Trabant (Hungarian band)
| Company type | Amateur music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Defunct | 1987 |
Key people | Gábor Lukin, János Vető, Mihály Víg |
| Products | Music recordings, songwriting |
Trabant consisted of a group of young amateur musicians and songwriters active from 1981 until 1987. The core composers were Gábor Lukin, János Vető, and Mihály Víg, with contributions from György Kozma, Károly Hunyady, János Xantus, and József Dénes "Dönci". Vocals primarily featured visual artist and actress Marietta Méhes alongside Mihály Víg, while occasional vocal performances came from Tamás Pajor, Mariann Urbán, and Attila Grandpierre. Collaborations included members of Európa Kiadó, namely János Másik and Jenő Menyhárt. Rather than focusing on frequent public appearances or studio recordings, Trabant emphasized songwriting and the rapid creation of low-fidelity home recordings. Their lyrics are noted for being cryptic, intertextual, grotesque, and absurd, while their musical style resists straightforward classification.
Co-founder and lyricist János Vető is also recognized as a photo and video artist who has chronicled the band since the 1970s. He has created multiple videos for Trabant’s music, which can be viewed on his NahTe53 YouTube channel.
Filmography
Although Trabant does not possess an official discography, Gábor Lukin is currently compiling more than one hundred individual recordings intended for future publication. Several of their tracks have been interpreted or reworked by other musical groups. The band appeared in various feature-length and documentary films including:
- Időt töltök (documentary by Zoltán Gazsi, filmed between 1982 and 1984, released in 1993)
- Eszkimó asszony fázik (directed by János Xantus, 1984)
- Diorissimo (János Xantus, 1980)
- Kutya éji dala (in collaboration with A. E. Bizottság, directed by Gábor Bódy, 1983)
Discography
- Trabant - Eszkimó asszony fázik, 1984, vinyl release by Hungaroton
- 1.2.3...Start: Új hullám (1981), issued in 2000 on vinyl by Hungaroton
- trabant, scheduled for 2024 on vinyl via purgexxx (limited to 300 copies)
- trabant II, planned for 2025 on vinyl through purgexxx (limited to 500 copies)