Radnička Kontrola
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Defunct | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Belgrade , Yugoslavia |
| Products | Punk rock, new wave music |
Radnička Kontrola (, translated as Workers' control) was a punk rock and new wave ensemble from Belgrade, Yugoslavia, active between 1979 and 1981. They are primarily recognized for their participation on the compilation album Artistička radna akcija.
Following the group's dissolution, lead singer Zoran Kostić "Cane" rose to national fame as the frontman of Partibrejkers. Drummer Žika Todorović later became a member of influential bands such as Ekatarina Velika and Disciplina Kičme, and also attained international acclaim through his acting career.
Formation and dissolution
Established in 1979, the band’s lineup consisted of vocalist Zoran Kostić "Cane" (previously involved with Kopilad and Urbana Gerila), bassist Srđan "Đile" Marković, guitarist Darko Milojković, and drummer Žika Todorović. Drummer Mladen Pajević briefly joined the group before moving on to bands including Radost Evrope and Lutke.
Drawing inspiration from post-punk icons like Joy Division and Public Image Ltd, Radnička Kontrola recorded only two songs: "Dosada" ("Boredom") and "TV u koloru" ("Colour TV"), both featured on the Artistička radna akcija compilation. Because Todorović was unavailable during the recording of "Dosada," Ljuba Sedlar handled drumming duties; for "TV u koloru," Relja Obrenović from Petar i Zli Vuci played drums. Although the lyrics were credited to Cane Kostić, they were actually penned by Ciga Krstić of Solunski Front. The tracks were laid down at Enco Lesić’s Druga Maca studio in Belgrade but were produced by studio engineers Miroslav "Cvele" Cvetković and Zoran "Tuta" Tutić after Lesić missed the session. The band later expressed dissatisfaction with the production quality, describing it as unprofessional.
Radnička Kontrola appeared at the ABRS new wave festival in September 1981 held at Belgrade’s Tašmajdan Stadium. Kostić’s confrontational stage remarks provoked police intervention and ignited media discussions concerning youth culture in Yugoslavia. Their last live performance took place in October 1981 in Ljubljana, where they opened for Šarlo Akrobata during that band’s final concert.
After disbandment
Once Radnička Kontrola ended, Kostić went on to establish Partibrejkers, which became one of Yugoslavia’s most prominent bands. He also contributed to the 1992 anti-war project Rimtutituki, participated in the Christian rock compilation Pesme iznad istoka i zapada, and took part in the tribute album Kao da je bilo nekad... Posvećeno Milanu Mladenoviću honoring Milan Mladenović.
Srđan Todorović Žika joined Bezobrazno Zeleno for their debut release before moving on to play with Disciplina Kičme (1984–1987), then with Ekatarina Velika (1987–1990), and later contributed to Kazna Za Uši’s 1994 album Izliv radosti napad srece. Beyond music, he established a successful acting career, eventually dedicating himself fully to acting.
Bassist Srđan Marković "Đile" pursued creative endeavors in writing and visual arts influenced by underground comic books from the 1960s. He collaborated with Disciplina Kičme, and in 1989 formed the electro post-punk duo DDT, which was renamed Supernaut in 1993.
Guitarist Darko Milojković contributed to Disciplina Kičme, featuring on their 1985 EP Ja imam šarene oči and 1986 album Svi za mnom!, as well as collaborating with Boye on their 1988 release Dosta! Dosta! Dosta!.
Discography
| Title | Year of Release |
|---|---|
| "Dosada" / "TV u koloru" | 1981 |
References
- EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006, Janjatović Petar