Kozmetika

Kozmetika
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1978 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Founder	Vladimir Jovanović, Marko Pešić, Slobodan Konjević
Defunct	1983
Headquarters	Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Products	Music albums, pop culture magazine Izgled
Number of employees	4 (band members)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Kozmetika, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

Kozmetika (; transliterated as Cosmetics) was a Yugoslav band blending new wave and art rock genres, established in Belgrade in 1978. As trailblazers within the Yugoslav new wave movement, they also championed the scene through their pop culture publication Izgled.

The core trio—Vladimir Jovanović (guitar, vocals), Marko Pešić (synthesizer), and Slobodan Konjević (bass)—initially performed under the name Dijamantski Psi starting in 1974. Each member had a notable cultural presence in Belgrade: Jovanović was recognized as a painter, Pešić as a film director, and Konjević worked as a music editor for Studio B. In 1978, they rebranded to Kozmetika and incorporated Mihajlo "Miško" Mihajlovski to handle rhythm machine programming. Their debut album, produced over four years due to their individual engagements, was released in 1983 by ZKP RTLJ. This self-titled record merged modern musical styles with experimental and artistic influences, featuring collaborations with prominent Yugoslav rock artists. Shortly after the album's release, the group disbanded; Mihajlovski continued his musical journey by founding the synth-pop ensemble D' Boys, while the other members pursued various cultural paths.

Origins: Dijamantski Psi and Spajalice (1974–1978)

In 1974, inspired by David Bowie's Diamond Dogs, painter Vladimir Jovanović joined forces with director Marko Pešić, Studio B's music editor Slobodan Konjović, and discothèque proprietor Saša Nikolić to form Dijamantski Psi. Konjević brought experience as a vocalist from the 1960s band Studenti and had minor acting roles in films. The band's early activities were interrupted when Jovanović and Pešić faced imprisonment for marijuana cultivation.

Following their release in 1976, the group briefly adopted the name Spajalice before settling on Kozmetika in 1978—a name derived from Kosmička Etika (meaning Cosmic Ethics).

1978–1983

The lineup of Kozmetika consisted of Vladimir Jovanović on guitar and vocals, Marko Pešić on synthesizer, Slobodan Konjević playing bass, along with Mihajlo "Miško" Mihajlovski managing rhythm machine programming. In 1979, Jovanović earned the Sedam Sekretara SKOJ-a award for his achievements in painting. During this period, the band worked on their debut album and launched Izgled, a pop culture magazine inspired by Andy Warhol’s Interview. Kozmetika’s inaugural live appearance took place at Belgrade's Students' Cultural Center coinciding with the magazine’s launch event.

Their eponymous debut album took four years to complete and was issued in 1983 by ZKP RTLJ. It featured contributions from numerous notable Yugoslav musicians such as Goran Vejvoda, Dragana Šarić (Bebi Dol), Srđan Šaper and Nebojša Krstić (Idoli), Raša Đelmaš (Zebra), Zlatko Manojlović (Gordi), Goran Bregović (Bijelo Dugme), among others. Influenced by Brian Eno and contemporary musical trends, they utilized production techniques similar to sampling to create an art rock soundscape. Despite its innovative nature, the album’s intricate style limited mainstream success; only the track "Utisci" gained modest popularity. After releasing the album, Kozmetika rarely performed live and soon dissolved.

Aftermath

Following Kozmetika’s breakup, Mihajlo "Miško" Mihajlovski remained active musically by forming the synth-pop group D' Boys alongside Predrag "Peđa" Jovanović. After D' Boys disbanded in 1984, he embarked on a solo career and collaborated with Bebi Dol before retiring during the Yugoslav Wars period. He passed away on 2 December 2011.

Slobodan Konjović continued his career as a producer both during and after Kozmetika’s existence. His production credits include Pekinška Patka's albums Plitka poezija and Strah od monotonije, as well as Električni Orgazam's live EP Warszawa '81. Remaining affiliated with Studio B, he earned recognition as the "Serbian John Peel." In 2006, he provided vocals and compositions for Vasko Serafimov’s album Here.

Vladimir Jovanović moved to the Netherlands in the mid-1980s, where he currently resides.

Legacy

The band's live performance on 6 April 1977 at the Belgrade Students' Cultural Center is commonly recognized as the inception of the new wave movement in SR Serbia.

Their only released album, Kozmetika, was positioned at number 98 in the 1998 publication YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike (YU 100: The Best Albums of Yugoslav Pop and Rock Music).

In 2006, the track "Utisci" ("Impressions") achieved the rank of No. 99 on the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list. This song was used as the opening theme for Olja Bećković's political talk show Utisak nedelje (Impression of the Week), which was originally aired on RTV Studio B, followed by broadcasts on B92 and Nova S. To mark the program's twentieth anniversary, Belgrade's Viva Vox Choir produced a new rendition that became the updated theme tune.

Studio albums

Kozmetika (1983)

External links