Igra Staklenih Perli

Igra Staklenih Perli
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1976
Headquarters	Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Products	Progressive rock, psychedelic rock music

Igra Staklenih Perli (; translated as The Glass Bead Game) was a progressive and psychedelic rock group originating from Belgrade, Yugoslavia, established in 1976.

The band was initially created by keyboardist Zoran Lakić, guitarist Vojkan Rakić, and percussionist Predrag Vuković, later joined by bassist and vocalist Draško Nikodijević along with drummer Dejan Šoć. Following the release of their debut album in 1978, Nikodijević was succeeded by Slobodan Trbojević. Their sophomore studio effort, Vrt svetlosti, came out in 1980 before the band dissolved in 1985. In 2011, they reunited for two performances, after which Nikodijević and Vuković collaborated with younger artists under the name Igra Staklenih Perli The Next Generation.

1976-1985

The band was formed by longtime companions Lakić "Švaba" (keyboards), Rakić (guitar), and Vuković (percussion). Their name was inspired by Hermann Hesse's novel The Glass Bead Game, and their sound reflected influences from early Pink Floyd, Can, Tangerine Dream, Hawkwind, and Jimi Hendrix. They began performing live only after adding bassist/vocalist Nikodijević, with initial gigs including appearances at the Tokovi festival and Dadov Theatre. Drummer Dragan Šoć joined the lineup in 1977.

Following numerous free concerts at Belgrade's Students' Cultural Center and New Belgrade's Block 45, they secured a recording deal with PGP-RTB. Their self-titled debut album released in 1978 predominantly featured English lyrics and tracks such as "Gušterov trg" and "Pečurka," the latter paying homage to Can. The album’s cover art was created by Vuković, who held a degree in art history. Their live shows incorporated pioneering laser light displays and film projections overseen by DJ and journalist Goran Cvetić. A bootleg recording of one of these performances was later issued as the Soft Explosion Live album.

Before producing their second album, Nikodijević departed and was replaced by Slobodan Trbojević, previously a bassist for the jazz ensemble Ptica and also a music journalist. The 1980 release Vrt svetlosti, produced by Aleksandar Pilipenko, consisted of five tracks themed around fantasy and science fiction, including "Igrač" and "Čarobnjaci." Female vocalist Dragana Šarić (who later became known as Bebi Dol) contributed to this album. Although its psychedelic cover art initially met resistance from PGP-RTB, it was eventually approved for release. The album’s launch event took place during a fashion show at Belgrade's Beko Hall.

In 1980, guitarist Ivan Pajević replaced Rakić while Nikodijević returned to the band. They appeared in Stanko Crnobrnja's 1982 short film Na svoj način. Their last live performance happened in 1985 at Belgrade’s Sava Center during an anniversary concert for ITD magazine; this show featured guitarist Aleksandar Žikić. Material intended for a third album titled ISP III was never officially published but later surfaced on their official MySpace page.

Throughout their existence, many prominent musicians from Belgrade either collaborated or briefly joined the group. These included guitarists Goran Vejvoda, Aleksandar Žikić, Bojan Kveder; keyboardist Zoran Zagorčić of Električni Orgazam; and drummer Ivica Vdović Vd from Šarlo Akrobata.

Post breakup

In 1983, Nikodijević founded the post-punk ensemble White Rabbit Band alongside drummer Snow White, originally formed to perform in Ištvan Lalić’s avant-garde production Alisa u zemlji čuda (Alice in Wonderland). Although the play was cancelled, the band continued performing with Rakić on guitar and Svetolik Trifunović "Trile" on bass. Their recordings from the mid-1980s were eventually released in 2000 as the album 1986. In 1987, Nikodijević relocated to New York where he established Go Ask Alice with local musicians before forming White Rabbit CVLT with guitarist Zoran "Bale" Bulatović. White Rabbit CVLT independently released ...And the Gods Made Wars in 1999, an album influenced by the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Later on, Nikodijević and Bulatović formed Collateral Damage featuring notable artists such as Ivan Fece "Firchie" and Ljubomir Đukić.

During summer 1991, German label Kalemegdan Disk issued three Igra Staklenih Perli LPs: Soft Explosion Live, recorded at Belgrade’s Faculty of Dental Medicine; Inner Flow, consisting of previously unreleased material from 1976–1979; and Drives, which included a four-hour session from 1977 plus re-recordings by Rakić, Vuković, and Električni Orgazam keyboardist Zoran Zagorčić. Most of the artwork for these releases was designed by Vuković.

In 2005, Austrian label Atlantide reissued both Igra Staklenih Perli and Vrt Svetlosti on vinyl format. Remastered versions were released in Serbia and Germany in 2007. PGP-RTS issued a combined CD titled Igra Svetlosti (The Game Of Light) featuring both studio albums together. Additionally, German label Second Harvest remastered each album individually with bonus material: Igra Staklenih Perli included live tracks from Soft Explosion Live, while Vrt svetlosti incorporated recordings from Inner Flow.

2011 reunion and subsequent developments

In 2011, Igra Staklenih Perli regrouped featuring founding members Draško Nikodijević (bass, vocals), Zoran Lakić (keyboards, vocals), and Predrag Vuković (percussion, vocals), alongside newcomers Ivan Stanković (guitar, vocals) and Sinister Borg (drums). Following two performances at Belgrade's Žica club, the lineup of Nikodijević, Vuković, and Stanković continued under the name Igra Staklenih Perli The Next Generation, augmented by Vlada Funtek on drums and Spomenka Milić contributing vocals and keyboards. In November 2012, they unveiled the studio album Apokaliptus, which was distributed freely through Exit Music. The production was handled by Dušan Kojić "Koja" (known from Disciplina Kičme), with recording duties by Boris Mladenović (associated with Jarboli and Veliki Prezir). The record also included guest performances from Dejan Utvar on drums and Ljubomir Đukić of Električni Orgazam.

Soon thereafter, Nikodijević revived the White Rabbit Band, bringing in Andrija Babović (guitar, vocals) and Borko Petrović (drums).

Vojkan Rakić died in Belgrade on 21 July 2019. Draško Nikodijević passed away on 1 August 2021; prior to his passing, he completed the White Rabbit Band’s first studio album Ek-A-Tattwa, which was posthumously released in 2022.

Studio albums

Igra Staklenih Perli (1979)
Vrt svetlosti (1980)

Live albums

Soft Explosion Live (1991)
Drives (1993)

Compilation albums

Inner Flow (1991)
Igra svetlosti (2007)

External links