their name to Demolition Group. In 2011 the veteran band held a concert in Ljubljana's Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture to release their newest and long-awaited album Planet starcev [Planet of old men].

History and releases

Demolition Group has performed at many important European festivals, including Druga Godba Festival (1986), San Remo Rock (1988), Biennial of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean in Barcelona (1987), Berlin Independence Days (1989), and others. Soon after its appearances in 1986 the group was signed to the Italian label Cruisin' Hiara Records (Modena), for which it released two albums, both of which were promoted in most European countries. Demolition Group's music at the time was an energetic fusion of electronic and acoustic drums, rock and funk-oriented guitars, a neurotic saxophone and the distinctive vocals of the singer/songwriter Goran Šalamon.

For a short period of time, some of the band's members (the Pegam brothers, Jože [saxophone, clarinet and trumpet] and Matjaž [drums]) were hired as musicians by Laibach. Later, the group's bass player Nikola Sekulović would also play this role.

In 1993 the group released a hit CD entitled Bad Gag 2. Six months later it released a mini CD called Demolition Group plays Gastarbeiters. The album Deep True Love, released in 1995, was a collaboration between Demolition Group and Mladinsko Theatre, where the band wrote music for three plays directed by Matjaž Pograjc. The album was voted Record of the Year in Slovenia and Demolition Group was declared Band of the Year for 1995 in Slovenia.

In January 1999 Demolition Group made a feature film called Dark Angels, directed by Sašo Podgoršek, who has also directed all of the group's videos. The band wrote the script, played the main roles and wrote the music score. Neovangelij was released in April 1999 and the remixes for this album were done by the Random Logic. Bič Luč+Upanje, released in 2001, focuses on Šalamon's voice.

Members

Current Members:

  • Ales Susha - saxophone , synth
  • Petar Stojanovic - guitar
  • Matjaz Pegam - Founding Member, Sound Mix
  • Tommy Gregel - bass guitar
  • Ivica Gregel - drums
  • Goran Shalamon - Founding Member, Vocals , Lyrics

Former Members:

  • Matija Lapuh - guitar
  • Joze Pegam - Founding Member - Trumpet, Saxophone
  • Bojan Fifnja - Founding Member - Guitar
  • Nikola Sekulovic - Founding Member - Bass Guitar
  • Ivan Rimc - drums (1995-)
  • Uros Srpcic - drums (1985-95)
  • Peter Cizelj - drums
  • Janez Gabric - drums
  • Matej Hotko - bass guitar
  • Lovro Ravbar - saxophone

Discography

  • Clomonics (Opus Manuum, 1986, sound cassette)
  • Vox Clamantis (Opus Manuum, 1986 (Audio cassette)
  • Mizerika (Opus Manuum, 1986, sound cassette) / (Cruisin'Hiara, 1987, sound cassette, turntable)
  • Miracle (EP, Cruisin'Hiara, 1989, turntable)
  • Bad Gag 2 (KifKif, 1993, sound cassette, CD)
  • Plays Gastrbajtrs (KifKif, 1993, CD)
  • Deep True Love (SMG, 1995, audio cassette, CD)
  • The Gospel (Dallas, 1998, CD)
  • Whip, Light and Hope (Dallas, 2001)
  • Planet of the Elders (self-publishing, 2011)
  • Live (live, Synthetic Production, 2012)
  • The Fading Sun (Synthetic Production, 2015)
  • Let's Go There (2018)

External links