Kozmetika

Yugoslavia had a rich and colorful scene for rock and pop back from the '60s to the '80s. By 1983, at the peak of new wave and electronic rock, even the Eastern Bloc countries were hit by this fresh and exciting style. Therefore it is no wonder that Kozmetika, one of the Yugoslavian forerunners of electronic rock, had several similarities to Western acts from Germany or England, while singing in their native tongue and going for it with a quite original approach. There are many elements of '70s space rock and epic electronic rock to be found within the straightened but quirky new wave song structures on their sole album, originally released in 1983. Electronic and acoustic drums interact perfectly and create a smooth rhythmic flow through all the tunes. You can hear flutes in the long progressive piece Gaja, which is nothing less than an anthem to honor mother earth and gets close to such '70s greats as NEU!, Cluster, Tangerine Dream, and Hawkwind with it's repetitive beat and wicked guitar jams. You can hear where Kozmetika are rooted and where they want to go. Hard-driving tunes show a relation to the punk and post-punk sounds that were hot back then and still drag you away deep into outer space. Where most of the German NDW bands went pop, Kozmetika took a step over the barriers of radio-friendly music and get closer to a modernized version of NEU!, Amon Duul II, and La Dusseldorf mixed with a dark and gloomy elements that adds a radical mood to the compositions, contrary to their moments of sweet, soft harmonies - even the more relaxed passages present an atmosphere of departure. All fans of classic early '80s Eastern Bloc bands like Olympic from Czechoslovakia or later Omega and new wave/post-punk heroes like Bauhaus, Joy Division, Grauzone, and Joachim Witt will certainly love this. Take a listen and get enchanted.