December, 2023
ZARĐALI ORKESTAR
I joined Milica Svirac, Gabriela Benak & Nikola Macura to perform on the strange instruments built out of weapons and other military equipment. Artist Nikola Macura has been engaged in installation and engaged art for a long time, and these objects were created as part of the project “From Noise to Sound”. Through this project, he redesigns military objects into sound objects, redesigning their symbolism.
We performed a 40 minute program, with Marčelo & Nensi joining us for a reindition of Marčelo’s “Ostrvo Mržnje“.
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November, 2023
GORDAN IN LUDWIGSHAFEN
Thank you Svetlana Spajić and Guido Möbius for inviting me to perform with you! It was my pleasure to sub in and play a concert with GORDAN, band that combines Serbian traditional singing and minimal, slightly dystopian electro-acoustic music. You can listen to their music HERE.
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August, 2023
BURNING FROM THE INSIDE
Vladimir Đorđević called me up and said – you wanna play with the fancy Macedonian bass player Oliver Josifovski and Tuvan throat singing master of Huun Huur Tu, Radik Tyulyush? I said sure. We met for the first time in Kragujevac, made music for a week’s time and performed at the ESTAM world music festival organized by SKC Kragujevac, who were a truly amazing host. Great experience!
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July, 2023
RECORDING JAZZXCHANGE IN DUDELANGE, LUXEMBOURG
After a 10 day residency and concerts in Luxembourg, Lithuania and Serbia, the JazzXchange project came to an end this July with a recording session in cultural center Opderschmelz, Dudelange.
It was a pleasure making music with these amazing musicians, thank you Bojan Zulfikarpašić, Veronika ChiChi, Kestutis Vaiginis, Marko Čurčić, Boris Schmidt & Jerome Klein!
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July, 2023
PRODUCING MORAM PITATI IGORA
I’m happy to be producing the second album of Novi Sad rock group Moram Pitati Igora. I’ve been creatively involved in arrangment, recording and postproduction, as well as recording keyboards & synths for the album.
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January, 2023
DRUM SOUNDTRACK TO “RETURKRAFT”
Danish director Thomas Abrahamsen asked me to contribute to the soundtrack of his short film “Returkraft”. In the footsteps of the “Birdman” soundtrack and the great Antonio Sanchez, i recorded a few frantic solo drum tracks for a couple of the scenes.
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January, 2023
DIFFERENT KIND OF HEAVEN OST
I’ve finally released a couple of tracks I did for Sanja Anđelković’s experimental CGI film.
Trailer for the film: https://vimeo.com/454049376
Hope you enjoy!
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January, 2023
FRUŠKA DŽUNGLA AMONG THE FAVORITES OF SERBIAN JAZZ CRITICS FOR 2022
Nikola Marković of Jazzin.rs mentiones the new Dragon’s Fuel album as his number one favorite for last years domestic jazz records, and features one of the tracks in his Radio Belgrade Jazz music program;
Vojislav Pantić lists Fruška Džungla on his list of favorite Serbian albums of 2022 and featured one of the tracks in HIS Radio Belgrade Jazz music program.
Thank you for putting the time to listen to our music and I’m so happy you’re enjoying it!
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December 5th, 2022
LOOK UP! I AM NO CANOPY – I AM A MESSENGER AWARDED WITH SPECIAL PRIZE AT BELGRADE BIENNALE
The special prize of the 59th October Salon is awarded to the work Look up! I am no canopy – I am a messenger! which was specially created for this year’s edition of the October Salon.
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November 30th, 2022
DRAGON’S FUEL @ STUDIO 6
Dragon’s Fuel visited Radio Belgrade’s Studio 6 to do a nationally broadcasted concert, presenting our newest album “Fruška Džungla”. You can take a look and a listen.
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October 20th, 2022
PERFORMING “Look up! I am no canopy – I’m a Messenger!” AT THE BELGRADE BIENNALE
We’ve premiered a performance of Sanja Anđelković and me, together with a chamber choir. Commissioned by October Salon, it was performed at the University Library of Belgrade, and we’ve got some very positive and touching feedback from the audience and professionals.
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October 10th, 2022
ALPHABET OF THE FOREST PRESENTED AT “ART FOR ALL” EXHIBITION
My newest work is a computer-game like interactive application commissioned by “Inclusive Gallery” from Novi Sad.
“Art for All” exhibition presented works that embody the idea of inclusivity – art that people with any sort of disability can experience. My work, Alphabet of the Forest, contains visual, audio and textual component, as well as tactile and interactive experience, as far as using computer keyboard and a mouse can be called tactile and interactive. You can download the application and try it yourself HERE.
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September, 2022
ONEBEAT VIRTUAL CONCLUDES
I’ve had the chance to participate in the OneBeat Virtual residency, going on from July to September 2022 alongside 30+ other very diverse musicians, all socially engaged in one way or another.
“the third edition of the Onebeat Virtual Residency is embracing a stream of questions based on online participation, trust, virtual communication, and shared values to help blur the boundaries of what an online community of artists means today.”
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July 30th – August 2st, 2022
MOST FESTIVAL – SOFIA / NOVI SAD
The HORZ collective organized a two day event across two cities, on two distinct and unusual locations.
Two bands were involved, Dragon’s Fuel (this time as a quartet with Alberto Miorin joining on guitar) and duo of Vasil Hajigrudev and Hristina Beleva, first night performing at the Central Railway Station in Sofia, Bulgaria; two days later, both groups came to Novi Sad and performed at Gorski Smeško on the hills of Fruška Gora.
The project was supported by MOST, the bridge for Balkan music.
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June 28th, 2022
DRAGON’S FUEL PERFORMS THE RITUAL OF FRUŠKA DŽUNGLA
It was time to do a promotion of our newly released album “Fruška Džungla“. For this we teamed up with Novi Sad Culture Center as we did for our previous album as well, and played a concert in their Cinema Hall.
You can listen to the album HERE, and if you like what you hear, consider buying the music to support us.
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May 8th – 13th, 2022
JAZZXCHANGE PERFORMED AT “LIKE A JAZZ MACHINE”, DUDELANGE
Multi-cultural project “JazzXchange” gathered six musicians, two from each of the European Culture Capitals for 2022, artistically organized by Bojan Z, to perform a concert at three of the cities (Dudelange, Kaunas and Novi Sad).
I was selected, alongside the great musicians Marko Čurčić, Veronika ChiChi, Boris Schmidt, Kestutis Vaiginis & Jerome Klein.
We’ve performed at the LIKE A JAZZ MACHINE festival, and are about to embark to Kaunas Jazz Festival. We will finish the project with a performance in Novi Sad.
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April 2022
DRAGON’S FUEL RELEASES NEW ALBUM
Dragon’s Fuel visits the arch-jungle, Fruška Džungla in a romanticized, picturesque homage to the flora & fauna of their closest and most beloved mountain.
credits
released April 27, 2022
Predrag Okiljević – Tenor sax
Vojislav Savkov – Tenor & soprano sax
Ivan Burka – Marimba, Vibraphone, percussion
Marko Čurčić – bass
Lav Kovač – drums, sounds
Written material by Predrag (5), Marko (3,9), Lav (1,2,4,7,8)
Recorded & mixed by Lav Kovač
Thanks to Dima Jakovljević for the mastering assistance.
Cover by Zoran Janjetov
Recorded in studio KACHARA, Bukovac in July 2021
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April 2022
MAJAMISTY “WIND ROSE” RELEASED
I took a creative sideman part in creation of the newest recording of Majamisty trio, featuring Urlich Drechsler & Aneta George.
Maja Alvanović-piano
Ervin Malina-double bass
Lav Kovač-drums
Aneta George-vocals
Ulrich Drechsler-bass clarinet, basset horn
Recorded at studio Kachara, Bukovac, Serbia, in October 2021.
Recording engineer: Dimitrije Jakovljević
Mixed and mastered by Dimitrije Jakovljević at Studio Muzička, Novi Sad
Cover photo: Olja Radmanović
Cover design: Dušan Savić
Music composed by: Maja Alvanovic (1, 2 7, 8), Ervin Malina (4), Aneta George (3), Blaza Alvanovic (6), U2 cover (5)
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