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ZMaj

Electronic / Croatia (Virovitica)
ZMaj

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File under

Public Service Broadcasting, Lemon Jelly, Kreidler

Free style

Electro Rock, Breakbeat, Experimental

" Audio visual experiment and sonic exhibition "

Zrinko, Mario and Jasmin started their friendship through music when they were in an elementary school in Virovitica, Eastern Croatia. Even then, they were making original music and experimented with recordings and sound production, despite the lack of the professional music equipment. Later, Zrinko and Mario went on to study music in Zagreb and Vienna, and Jasmin started to develop his woodcrafting skills by making his own instruments. During this time, the old friends played in different bands. Eventually, all of them ended back up in their hometown and started ZmaJ.

The band name looks like an acronym of their first names (Zrinko, Mario and Jasmin), but “zmaj” also means dragon in Croatian. On their debut album, Svaki kraj je novi pocetak, music has a storytelling role, taking the a listener on a musical journey through different atmospheres and genres. At first, it was composed for a trio, but afterwards, through various collaborations, it was expanded with flute, trumpet, violin and bass clarinet. The album was released in digital format and is only avaliable on Bandcamp.

ZMaJ are now working on the expansion of the album form alongside four young Croatian composers. It will be premiered at MIMO festival in the Museum of Contemporary Arts, Zagreb, March 2018. At the beginning of 2017, the band held “Exibition of Sound“ in Virovitica City Museum. Part of the exhibition was about exploring electronic club music which transformed the band’s sound. A selection of that music will be released through the Project Zwep EP. The key element here are the visual projections, done by VJ Iva Gavrilovic, which are inseparably connected with the music.