What prog band did you recently discover?

Yokono is a four-piece instrumental experimental rock band from Belgrade (Serbia).

Since its beginning in 2011, the band has been interested in true sound through live studio recording sessions, which has altogether affected the improvement of the band's music fashion as well as its approach to live exhibitions.

I just recently discovered Yokono, thanks to Svetonio from the Steve Hoffman forum. His instructive topic, "Ambient Rock Appreciation Thread," is actually where I dig this rather good Serbian underground group.

Here are two instrumentals taken from their debut album, "Bigz Live Studio Sessions," which was recorded in Bigz and released on Bandcamp in December 2018. 

There is a story behind it. Bigz was a government-owned but abandoned printing house and has served for years as a unique alternative cultural centre in downtown Belgrade, located in an originally beautiful Bauhaus-designed building built before World War II (see picture).

 

 

 

The recordings were made there. Many young Belgrade's bands practiced there, some very good recording analogue studios were there owned by enthusiasts, and many visual artists had their studios in the Bigz as well; it was something like a hippy commune, hence Bigz even brought a so-called New Belgrade scene of experimental rock, but the investment-urbanism-oriented mayor kicked them all out and sold the building to some private clinic from abroad, which will most likely tear it down and build more of a mockery of glass and steel.

 

However, the recordings and videos from Bigz, like these, will remain. Yokono stuff is available on Bandcamp, and I highly recommend it.