Oko (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1972 in Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| Founder | Pavle Kavec |
| Defunct | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Ljubljana , Slovenia (then Yugoslavia) |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Oko (meaning Eye) was a Slovenian and Yugoslav band specializing in hard rock and progressive rock, established in Ljubljana in 1972. The group, fronted by guitarist and vocalist Pavle Kavec, gained recognition within the Yugoslav rock circuit during the 1970s.
1972–1978
Pavle Kavec embarked on his musical journey in 1966, initially playing with Rož'ce before forming the Hendrix-inspired power trio Yeti Experience in 1967. The following year, he became a member of Skarabeji, a band influenced by Deep Purple.
In 1972, Kavec assembled Oko alongside drummer Jani Tutta and bassist Miro Tomassini, who had previously played with Boomerang. The name Oko was suggested by Janez Bončina. The band began with a hard rock style and later infused their sound with progressive and jazz influences.
By 1973, Dejan Gajić had taken over drumming duties from Tutta, and the band recorded sessions for Radio Ljubljana. In 1975, both Gajić and Tomassini departed to join Jutro; their replacements were drummer Toni Dimnik and bassist Franjo Martinec. This lineup produced the single "Vse dal sam ti" / "Spet nazaj" released by Jugoton and worked on their debut album. All compositions were authored by Kavec except for the instrumental "Tema IV," created by Martinec. The track "Sam sam" included guest vocals from Zlatko Manojlović of Dah. Under the production of Dečo Žgur, the album featured keyboardist Andrej Konjajev and percussionist Miha Vipotnik as additional musicians. Prior to the album’s release, Oko disbanded due to Dimnik joining Buldožer and Martinec concentrating on his academic pursuits. Subsequently, Kavec re-recorded the vocal parts with Serbo-Croatian lyrics and released the album titled Raskorak in 1976 through Jugoton while the band remained inactive; during this interval, Kavec performed with Boomerang.
Towards the end of 1976, Kavec revived Oko with new members drummer Zlati Klun and bassist Igor Bošnjak. This formation continued until disbanding in 1978, though they occasionally reunited for special concerts afterwards.
Post breakup, 2000 reformation
Following Oko’s dissolution, Pavle Kavec largely stepped back from performing to devote time to his guitar school. He resurfaced in the early 1990s with a solo album titled Hočeš z menoj (Wanna Come With Me), which featured his son Mitja Kavec on bass and former Oko drummer Dragan Gajić.
In 1998, Max Plus reissued Raskorak on CD, supplementing it with early recordings as bonus material. This release prompted Oko’s reunion featuring Kavec (guitar, vocals), Ernie Mendillo (bass), and Klemen Markelj (drums). Their live show at Ljubljana’s Hound Dog club in 2000 was independently released in 2001 as Oko (Live December 2000), containing one original piece, "Raskorak," alongside covers of rock songs from the 1960s.
Original bassist Miro Tomassini died on 21 August 2019.
Studio albums
- Raskorak (1976)
Live albums
- Oko (Live December 2000) (2001)
Singles
- "Vse sam dal ti" / "Spet nazaj" (1975)
External links
- Slovenian hard rock musical groups
- Slovenian jazz-rock groups
- Slovenian progressive rock groups
- Yugoslav hard rock musical groups
- Yugoslav progressive rock groups
- Yugoslav jazz-rock groups
- Musical groups from Ljubljana
- Yugoslav musical trios
- Slovenian musical trios
- Musical groups established in 1972
- Musical groups disestablished in 1978