Predmestje
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia |
| Founder | Andrej Pompe, Peter Gruden, Aleksander Malahovsky, Gabriel Lah, Janez Hvale |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Ljubljana , Yugoslavia |
| Products | Jazz rock music albums |
Predmestje (meaning Suburb) was a Yugoslavian band specializing in jazz rock, established in Ljubljana in 1977.
They made a notable impact on the Yugoslav rock scene with their first album, Brez naslov, released the same year. By the time their third album came out, keyboardist Andrej Pompe remained the only founding member, accompanied by former musicians from Ljubljana’s jazz rock group Izvir. After producing four studio albums, Predmestje disbanded in 1984. Following the split, Pompe went on to create the pop rock ensemble Panda.
1977–1982
Predmestje originated in Ljubljana in 1977, featuring Peter Gruden (guitar, vocals), Andrej Pompe (keyboards), Aleksander Malahovsky (saxophone), Gabriel Lah (bass), and Janez Hvale (drums). Their debut album, Brez naslov (Untitled), with a jazz rock focus, was released that year under the production of Deče Žgur via PGP-RTB. The majority of tracks were instrumental, while Gruden and Pompe provided vocals on select pieces. The band earned the Best Song Award at the Slovenska popevka festival for "Mala nočna kronika" ("A Little Night Chronicle").
In 1979, their sophomore album Danes, včeraj in... (Today, Yesterday And...) was launched, produced by Jovan Adamov. This iteration included new members: Lado Jakša (saxophone) from Sončna Pot and Toni Dimnik (drums) from Oko. Gruden and Pompe composed all songs; percussionist Uroš Šećerov contributed as a guest musician.
Following this release, the band’s lineup changed entirely except for Pompe. He brought in players from Ljubljana’s jazz rock group Izvir, forming a new ensemble with himself on keyboards, Marko Bitenc on vocals and percussion, guitarists Slavko Lebar, bassist Marjan Lebar, and drummer Andrej Petković. The group recorded Hazard in 1980, produced by Čarli Novak and Braco Doblekar, continuing their jazz rock tradition and featuring guest saxophonist Jernej Podboj. Afterward, Predmestje frequently served as backing musicians for singer Neca Falk.
Their fourth album, Kamasutra, appeared in 1982. The record company PGP-RTB required modifications to the album cover before its distribution. Most tracks were composed by Pompe and incorporated elements of ska and pop music. Guest appearances included Jernej Podboj on saxophone and Boris Šuligoj on trombone.
The band ended its activities in 1984.
Post breakup
In 1986, Andrej Pompe established the pop rock band Panda, which went on to release nine albums: Ugrizni me, če upaš (Bite Me, If You Dare, 1987), V vročici noči (In the Heat of the Night, 1990), V poznih nočnih ura (In the Late Night Hours, 1994), Ecstasy (1998), Nepremagljivi (The Invincible Ones, 2000), D.O.N.S. (2005), Depandansa (Dependency, 2009), Stoletni ples (One Hundred Years Old Dance, 2016), and Daleč stran (Far Away, 2019).
Janez Hvale became the leader of Dvanaesto Nasprotje (Twelfth Opposite). Brothers Slavko and Marjan Lebar joined Morning Fire, while Andrej Petković performed with Partet. Lado Jakša contributed to various artists’ recordings and developed a successful career in art photography.
Studio albums
- Brez naslov (1977)
- Danes, včeraj in... (1979)
- Hazard (1980)
- Kamasutra (1982)
External links
- Official website
- Predmestje on Discogs
- Predmestje featured at Prog Archives