Zmajev rep
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Biography
In spite of it being quite a small town, Bistrica ob Sotli has spawned a number of musical projects. Among them is the band Zmajev rep [Dragon's tail], a quartet of musicians, that has since the bands formation visibly evolved both collectively as well as individually. They've been playing their own music since the beginning and they soon - in 2000 - put out their first demo recording titled Nori raj [Crazy paradise].
With time, practice and some hard work they then released their first proper album in 2003. It was called Ogenj [Fire] and it has been wholly recorded in their home kitchen. In the following years their musical ambitions started taking a different turn and the songs they contributed for the project Urok [Spell] were already far less hard rock oriented. It was at that time that they started to record instrumental songs without vocals and lyrics. In 2007 they released Sanje podob [Dreams of images] on the Sanje ('Dreams') Publishing House and quite radically left their former sound behind them, playing a sort of progressive rock and jazz fusion which did not feature any vocals at all.
In 2010 they recorded Sestop [Descent], and though the album was of similar colours than the former, the band cntinued sliding farther down the slopes of jazz and improvised music. They released it on Radio Študent Records and presented it in a number of Slovene clubs and concert venues. Considering the musical paths the members have taken since then, their future sound is as always open and yet undecided.
The band's members and their other projects
The band's line-up has not changed since it was established and as such consists of the brothers Vid Drašler and Jošt Drašler on drums and bass, Ambrož Božiček on keyboards and Andrej Boštjančič - Ruda on guitar and vocals. Andrej, who is the founder of the band and who was also writing lyrics, is supposedly also the author of most of their songs.
Besides playing in Zmajev rep, Vid and Jošt have been actively playing in number of other set-ups like the more straight ahead jazz group Balžalorsky / Drašler 3o, the free jazz power trio Drašler / Karlovčec / Drašler and the atmospheric rock group Malik. They have also been a very noticeable presence in the local free improvisation scene and as such played in a number of ad hoc collectives. We should also not forget Kombo, a project by Zlatko Kaučič, in which many a young musician - including Jošt and Vid - has continuously been gaining skills and insights from their mentor. Another Zlatko's project is the Orkester brez meja [Orchestra without borders], where the two of them are playing in an international cast of mostly young musicians. Besides all that, Vid can be heard in Orkestrada while Jošt has also been playing with the renowned american saxophonist Sabir Mateen. One can suspect there is probably a number of other musical set-ups that this dynamic duo has visited.
Andrej Boštijančič - Ruda has also been very active alongside his involvement in Zmajev rep. He co-founded the ethno band Brencl Banda and is also playing in the band Črni Peter. In 2004 he started researching music as a therapeutic medium and collaborated with the The Kripls, a band whose members are all suffering from cerebral paralysis. For a time he also studied with Samo Šalamon, probably the most prolific and versatile guitar player in Slovenia.
See also
- Radio Študent Records
- Sanje ('Dreams') Publishing House
- Balžalorsky / Drašler 3o
- Orkestrada
- Brencl Banda
- Malik
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