Borghesia
Borghesia
From Culture.si
The first dozen years of Borghesia
The band has its roots in the alternative theatre groups Theatre FV-112/15 and Teater Performans, and was founded upon the idea of merging the concepts of theatre and disco. Aldo Ivančič played the drums at that time (later, he focused more on samplers and synths) and was joined by a rock cast featuring Dario Seraval on the guitar. Of the other proto-members, the most prominent one was Iztok Turk, who later worked with scores of influential Slovene bands (from punk and new wave to Laibach) and who was also an important figure in the early techno scene.
The only consistent member of the band was Ivančič, who was joined by visual artists Neven Korda and Zemira Alajbegović and by a long list of notable musicians, who all left a significant mark on the Slovene music scene – Primož Simončič, Lado Jakša and Mirsad Šabić of Lolita, Borut Kržišnik, Bratko Bibič, Nikola Sekulović of Dan D and Demolition Group, Boris Romih from Begnagrad and Miladojke Youneed and the rapper and turntablist Ali En being just a few of them.
Borghesia released a number of albums, singles, remixes and VHS video tapes (some of them released by FV Music, a label founded by Borghesia members) and soon acquired international (though rather niche) fame. Four of their albums were published by the renowned Belgian label Play It Again Sam Records; the band went on several European tours and were praised by a number of important international music magazines. Some of their most relevant releases are Ljubav je hladnija od smrti, No Hope No Fear, Escorts and Models, Resistance and Dreamers in Colour, the latest being Against Capitulation (2018).
The band's resurrection
After they disbanded, Aldo Ivančić became a sought-after music producer and DJ, and also formed the music collective Bast. In 2009, together with Aldo and Dario, FV Music released the double CD, 20th Century – Selected Works, an anthology of Borghesia's songs and instrumentals.
After that, the duo reanimated Borghesia into an all-star rock band and recorded the album And Man Created God, published by the American label Metropolis. Although for the purposes of the early concerts expanded into a septet, Borghesia currently stands as a quintet of Seraval contributing vocals, Ivančič doing programming and drums, Irena Tomažin and Ivo Poderžaj on vocals, Jelena Rusjan on bass and vocals.
Recent performances
Since 2014, Borghesia has played at Bodyfest (SW), Wave-Gotik-Treffen Festival (DE), BIMFest (NL), Wrocław Industrial Festival (PL), Mocvara Club (HR), Klub Kocka (HR), Sajeta Creative Camp, Kamfest, Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, Trainstation Squat and elsewhere.
