REVOLUTION IN THE ZOO

After demise of BEGNAGRAD in 1984, its rhythm section, bassist Nino de Gleria and drummer Ales Rendla, and occasional guitarist Igor Leonardi teamed up with classically trained musician Milko Lazar and formed QUATEBRIGA. This quartet shared composing and arrangement duties for their debut LP "Revolution in the Zoo", which was released by an independent label BRUT Film in 1985. Its distribution was largely restricted to their native Slovenia and to the purchase by mail order which did not help its commercial success. But frankly, the music itself was rather demanding and unconventional so it was not meant for wider audience.

If BEGNAGRAD were one of rare examples of a genuine RIO band outside the Western Europe, QUATEBRIGA continued in somewhat jazzier direction. Not abandoning entirely the experimentation with odd folksy rhythms and time signatures, they pursued more avant-jazz expression fused with post-punk and alternative rock attitudes. The opening title track, which even saw some limited popularity on college radio stations across Yugoslavia, is prime example of this approach and its funky beat, crazy horns and silly lyrics ("elephants and monkeys pissing everywhere...") made them precursors of what DISCIPLINA KIČME of Belgrade was about to do in the coming years.

Odd time signature, amazing bass lines, marimba-like percussion and strong horns made "Prvckotove najljubse melodije" (Eng. "Prvckot's Most Beautiful Melodies") one of the strongest moments of the album. Cacophony in the RIO manner coupled with some Crimsonesque guitar chords jumps on and off amazingly well. Short but furious "Na juris- Odpisani" (Eng. "Attack of the Written Off") presents a mad mix of brass instruments and guitar noise that is brief enough before you start raising your eyebrows. Perhaps the best track on the album (at least, for me the most enjoyable one) - "To Be Or Not To Be Stoned That Is Not The Question" - starts in slow tempo pushed by bass and guitar flageolets. Saxophone joins in a spacey atmosphere reminding me of certain psychedelic fusion acts from the past.

The remainder of the album does not work so well though. There is too much improvising to the point that certain passages are hard to listen to. Especially boring is the longest track, "African Girl Is Coming Home", whose heavy-load of "ethnic" percussion and the "sounds of savannah" does not seem to go anywhere. All in all however, this is quite good and interesting LP of "avant-rock meets avant-jazz" music and I will surely recommend it if you enjoy exploring these kinds of musical styles.

PERSONAL RATING: 3,75/5

P.A. RATING: 4/5