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Pop Mašina

From Alfawiki
Pop Mašina
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1972 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia
FounderRobert Nemeček, Zoran Božinović, Ratislav "Raša" Đelmaš, Sava Bojić
Defunct1978
FateDisbanded
SuccessorRok Mašina
Headquarters
Belgrade
,
Yugoslavia
Area served
Yugoslavia
Key people
Robert Nemeček, Zoran Božinović, Mihajlo "Bata" Popović
ProductsStudio albums: Kiselina (1973), Na izvoru svetlosti (1975); Live album: Put ka Suncu (1976)

Pop Mašina (; translated as Pop Machine) was a Yugoslav progressive rock ensemble established in Belgrade in 1972. The band merged elements of hard rock, blues, psychedelic, and acid rock, emerging as one of the leading groups within the 1970s Yugoslav rock scene.

The band was originally formed by bassist and vocalist Robert Nemeček, guitarist and vocalist Zoran Božinović, drummer Ratislav "Raša" Đelmaš, and singer Sava Bojić, though the latter two departed early on. The primary lineup that achieved the greatest success consisted of Nemeček, Zoran Božinović, and drummer Mihajlo "Bata" Popović. They were pioneers in shifting Yugoslav progressive rock away from its jazz and classical roots toward a heavier sound, gaining considerable acclaim through live performances. Pop Mašina released two studio albums along with a live record; their first album, Kiselina (Acid), is widely recognized as a milestone in Yugoslav rock. After Nemeček left in 1976 to fulfill his compulsory military duty, Zoran Božinović continued with a revamped lineup including his brother Vidoja "Džindžer" Božinović. This later formation experienced limited success before dissolving in 1978. In 1980, Nemeček reunited with the Božinović brothers to create the hard rock/heavy metal band Rok Mašina (Rock Machine).

1972–1978

Pop Mašina came into existence in Belgrade in 1972, founded by Robert Nemeček (bass, vocals), Zoran Božinović (guitar, vocals), Ratislav Đelmaš (drums), and Sava Bojić (vocals). Shortly after forming, Bojić left to join the progressive group Tako, while Đelmaš moved on to YU Grupa. Drummer Mihajlo "Bata" Popović stepped in to replace Đelmaš, establishing Pop Mašina as a power trio.

They were among the first Yugoslav bands to transition from jazz- and classical-influenced progressive rock toward a heavier style, gaining recognition through free concerts and early singles such as "Sjaj u očima" / "Put ka Suncu" (1972) and "Promenićemo svet" / "Svemirska priča" (1973), which featured Indian musical influences courtesy of guest musicians. Their May 1973 free concert at Hajdučka česma included performances alongside several notable acts.

Their debut album Kiselina (1973), issued by PGP-RTB, fused hard rock with psychedelic and acid rock motifs interspersed with acoustic segments. Due to concerns about state censorship, the album’s psychedelic concept was subtly concealed. The original psychedelic cover design was replaced with a photograph of the band to avoid censorship problems. Kiselina featured contributions from numerous prominent Yugoslav musicians, enriching its sonic palette. Despite attempts at discretion, media coverage eventually revealed the album’s true thematic nature after release.

Following Kiselina, Pop Mašina embarked on extensive tours across Yugoslavia, frequently appearing at Belgrade Sports Hall alongside other progressive bands. Zoran Božinović gained recognition for his innovative guitar work that enhanced their live performances. Bassist Miroslav Cvetković joined the group after repairing Nemeček’s damaged bass guitar during one concert.

In early 1975, they recorded their second studio album Na izvoru svetlosti in Ljubljana with producers Ivo Umek and Nemeček. This record included guest appearances by Ljuba Ninković and Sloba Marković, featured a live blues track recorded at Belgrade Sports Hall, and contained the tribute piece "Rekvijem za prijatelja," honoring the late Predrag Jovičić of San. Keyboardists Oliver Mandić and Dragan Velikić briefly became part of the lineup during this period before departing.

Building on their strong live reputation, Pop Mašina released Put ka Suncu (1976), recognized as Yugoslavia’s first solo live rock album, recorded across three concerts at Belgrade Sports Hall. Although technical issues affected critical reception, it highlighted extended renditions including a 19-minute title track.

At the close of 1976, Nemeček left to serve mandatory military duty; shortly thereafter Mihajlo Popović also exited. Zoran Božinović reassembled the band with his brother Vidoja on guitar, Dušan "Duda" Petrović handling bass duties, and Dušan "Đuka" Đukić on drums. This new formation briefly experimented with jazz rock before reverting to traditional hard rock styles. After completing military service, Nemeček moved to London to pursue work in the musical instrument industry rather than rejoining Pop Mašina.

The revamped lineup performed alongside prominent Yugoslav bands such as Zdravo and Generacija 5, among others; recordings from these concerts were included on the live compilation Pop Parada 1. In 1977, following Petrović’s departure to join Generacija 5, Miroslav "Cvele" Cvetković returned as bassist. Although plans for a new album existed, this incarnation only released one single before disbanding in 1978.

After the Split: Rok Mašina and Subsequent Developments

Following the dissolution of Pop Mašina, Vidoja Božinović and Dušan Đukić became members of the band Dah. When Dah disbanded in 1979, Božinović briefly collaborated with Opus. Meanwhile, Robert Nemeček took on the role of editor for rock concert programs at Dadov Theatre. In 1980, Nemeček joined forces with the Božinović brothers and drummer Vladan Dokić to establish the hard rock and heavy metal group Rok Mašina. This band released a single self-titled album before disbanding in 1982. Some tracks intended for their second album surfaced on the 1983 mini-album Izrod na granici (Bastard on the Border).

After Rok Mašina ceased activities, Zoran Božinović stepped away from the music industry but made a comeback in the 1990s as part of the blues rock ensemble Zona B; he passed away in 2004. Vidoja Božinović explored architecture and jazz before joining the prominent rock outfit Riblja Čorba in 1984. Nemeček shifted his career towards journalism, serving as a London correspondent for Yugoslav publications and later managing film programming at RTV Politika, Television Pink, Radio Television of Serbia, and TV Avala.

Ratislav "Raša" Đelmaš, a founding member, found success with YU Grupa and led Zebra between 1976 and 1979; he died in 2021. Drummer Mihajlo "Bata" Popović became a recognized architect in the United States before returning to Montenegro; he also died in 2021. Keyboardist Dragan Velikić pursued a distinguished literary career, winning the esteemed NIN Award twice and serving as Serbia’s ambassador to Austria from 2005 to 2009. Bassist Dušan Petrović passed away in 2003.

In 1994, Serbian label ITVMM reissued Kiselina on CD, including bonus tracks from Pop Mašina’s debut single. A limited CD edition was released by Polish label Wydawnictwo 21 in 2000, while Austrian label Atlantide reissued it on vinyl in 2005 and later re-released Na izvoru svetlosti in 2008.

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of Kiselina, Nemeček collaborated with Serbian label MCG Records to produce Originalna Kiselina – 35 godina kasnije in 2007. This release featured original songs enhanced with new mixes and additional recordings by Nemeček’s son Jan. In 2008, Internut Music issued the box set Antologija 1972 – 1976, which compiled all Pop Mašina recordings alongside unreleased tracks, a live concert recording, and a detailed band biography. Multimedia Music followed with the compilation Na drumu za haos 1972 – 2017 in 2017, while Croatia Records reissued Kiselina on vinyl in 2022.

Robert Nemeček passed away in Belgrade on January 8, 2024.

Legacy

Pop Mašina’s track "Zemlja svetlosti" was interpreted by Serbian alternative rock group Disciplina Kičme on their 1991 album Nova iznenađenja za nova pokolenja (New Surprises for New Generations). The song "Sećanja" ("Memories") was covered by Serbian singer-songwriter Nikola Čuturilo on his 2011 album Tu i sad (Here and Now), featuring Vidoja Božinović. In 2019, Serbian blues rock band Texas Flood performed versions of "Negde daleko" and "Put na suncu" on their album Tražim ljude kao ja (I'm Looking for People Like Me).

The album Kiselina was ranked number 60 in the 1998 publication YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike, which lists the greatest Yugoslav popular music albums. Additionally, the song "Put ka Suncu" was placed at number 92 on the Rock Express Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times list published in 2000.

On October 5, 2005, Belgrade's Bard Club hosted a concert dedicated to Zoran Božinović’s memory. The event featured performances by his brother Vidoja, Miroslav Cvetković (of Bajaga i Instruktori, formerly of Pop Mašina), Nebojša Antonijević (Partibrejkers), Dejan Cukić, Petar Radmilović (Đorđe Balašević’s band), Dušan Kojić (Disciplina Kičme), Branislav Petrović (Električni Orgazam), Dušan Đukić (ex-Pop Mašina), Nikola Čuturilo, Manja Đorđević (Disciplina Kičme), Vladimir Đorđević (Lira Vega, Sila), Vlada Negovanović, as well as bands Van Gogh and Zona B. This concert was later released on DVD under the title Put ka Suncu – Noć posvećena Zoranu Božinoviću (Road to Sun – A Night Dedicated to Zoran Božinović).

Band members

  • Robert Nemeček – bass guitar, vocals (1972–1976)
  • Zoran Božinović – guitar, vocals (1972–1978)
  • Ratislav "Raša" Đelmaš – drums (1972)
  • Sava Bojić – guitar, vocals (1972)
  • Mihajlo "Bata" Popović – drums, percussion (1972–1976)
  • Oliver Mandić – keyboards, vocals (1975)
  • Dragan Velikić – keyboards (1975–1976)
  • Dušan "Duda" Petrović – bass guitar (1976–1977)
  • Dušan "Đuka" Đukić – drums (1976–1978)
  • Vidoja "Džindžer" Božinović – guitar (1976–1978)
  • Miroslav "Cvele" Cvetković – bass guitar, vocals (1977–1978)

Studio albums

Live albums

Box sets

  • Antologija 1972 – 1976 (published in 2008)

Compilations

  • Na drumu za haos 1972 – 2017 (2017 release)

Singles

  • "Put ka Suncu" / "Sjaj u očima" (1972)
  • "Promenićemo svet" / "Svemirska priča" (1973)
  • "Zemlja svetlosti" / "Dugo lutanje kroz noć" (1974)
  • "Sećanja" / "Rekvijem za prijatelja" (1975)
  • "Moja pesma" / "Uspomena" (1977)

Other appearances

  • "Sećanje" / "Moja pesma" featured on Pop Parada 1 compilation in 1977

External links

See also

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