#slovenian day of culture

[st-just]

I don't want to embrace the racist cultural hegemon that is United States culture though. I need something that doesn't devestate literally half of the world

I mean it is 100% justified to dislike a lot about modern hegemonic American culture but like if complicity in imperialism is the issue better hope your authentic cultural heritage isn't [English/French/German/Belgian/Dutch/Russian/Italian...] then! (Personally basically my mother's entire family tree is some variety of Scotch-Irish, which means my 'authentic cultural heritage' basically is religious oppression and settler colonialism.)

But just like, generally - culture isn't something you can do alone (basically axiomatically). If you want to devote yourself to historic Irish cuisine or traditional Slovenian textiles or whatever, absolutely do it! Personal hobbies are a great way of feeling fulfilled and filled your days with something engaging and fun. But your 23&Me result doesn't make doing so any more authentic or natural than if you got into origami or Russian ballet instead, y'know? Thinking that it does is what can lead you to some dangerous places (also according to several Irish people I've talked to it will reliably make you very annoying to anyone who actually lives in the place in question).

Culture's gotta be lived if you're going to embrace it, which requires a community of people to celebrate it with. At which point the exact thing you're celebrating and embracing feels, I don't know, kind of arbitrary? It can be whatever! Have fun with it! Just make sure you don't accidentally recreate the Orange Order.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

A List of "Beautiful" Untranslatable Words

Acasă - [Romanian] Where you feel at home, safe, loved. It's the place where you feel like you belong and that you miss when you're away.

Boketto - [Japanese] gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking of anything specific; daydreaming

Ciğerpare - [Turkish] has Persian origins and literally means ‘liver part’. It refers to someone that you love as much as your own body.

Clagarnach - [Irish] the sound of heavy rain on a rooftop

Commuovere - [Italian] often taken to mean “heartwarming,” but directly refers to a story that moved you to tears

Dauwtrappen - [Dutch] to walk barefoot through morning grass

Dustsceawung - [Old English] the thought that dust used to be other things, and realisation that everything will ultimately end up as dust

Elvágyódás - [Hungarian] Some compare it to wanderlust, but it’s a much broader concept. The word doesn’t just refer to the desire to travel or go to another country, but also to another time in our life, or even a different era. It expresses wanting to escape reality and looking for something undefined.

Encebre - [Galician] something authentic, characteristic, rooted into the culture and specific for a certain region, impossible to find anywhere else

Fernweh - [German] “far sickness”; the feeling of longing for a place you’ve never been to

Fika - [Swedish] enjoying a nice chat over a cup of coffee or tea.

Flâner - [French] aimlessly wandering without any destination, just to enjoy the views

Gluggaveður - [Icelandic] weather that looks beautiful but is unpleasant to be in

Gökotta - [Swedish] waking up early to hear the first birds sing

Heimat - [German] the roots that shape who you are as a person

Hiányérzet - [Hungarian] the feeling that something is missing, but we just can’t put a finger on it

Iktsuarpok - [Inuit] the feeling of anticipation that leads you to keep looking outside to see if anyone is coming

Kairós - [Greek] the perfect, most opportune time for something to happen

Komorebi - [Japanese] sunlight that filters between the leaves on a tree

L’appel du vide - [French] “the call of the void” or the sudden desire to jump when you’re standing high up

Luftmensch - [Yiddish] someone who is a bit of a dreamer

Luscofusco - [Galician] the moment when day fades into the night and all light disappears, leaving everything looking like shadows

Mångata - [Swedish] the trail created by the moon’s reflection on water

Mangomoment - [Dutch] small acts of affection occurring during regular everyday activities. They can be almost unnoticeable, like someone asking how you’re feeling or offering to share their snack with you.

Merak - [Serbian] the feeling you get from simple pleasures that adds up to a sense of happiness and fulfillment

Peiskos - [Norwegian] the experience of sitting in front of a crackling fireplace enjoying the warmth

Querencia - [Spanish] somewhere you feel the most at home

Retrouvailles - [French] a reunion with a loved one after a long time of not seeing each other

Saudade - [Portuguese] the longing for something beautiful that’s now gone

Symatisk - [Danish] to have a good feeling about someone we don’t know very well

Torschlusspanik - [German] The realisation that you need to do something with your life because the time is running and you’re not getting any younger. It can hit you at any age, so one could call it a universal equivalent to the mid-life crisis.

Toska - [Russian] a mixture of pining, restlessness, yearning, nostalgia, melancholy, and depression; a concept embracing the feelings of nostalgia, missing, being sad, even the beginnings of depression

Tsundoku - [Japanese] buying a book and leaving it unread, usually surrounded by a lot of other unread books

Uitwaaien - [Dutch] to go out in windy weather, particularly into nature or a park, in order to refresh and clear one’s mind

Utepils - [Norwegian] sitting outside on a sunny day and enjoying a beer

Vedriti - [Slovenian] to shelter from the rain, either literally or metaphorically, such as when you’re in a bad mood and you’re waiting for the negative emotions to pass

Waldeinsamkeit - [German] the feeling of solitude, being alone in the woods, and a connectedness to nature

Weltschmerz – [German] satirist, Jean Paul, originally known as Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, came up with this word that literally means “world pain.” When you feel that the world is in a deplorable state, Weltschmerz can describe your anguish.

Won - [Korean] reluctance to let go of an illusion

Żal - [Polish] grief, sadness, regret - can be related to both our actions and the actions of others, as well as losing something or missing someone

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: Lists of Beautiful Words ⚜ Word Lists

[jokeroutsubs]

Yugoslavia and yugo rock

Joker Out’s new song, Šta bih ja, was inspired by yugorock! Not sure what that means? JokerOutSubs has got you!

‘Yugo rock’ or ‘Yu rock’ is rock with some elements derived from traditional/ethnic/folklore music, as well as other musical genres, including blues, country, reggae, jazz rock and rockabilly. They were added to appease the public, since rock itself was considered a western influence. 

Rock music in Yugoslavia became popular in the sixties. Before that, after the second world war, partisan songs were more popular. This is music associated with resistance groups that fought German occupation across Yugoslavia, Italy and other parts of Eastern Europe. However, in 1956, the Cominform (a coordinated body of communist parties across Europe, designed to keep all communist governments following Stalinist principles) was dissolved. After this point, the connection with the Soviet Union was severed and music tastes began to change accordingly. 

With influences from the west, rock music started gaining popularity. At first, musicians only sang covers of foreign songs (as closely to the original as possible) but in the sixties, bands such as Indexi started making original music. In the seventies, Bijelo dugme were formed and became incredibly popular. At the same time, Parni valjak were also rising to fame. However, the ‘new wave’ of Yugo rock was said to be started by a group called Buldožer.

Some characteristics of New Wave were more political lyrics and taking inspiration from punk. The most famous New Wave bands in Yugoslavia were Azra, Idoli, Prljavo kazalište, Električni orgazam, Psihomodo pop and, in Slovenia at the time, Lačni Franz, Buldožer and Pankrti (an interview with their singer Peter Lovšin can be found at    • [ENG SUB] Bojan Cvjetićanin about roc...  ). 

A second New Wave generation from Belgrade emerged in later years. Among their representatives were Partibrejkers (formed 1982). They combined the blues with British R and B, rockabilly and classic rock and roll. 

In 1982, the groups Ekaterina Velika and Disciplina Kičme (Disciplin A Kitschme) were established, contributing to the second New Wave generation, along with Slovenian group Videosex (formed 1983) with singer Anja Rupel. One of their most famous songs, a cover of 'Zemlja pleše,' can be found at    • Videosex - Zemlja Plese - The Original

The New Wave was characterised by a burst of creativity and activity in the music scene across the region, with many artists emerging and creating excellent music in a short period of time. Many have drawn parallels between the New Wave era and today, where in Slovenia many young bands are gaining recognition. This parallel is only strengthened by the fact that Joker Out, one of the most successful young bands in Slovenia today, have a song named Novi val (New Wave). 

The socio-political significance

Yugoslavia (1918–1992), a federal republic, was made up of six republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia). Despite the differences between the republics one could argue that the pop-cultural identity was so strong, having influence that went beyond government control and the ability to connect people through the region, that it could be named as the seventh republic. Besides sport, yugorock was one of the last connecting links within a  country that was drifting apart in a variety of areas, including economic. 

Important yugorock bands 

Bijelo Dugme: Considered by many to be the biggest Yugo rock band, Bijelo Dugme were formed in 1974 in Sarajevo. They were the biggest trendsetters in rock music at the time. They had a huge influence on Joker Out since their earliest days as a band. In the 'Kofi brejk' interview Bojan shared that the first concert he ever attended was by Bijelo Dugme, and they were also mentioned several times by Joker Out as having had a big influence on the whole band. In addition, Joker Out covered two of their songs, ‘Selma’ (Radio Koper, 32 min) and ‘Djurdjevdan’ (Belgrade concert, 3.11.2023). You can check out some more of their songs on our playlist linked at the bottom of this post!

Plavi orkestar were formed in 1983 in Sarajevo and had a rich career with eight albums, releasing hits such as ‘Ako su to samo bile laži’, ‘Lovac i košuta’, ‘Odlazim’, ‘Bolje biti pijan nego star’, ‘Suada’ and many more. Some media outlets, like Jutarnji list and Mladina have compared Joker Out’s style to theirs, and Bojan also mentioned Plavi orkestar as one of the bands that influenced him.

Parni valjak are a Croatian band, formed in 1975 in Zagreb. They had many ‘evergreen’ hits, including ‘Sve još miriše na nju’, ‘Jesen u meni’ and ‘Zastave’. In the Carpe Diem series, when asked whom they would listen to forever if they could only choose one artist, Jure chose Parni valjak. At Arsenal Fest in 2023, Bojan interrupted an interview to sing along to ‘Jesen u meni’ as they were playing in the background! 

Indexi were a Bosnian band, who were active from 1962 to 2001. They were extremely influential, with hits like ‘Svijet u kome živim’ and ‘Negdje u kraju, u zatišju’, and became known as the ‘pioneers of psychedelic rock and roll.’ In the Kurir interview, Bojan mentions them as one of his musical role models.

Ekatarina velika, sometimes shortened to EKV, were a Serbian band who were active between 1982 and 1994. They are considered one of the most influential artists in the yugorock scene, with popular songs like ‘Krug’, ‘Par godina na nas’ and ‘Srce’. In the Rdeče in črno interview, Bojan’s voice was compared to that of the lead singer in Ekatarina velika. 

Idoli were one of the most remarkable new wave bands based in Belgrade, active during the early 80's. They are regarded as one of the most outstanding and influential representatives of the Yugoslav rock music and their album 'Odbrana i poslednji dani' ('Defense and The Last Days') was voted as the greatest Yugoslav rock album of all time. During the Kurir interview, Bojan mentioned that ‘Ona’ was inspired by Idoli and their unique sound.

Songs Joker Out have mentioned 

‘Računajte na nas’ by Đorđe Balašević is a very important yugorock song in Joker Out’s history, as it inspired the lyrics of ‘Carpe Diem’. While ‘Računajte na nas’ (‘Count on Us’) is about a generation standing up and fighting for peace, Bojan switched the lyric to ‘ne računajte na nas’ (don’t count on us), meaning that you cannot count on them to join in with the ‘game of hatred’ pervasive in modern society. 

‘Kreni prema meni’ is a song performed by Partibrejkers, a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, known for their rebellious energy, both in sound and spirit. The band is still active and well received all over former Yugoslav countries. The song was covered by Joker Out at the Lent festival in 2018.

‘Sanjao sam moju Ružicu’ by Leteći odred was covered by Apokalipsa, Bojan’s former band, in 2015 during Vičstock Avdicija. Bojan also sang it at the Prulček bar with Buržuzija, Kris and Jan’s former band. Leteći odred is a Croatian pop band with a prosperous and successful musical career and performances for over 30 years.

In September 2016, Joker Out posted a setlist from one of their earliest gigs on their Instagram. It included three notable yugorock song covers - ‘Frida’ by Psihomodopop, ‘Motori’ by Divlje jagode and ‘Ne Zovi Mama Doktora’ by Prljavo Kazalište.

If you’d like to listen to any of these artists or songs, check out our curated playlist on YouTube or Spotify!

Sources:

Kregar, Tone, et al. Za domovino - z rockom naprej! Jugo rock: slovensko-srbske paralele. Muzej novejše zgodovine Celje. 2020.

Perković, Ante, and Lah, Klemen. Sedma republika: pop kultura in razpad Jugoslavije. Zenit, 2018.

[signoraviolettavalery]

Okay, new vampire bride idea (what do you mean I already have like 3 shut up)

In this universe the vampire marriages/alliances are often international, and Damon is a British vampire lord who needs a Slovenian bride. Both Kris and Bojan are option. Kris is from an esteemed, noble family, well-raised, cultured, refined, beautiful. Bojan...is from more of a self-made, low nobility noble family who makes up for it by their service, and he's beautiful, charming, charismatic, talented...

well, Kris is chosen. His parents break it to him, as gently as they can. With reassurances that he'll be alright, these marriages are civilized these days.

"Is it final? They've made the decision?"

"More or less," Miha says. "They're having a final meeting yet, they obviously haven't announced it, but...they've made their decision. They were kind to let us know first."

The first thing Kris thinks - after all the terrible things he imagines - is Bojan. Not being able to ever see him again. That - he needs to tell him. He does, tears in his eyes, and his own horror is mirrored in Bojan's.

"I don't want to do this," Kris confesses, tears leaking down his cheeks. "I'm terrified."

Bojan takes him in his arms, holds him close, kisses the top of his head. "It'll all be alright," he says. "I promise." Kris knows Bojan can't promise that, but somehow he believes it when Bojan says it.

That night, Bojan goes to talk to the council. Zare, Tomi, a few others.

"You should send me in his place," he insists.

Zare looks down at him. "The Gustins are a noble family. Kris is smart, well-educated, well-mannered, attractive. He is the best choice. Why wouldn't we send him?"

"Precisely because of that," Bojan says. "We need Kris here. He'll be part of this council one day, and we need his intelligence, his planning, his competence. Lord Damon is a brand new lord, we don't need to give him our best, we should keep that for ourselves. Someone like me will do for him."

They seem to actually be considering this.

"Plus," he adds. "I'm better with people than he is. Better in social situations. I'm physically stronger, I can bear pain more easily, I'll be able to stand the feeding better. And I'm shorter than him, he might take an issue if the bride you send him towers over him."

All of which are compelling reasons, so they change their mind. They choose Bojan. Kris' parents tell him about it the next day, and, despite his relief, Kris feels a knot in his stomach. He knows why. He knows how.

He rushes to find Bojan, who's silently contemplating the flowers in the garden of his family's home. He looks beautiful in the morning sun, in profile, limmed in gold, and Kris is so, so in love, so devastated, and so angry.

"Why did you do it?" he demands.

Bojan turns to face him, looking defiant. He hadn't come to tell Kris about it because he knew Kris would find out, come to find him.

"Because I love you," he says simply.

"You - what?" Kris' whole world comes crashing down around his ears. He knows how he feels about Bojan, has felt for years, but he never imagined...

"You heard me. I love you, and I couldn't let you be forced into this."

[sister-pianist-chan]

22 for bojere :)

Thank you for your ask!

22: In a rush of adrenaline.

Ruisrock 2024:

Jere put on his bolero and walked onstage while pouring some ice cold water all over himself. The cold water ran down his face, tits, tummy, all over the place. The crowd cheered as they heard the first notes of Cha Cha Cha play and saw Jere walk on stage. Jere started to sing. He turned around and noticed that the Joker Out guys were not in the VIP area. He brushed it off and continued to perform. After the second bridge, the dancers left the stage and Jere was confused as fuck. This is where they had to do the centipede. Well, the dancers were replaced by five sexy Slovenian guys. Jere's heart fluttered when he saw Bojan walk onstage. He was wearing the lacy slut shirt that he had left at Jere's apartment and some tight slacks that hugged his ass and his hips nicely. The centipede was formed. Jure was in front, and then Kris, and then Jan, and then Nace, and then Bojan. Jere rode Bojan and to fuck around with the fandom, each Joker Out guy moaned and made Bojan's sexual face from Tavastia and Bojan followed suit as he pushed his hips up where Jere was riding him. Once Jere got off, the guys stayed onstage with Jere to finish Cha Cha Cha. Jere was flirting with Bojan onstage, touched him, and kissed his neck. Once he rapped the final Cha, Cha, Cha, Cha, Cha, Cha, He left out the last Cha, and since he felt an adrenaline rush, he French kissed Bojan onstage. Bojan was surprised and didn't know what to do. The rest of Joker Out weren't surprised and Jan and Nace were happy that they could mark this spot on their Bojere bingo card. The Joker Out guys walked off stage while waving as Jere was thanking the crowd.

He realized what happened and saw that Bojan wasn't inside and he ran.

"Bojan!! Bojan!!" He called out backstage. He kept running to find Bojan. He caught Jan and Nace nearly having sex from their steamy makeout as Jan was sucking Nace's neck in the corner and interrupted them. (So that's why he wears turtlenecks, Jere thought.)

"Hey, sori Jan and Nayce, but you seen The Bojan?" Jere asked.

"Not really. Sorry Jerč. " Jan said.

Nace remembered he saw Bojan run somewhere.

"I think he went that way." Nace said as he pointed a certain direction.

"Kiitos." Jere said and ran.

"thank you guys!" Jere said and continued to run. He ran until he finally found Bojan.

"Bojan! I looking all over for you, yes. Can I talk to you for a second?" Jere said

Bojan nodded. Jere took a deep breath and turned to face Bojan.

"I know you been keeping your distance, but I really like you, Bojan," Jere confessed. "I can't stop thinking about you."

Bojan felt his heart pounding in his chest. He had always been attracted to Jere but had been too afraid to act on his feelings. Now, with the adrenaline from the performance still coursing through his veins, he knew he couldn't deny his feelings any longer. "I like you too, Jere," Bojan admitted.

Without hesitation, Jere leaned in and kissed Bojan. The kiss was passionate and full of pent-up desire. Bojan wrapped his arms around Jere, pulling him closer, and returned the kiss with equal intensity.

As they parted, they both felt a sense of relief and happiness. They knew that this moment marked the beginning of something new and exciting between them. And even though they came from different worlds, they were united by their love for music and each other.

From that day forward, Jere and Bojan started dating, and their relationship grew stronger with each passing day. They learned to navigate the challenges of their different cultures and languages, finding comfort and solace in each other's arms. And as they continued to perform together, they cherished the memories of their first kiss backstage at Ruisrock, fueled by the rush of adrenaline and the power of their love.

[friendlysalamander]

I'm kind of fascinated by solar punk these past few days.

Solar punk as a genre is a quite young, I think most people became aware of it with that yoghurt comercial.

There have been a few pieces of media after that in the solarpunk genre, Disney's Strange World Terra Nil. These projects probably took years and probably weren't made to be pieces of solarpunk media.

I was wondering what other pieces of media current or old could be solarpunk.

What's solarpunk, Pop Culture Detective has a pretty good explanation in his video on Strange World at 1:40.

There is Star Trek and Wall-e on top of my mind, but I can't think of anything else currently.

From my country there are a couple children's books Vlak u snijegu, Družba Pere kvržice(Train in the snow, Pero bumps friends(my best attempt at a translation)), from my knowledge they have been translated in to Slovenian, Macedonian, Hungarian and Polish maybe some others, so if you live in those places go read them.

Both books are about children working together to overcome something. Vlak u snijegu is about children from the village going on a school trip and on their way back home their train gets stuck in snow. Before their trip the whole class are friends then their is a falling out just before and during the trip. The feud reaches its extreme until all children decide to work together to help the train get unstuck so they can get home. Družba Pere kvržice is about group of friends deciding to rebuild a water mill that the village abandoned. These boys later they are joined by some girls would spend their free time clearing some overgrown brush, dusting, rebuilding and hanging out. Some trouble starts to brew between some children but with a help of a trusted teacher they are able sort things out and then they rush to fix the mill before the start of summer. With school over they show the village their work and an impromptu party starts with all the adults fascinated by what the children were able to do. The book end with Pero and some of his friends looking over the mill and party and Pero thinking what more they can do.

[theladyofbloodshed]

So, I have a question. I am planning a new series with following a certain mythology. I know a lot of readers drag sjm through the mud about stealing names from mythologies (including myself), like the names of gods/goddess & places, and not coming up with none on her own.

How should I combat that?

Is it a tad bit better to come up with all new names and places but keep the mythology lore?

I am trying to avoid being like sjm. (Also, I am asking a bunch of other tumblrs this question so you might see it around).

Long post incoming...

I think the issue with some of sjm's mythology is that she rips it away from certain cultures and then does nothing with it or warps it to the point where she should have just invented her own name e.g. Morrigan is famous in Irish folklore as three sisters (who are also all the same goddess) who is associated with war, she can be seen washing the armour of soldiers who will die that day. She's also famous for trying to seduce/end Cuchulainn who was battling Queen Maeve. There is no way sjm just came up with the name, because there are some similarities with acotar mor... but then we've never actually seen her power in 5 books.

She just takes random bits from lots of different cultures. Acotar was supposedly inspired by Outlander which is set in Scotland. The Ballad of Tam Lin is also Scottish (but acotar really is not similar to it). We have Rhys/Amren/Nuala/Cerridwen which are all Welsh names. But then I've seen people interpret Nuala and Cerridwen as POC because sjm is so vague (not to say welsh people cannot be poc, but the clothing they - and feyre - first wear is more like Jasmine from aladdin). Morrigan is Irish. Azriel is Hebrew. Cassian is Latin. Nesta is Welsh. Elain is Welsh. Eris is Greek. Lucien is French. Puca are celtic. The bogge comes from old english for the bogeyman. The Weaver is based on strzyga which are slavic. Baba Yellowlegs is a rip off of baba yaga also from slavic folklore. Koschei is also a slavic legend along with the Firebird. Heck, just look at the Slovenian flag and you'll see three mountains with three stars above it. I've seen people theorise that Thurr is CC is like Thor and CC will be the norse ragnarok.

Calan Mai is a Welsh festival and the acotar version is a bastardisation of it. Fires are lit to ward off spirits and banish disease the night before. On the day, farmers traditionally took their animals out to pastures and singing/drinking happened to give thanks for a good season. A May Queen and King would be crowned and the village green opened. SJM took Calan Mai from welsh traditions and turned it into a giant orgy (of course). Thunderbirds are important to Native American mythology and sjm has just taken that yet again for a character. I've only read cc2 once but I feel like there was no description of Sofie whatsoever.

It's not wrong to borrow from mythologies and folklore. These stories have existed for thousands of years for a reason. My issue is the strange amalgamation of shoving so many together and snipping only the "nice" bits e.g. the Morrigan can transform into an eel and she loses an eye at one point and transforms into an old woman. Sjm cant have ugly main characters!

I think try and be consistent with the mythologies e.g. don't mix lots of different ones together if you're using "real" names because I don't think they gel well - this is my friend Thor, his brother Apollo, and their friend Anubis. There are sooooo many mythology/folklore books out there. I have a whole shelf because I love it. There are also so many websites. Delve into less commonly known mythologies/stories. Alternatively, be inspired by them and come up with your own creations. Or, come up with your own lore in general :-)

Ultimately, you are telling the story you want to write. Do what is best for you!

[under-the-ladder]

Since all the songs have been here for a few days now, time for my top (for now. I have no doubts this will change until May.) Warning, a wall of text incoming

The middle section was so hard to rank 😫 I'm sure I'll see this tomorrow and say to myself "What did I think yesterday??". Everything's fluid and constantly changing but that's why I prefer tiers over strict ranking with places.

Best:

Netherlands 🇳🇱 - What do I even say? Joost completely satisfied the insane expectations I'd had for him. He was the sole reason eventually I learned how to use a vpn. I consider him my entryway to the Dutch culture, I've known him for almost a year and he's managed to become special to me as an artist, almost like in a completely different tier. I am definitely biased lol but I just love the song lyrically (I already elaborated on it here), musically and trust him as a performer 100%. Televote win is in the air!

Switzerland 🇨🇭 - Now this is, my dear friends, my winner vibes this year (out of the more viable entries)! Jury will most likely tank Joost and I can see Nemo getting high points from both juries and tele. The Code has just a perfect amount of drama and theatricality. It connects pop and opera - a mix that I'm a sucker for and additionally, is lyrically meaningful to me on a personal level. How could I not love this??? I'm impatiently looking forward to Nemo's looks and turquoise carpet!

Belgium 🇧🇪 - If not Switzerland, at least let Belgium win. This has some anthemic quality that draws me instantly. Takes quite a long time to get to the climax but it's soo worth it. The lyrics are a mystery to me and it still doesn't take away from the song. I might be biased because I already explored some of Mustii's discography and I love what I found.

Spain 🇪🇸 - The instrumental is a biiig part of why I love this song so much. Those synths make me euphoric every time, the message is beautifully unapologetic. I am worried about the vocals though. I've read somewhere that in Benidorm Fest the way Mery sang was an intentional nod to some other popular singer but there's no way anyone outside of Spain knows that. And even when I know that I still lack the cultural context to grasp the significance. If this doesn't get changed this aspect will definitely hold them back.

Ps. If I ever get a cat (as Baby Lasagna has been tempting me since Dora) I am naming it Zorra, mark my words.

Finland 🇫🇮 - This is just pure fun and I'm buying it! It saddens me to see people complaining thy're just a copy of Käärijä, they take themselves so much less seriously lol. The descending shorts with fireworks concept AND the eagle sounds are everything. On top of that the guys are already the highlight of this year's backstage. I will be super sad if this nqs but then semis are televote only so there's still hope 🙏

Amazing:

Slovenia 🇸🇮 - There is something magnetically drawing me to this song. I love how Slovenian sounds in it, the harsh "r" sounds and almost bird-like "rrahh" especially. Raiven's voice and stage presence are hypnotizing. Besides, Weronika is my 3rd name and the only one I chose for myself so I feel personally connected to the song. Musically this is not the easiest entry and I don't expect many televoters to get it (please just q a dalej niech się dzieje wola nieba) but I hope the atmosphere of the performance will make up for it.

Croatia 🇭🇷 - I still can't believe Baby Lasagna was a backup entry for Dora. If he ends up winning there should be a little shrine for Zsa Zsa built in Zagreb. Meanwhile the Dora executives should really ask themselves how the hell they initially declined an entry that ended up giving them a chance for the best placing since god knows when. Anyways, the hype for this was the highest around Dora, now I'm busy obsessing over others but this is very solid still. I wish the staging was less messy. I kinda don't believe it can win realistically but I certainly wouldn't be disappointed.

Australia 🇦🇺 - It's crazy how my opinion on One Milkali took a complete u-turn. From "I don't think it's my type of music" to "Gosh, I can't get it out of my head". The song does feel a bit dated but somehow special as well. Perhaps that's because I found other songs from Electric Fields that I fell in love with. I still think their 2024 is not the strongest track from their discography and I'm mentally preparing for an NQ :|

Portugal 🇵🇹 - Well, I'm myself super surprised that Grito surpassed Ramonda when it comes to ballads. I didn't feel anything for the first few listens and then something clicked. I sense until May there might be some shuffles around those positions and a lot will be down to the live performances

Latvia 🇱🇻 - Dons' monumental vocals is what makes this song 200x better. It flows nicely, the staging is lacking but that will surely get improved, right? 👀 He seems like such a fun guy with a distance to himself, the butter tiktoks will be remembered for a long time.

Lithuania 🇱🇹 - It took some time for it to grow on me. Lithuanian sounds nice here, almost like Polish, and I like the bridge(?) with the lyrics about radio. The chorus melody is kinda annoying but the rest of the song compensates for it. Tbh I like either Latvia or Lithuania more based on how my mood changes.

Cyprus 🇨🇾 - I know it's a pretty standard girlbop but I just like it for some reason. Silia's energy is highly contagious. Hoping she can prove the gossips wrong and deliver vocally while dancing.

Good:

Ukraine 🇺🇦 - I think it's a decent entry. When Jerry and alyona won Vidbir they were pretty high in my ranking but with the rest of the entries being revealed that advantage faded gradually. Contrary to e.g. Slovenia, Teresa & Maria felt catchy and interesting at the beginning but the longer I listened to it the more repetitive it became. I can see this being an advantage in the televoting though. With that being said, it's far from being the most winning-worthy song and I'd rather root for a country that didn't score two wins already in the last decade.

Sweden 🇸🇪 - from the first time I saw this I fell in love with the staging. Loreen had a horizontal sandwich last year, this year it's a vertical one for the twins lol. I do admit the staging is a huge part of why it's so high but I do like this song. Hell, I even think it's better than Air. The last part especially, right before the end. What can I say, I hear those synths and I'm sold. It will make a good opener.

Greece 🇬🇷 - I'm still not sure why it's so high. I don't vibe with the idea for the music video (please don't try to adapt it for stage. No more cringey overlays, don't catch this virus from TVP). The parts I find highly enjoyable are the opening and ending sung in this high(?) voice, the middle is more like my guilty pleasure.

France 🇫🇷 - I really liked the trick with standing back from the microphone but even without it it's a powerful enough ballad. Slimane as a singer sells it, that's it.

Serbia 🇷🇸 - For another year I find myself in love with the sound of Serbian language. The words "lila ramonda" flow so well in the chorus and complement each other in terms of sounds. The song is almost like a lullaby, with the forward-backward movement that Teya makes during the last chorus underscoring that even more. Another beautiful moment is when the flower rises from above her at the end. The performance makes this song for me as musically I preferred Lik u ogledalu, which was kinda uncoordinated on stage with those mirrors.

Estonia 🇪🇪 - I was really a fan of this song around January and then something happened, maybe the Eesti Laul final performance? It was messy vocally and staging-wise. For now I can't really pinpoint what else is wrong but one thing is sure: this really fell more than a few places for me :/

Poland 🇵🇱 - I'm so tired of the Polish internet at this point that I'll be cheering for Luna no matter what happens. This is a song I liked from the start and still do and I sincerely hope she manages to pull it off on stage decently, I don't care whether because she' naturally a good vocalist or gets a lot of training or gets tape backing vocals. Seeing how strong this year is I'm doubting whether Karma or Justyna would score much better.

Austria 🇦🇹 - This grew on me a bit, enough to move from average to good. Not seeing the winner hype at all and as I mentioned somewhere earlier her staging is my pet peeve. If this ends up anywhere near how the mv looks like then I'll be seriously disappointed. This is a song about raving after all and making a Chanel-like choreo-heavy girlbop out of it seems so unnecessary.

Average:

Luxembourg 🇱🇺 - The funky droplet sounds(?) are quite up my alley, the song is quite fun on its own. Please change that outfit on stage, it's too dark for how happpy Fighter sounds imo. While the result of the Luxembourgish nf is not that bad I do hope they change it before the next year. Forcibly pairing artists with not-their-own songs almost always ends up badly and come on, why restrict their creativity and authenticity? It's not 2013 anymore.

UK 🇬🇧 - That's kind of a classic example of expectations vs reality. Dizzy is painfully correct and nothing more BUT I think it can still be rescued by the live performance. If they manage to bring the spinning rooms idea to life and miraculously nothing breaks and if Olly uses his charisma which he has plenty of. If you don't believe me watch It's a sin with Elton John or mv to Starstruck.

Italy 🇮🇹 - My biggest problem here is with the instrumental, it's grating and scratches my brain in a very annoying way. I like Angelina's expression on stage and all that but the song is just a barrier impossible to ignore. If Italy wants to win again please, may it be with something better (I wouldn't say no to Annalisa).

Ireland 🇮🇪 - I'm generally very glad Bambie won, this is surely progress made from the last year. Normally I'm not a fan of pagan elements, zodiac signs, etc. but the mv is very aesthetically pleasing. The quieter parts are digestible to my ears, the noisier ones not so much. People keep saying it's a chance for Ireland to qualify but honestly I'm of the opinion it will repel majority of the televoters. It will be very interesting to see how it's going to play live with staging, outfits and turquoise carpet nonetheless.

Norway 🇳🇴 - I think Norway might be the biggest fall this year, or even since I'm more engaged in ESC. This went straight up from amazing to barely average. In theory Ulveham has everything I should love - Norwegian, rock mixed with folk, powerful and charismatic vocalist. I still don't know exactly what doesn't work. It's no mystery I loved Mileo and thought Damdiggida was a letdown compared to other Keiino's songs so I don't think Norway had a better option in the MGP final than Gåte. What I like is the staging, especially the moment Gunnhild bends backwards and leans on her hand (somehow with her vocals remaining flawless!!) but that's not enough to charm me back :c

Weak:

Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 - It's a pleasant ballad but doesn't distinguish itself enough to be memorable. I appreciate the use of Azerbaijani (Azeri?), I don't appreciate the presence of Ilkin Dovlatov. What does he even bring to this song?

Denmark 🇩🇰 - That's just a very competent song with a good vocalist, almost no more things to say. I'm not a fan of the platform she was standing on. Also I have a weird aversion to the DMGP stage, it looks like a waterwell so it will probably be better in Malmö lol.

Armenia 🇦🇲 - As much as everyone seems to be loving Jako, to me it's rather grating. From what I was able to see I appreciate Jaklin's energy live but that's about it. It doesn't help that it's constantly stuck in my head while I'd prefer it not to.

San Marino 🇸🇲 - This just doesn't do anything to me. Feels almost too funky while I thoroughly enjoyed the heavier vibe of Arcadia. Maybe that's unfair to compare so much but I can't help it. In a weaker year I wouldn't mind for Megara to qualify but this time maybe make some room for better songs (Latvia please?).

Iceland 🇮🇸 - Jak do tego doszło nie wiem/How did it come to this? The results of Söngvakeppnin left me speechless this year and the drama afterwards left a very bad taste. Scared of heights is not a super bad song after all but it's biggest mistake is blandness. A sure NQ that I will not cry for.

Bad:

Albania 🇦🇱 - The revamp took all the kick and power out of this. The rap part turned into a shadow of itself. Contrary to many, I don't mind the language change. I can't say I liked the song before, I like it even less now. I do appreciate the mv though, it's so crisp.

Czechia 🇨🇿 - I'm sorry, I just can't ignore the live when judging this. Even if I did I still don't think Pedestal would end up much higher. I don't vibe with the shouty chorus and an nth rendition of the Mugler suit this year, the visuals in the mv are much more pleasant though and I'd like them to go that direction in Malmö.

Malta 🇲🇹 - The revamp broke it, I'm sorry. What else can I say? Didn't like it before, like it even less now. Case similar to Albania.

Georgia 🇬🇪 - This track is so noisy and overproduced that I can't remember the melody line even after multiple listens. Too dynamic, too much of everything all at once. I guess the song is not that bad, I just dislike the fact that it takes effort to make a song this overloaded and yet Georgia succeeded.

Moldova 🇲🇩 - I know I said that was the only option for Moldova but I can't help but skip this one every time it comes up on my playlist. The only catchy part is the chorus melody, all without words. I actively dislike the live performance, there's something disturbing in the way they all look and move the same way.

Germany 🇩🇪 - Eh. Every time I listen to this I physically cringe at the sound of the elephant in the chorus. The supposedly African inspiration feel disingenuous and very 2010s to me. James Newman fate is what I predict awaits this entry.

[rosetta-j-stone]

Eighth Slovenian Class today! : D

...not me having to explain to my teacher that I had zero voice "zaradi koncerta" lol (no further questions were asked)

Anyway today we learned names of family members! So I can now say "Bojan in Jere sta brata" (in morda še kaj???) (new concert sign?).

Also "Bojan in Jere sta starša Edgarjevi (tjulenjček)"

ALSO I learned that this is a thing generally

...and more importantly it's a holiday in Slovenia : D

(in Lux we have 1st and 2nd Nov off because Catholicism, but 31st Oct is still a working day)

(TBH either is a step up from the UK, which has hardly any holidays because Protestant Workaholism er Work Ethic)

Meanwhile, in the UK:

Sooooo I did some further Googling and apparently Slovenia also has a day to celebrate Slovenian culture and I am HERE. FOR. IT.

"You see boss, I had to take a day off to listen to Joker Out and eat zlikrofi, you understand I'm sure"

[zarya-zaryanitsa]

Tale of Kurent

All people died in the flood with the exception of one, and he was from Kranjska. He fled higher and higher, but finally the water covered the mountain as well. The poor soul saw how the fir trees and the oaks were covered by water, and the only thing that remained dry was a grapevine. He ran to it and gripped it tightly, although not in hope but in utter terror. How could the grapevine, so thin and weak, help him? Kurent saw the man, for he used the grapevine as a stick whenever he was wandering around the world. He was glad to see that the man sought help from him. To tell the truth, Kurent was a jester but he also had a mild temperament. He was willing to rescue anybody who was in trouble. Upon hearing the man’s wails, Kurent smoothed his grapevine stick, extending it higher and higher, until it reached beyond the clouds. After nine years, the waters receded and the land dried once again. The man saved himself by hanging on the grapevine and living on its grapes and wine. When everything was dry again, he climbed down, highly praising Kurent the rescuer. Yet this was not to Kurent’s liking. “It was the grapevine that rescued you,” he said to the man. “Praise the grapevine instead. Make a contract with it and swear by yourself and by your descendants that you will celebrate it and love its wine more than any food or drink.” The grateful man immediately swore by himself and by his descendants. To this day, his grandchildren have kept his faith, as the story goes, and love wine more than anything else, merrily remembering Kurent, their old benefactor.

(…) The Kurent of the above-mentioned Slovene tale rescues the man from Kranjska from the Flood. According to Ivan Grafenauer, Kurent is a malevolent lunar deity representing the Slavic deity of wine and pleasure. He is the lunar primogenitor and an evil demi-god akin to the Keremet of the Votyak people, with origins in the pre-Slavic nomadic pastoral culture. According to a Votyak belief legend, Keremet taught the first human in Paradise how to make kumiss, an intoxicating drink made from mare’s milk. He also seduced the first man and woman to disregard the command of Inmar the Creator not to drink it. In addition, the Votyaks also claimed that Keremet was the “younger brother” and opponent of Inmar (Juma), the Supreme Being. Mordvian tales mention a similar mythical being named Šajtan, who seduces the first human. Ivan Grafenauer also compared Kurent with the demi-god Erlik known to the Altaic Tartars. Schnapps, which is called Erlik’s drink, was named after Erlik, who is depicted as a rosy-cheeked god of joy. Kurent was originally interpreted as a god of unleashed joy, a Slavic version of Dionysus in Greece and Bacchus in Rome. Anton Tomaž Linhart called him the god of pleasure (Gott der Schwelgerei), Davorin Trstenjak compared Kurent to the Indian Shiva and Matevž Ravnikar-Poženčan with the ancient Priapus and with Bacchus, Trdina and Navratil also compared Kurent with Bacchus, and perceived him as the god of debauchery and merrymaking.

- Supernatural beings from Slovenian myth and folktales by Monika Kropej

[razistoricharka]

In April 1984, the first festival of gay culture was organized in Ljubljana. The festival was named Magnus, after the German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld. The six-day festival - which for the first time created official temporary "gay venues" at various locations in Ljubljana, featured an exhibition of European and American gay print media, and featured a series of lectures and gay films. Slovenian media reported quite positively about the first Magnus festival. After the success of the festival, now known as the Ljubljana Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the first gay organization was founded in December of that year. It is not surprising that she took the same name - Magnus - and the first lesbian organization LL (Lesbian Lilit) was founded in 1987.

goodness i would've been such a fujoshi

[notafraidofredyellowandblue]

Flake interview 2022 - Ave Corner Printing

in Japanese

Interview/Text | Yoshiyuki Suzuki | December 2022, photos by Matthias Matthies and Jens Koch

Some bits googly translated... but please read the entire interview, it's nice and long

🎹

――How are you doing now? Until RAMMSTEIN's tour resumes, can we take it easy for a while?

　“Right now, I am preparing various things for Christmas for my family. In January 2023, a reading tour of this book (“Today is the World’s Birthday”) is scheduled in Germany. Because this plan had been postponed for about two years due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, so now it's time to do a reading tour as if the book had just been published. It's supposed to happen."

――"Today is the world's birthday" has a very unique composition, and it's a real-time depiction that starts from the waiting time for the live, and various recollections are inserted one after another. What was your intention in writing it this way?

　“At first, I had some ideas and interesting things that I wanted to write down. There were only loosely connected parts and it still didn't quite come together, so I had the idea to write about myself spending time in the backstage area before a concert. I got the idea to write what happened, and I was able to finish it in no time.I wanted to explain even a little to people (laughs), the band. What it's really like to work in. It's usually very different from what people imagine.When I was a kid, I listened to Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. To me, musicians like them are like gods, and those gods just walk up on stage, sing, and the whole world bows down at their feet... I don't even think that they are also living human beings. But even they have to go to the bathroom, they have to sleep at night, they have marital troubles, they're sick and in a bad mood... I only know shining songs. So I never imagined that a star like that [laughs] has to make music, how much work there is behind that short amount of time in a concert. "

--

――Well, you wrote in the book that you were a punk. Could you be a little more specific about this?

　“In the old days, of course, punk meant being able to make music without being able to play an instrument well. It gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted, even if I didn't have the background to play the piano or the guitar, and even if I didn't have a musical education, I had the courage to say, ``SEX PISTOLS is cool, and I want to try that kind of music.'' That's how I was lucky to be in a band with someone who didn't have a musical education, because it opened up the possibility of making a good band. Punk has changed now, and when I say 'I'm punk' now, I mean my inner attitude... I don't care about the details... that kind of thing. It's about attitude, like what kind of impression do you make on strangers? You can't do that, it's forbidden, it's not right, you can't do it... but I laugh and say it doesn't matter. When I say, 'I'm still punk at heart,' that's probably what I mean."

――Does that mean that it has a lot to do with inner freedom?

　"Yes. Freedom and not letting other people's opinions sway you. Go your own way, whether other people like it or not."

――It takes courage to stick to such an attitude.

　“It also means that you can’t meet people’s expectations, so there are times when you can’t meet the expectations of your fans. "

--

――Regarding “Dalai Lama”, although it is a relatively old song, the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek recently wrote an article that highly praises it. Did you?

　"No, I do not know"

――Zizek is a big fan of yours, and you often refer to them in your critics.

　“It has been 30 years since RAMMSTEIN was formed, and we are part of the cultural history, and we are sometimes quoted. But we rarely read articles about bands because we want to make music free from other people's opinions. I don't even search the internet about it.

--

--When you read this book, you will understand that you are an "observer". In my opinion, the keyboard part tends to have an "objective stance" even among rock bands. What do you think?

　“Standing at the back [of the stage] and not being in the center definitely makes me feel at ease. It doesn't have to be.There are times when I can calmly stand behind and watch.And I like the time to move around with the band.That's the best part of touring life, more than concerts, being able to go to different countries. I like that there is so much to see and observe.”

--

――(about coming to Japan for a book tour) It is possible to solve the problem of interpreting. Please come!

　"Well, after the next RAMMSTEIN tour is over. After that, I'll have time to do that."

--thank you. Next year, except for the reading tour in January, are you planning to focus on your activities as a band for the rest of the year?

　“Next year, we will start the tour from May. We will perform on the same stage as this year, but we will add some new songs. We plan to play songs or want to play them.As for next year's tour, it's only in Europe so far."

――How long do you plan to continue working as RAMMSTEIN?

　"As long as it looks cool, we'll keep going. We're always checking the footage, watching it, and deciding if it's still going."

――All the Japanese fans are working hard to go to America and Europe to see RAMMSTEIN live, but I also want to experience your live a few more times.

　“The tour schedule is open to the public on the Internet, so please check there.

[jokeroutsubs]

[NEW ENG translation] Joker Out: "Music always dictates the tempo"

A conversation with the band members

An interview with Joker Out, published on the RTV SLO website on July 5th 2024. Written by Žana E. Čeh for RTV. Translated by IG joyridinglovee, Slovenian proofreading by IG fabriconmyhead, native English proofreading by Anastasia

"As expected, our recording process is progressing with a slight delay" say the band members of Joker Out, who are working hard on their new album. It will be released in the autumn, they stepped out of their comfort zone for it. Otherwise, the group has already begun preparing for their one of a kind performace during the half-time show of "Noč zmaja". (The Night of the Dragon - the final game of beloved Slovene basketball player Goran Dragić)

Photo by Urša Premik

The Slovenian group Joker Out, which consists of Bojan Cvjetićanin, Jure Maček, Kis Guštin, Jan Peteh and Nace Jordan, went to London at the beginning of the year to "air out" their heads: "We went to the west to get some cosmopolitan inspiration, but the Balkan sound and spirit ended up burning inside us. This intense mix of our and foreign culture made its way into our music" they told the MMC and added that the upcoming album will reflect their view of the world since Eurovision, and during the creative process they didn't hold back and also experimented.

"There will be a large mix of emotions in it, that the switch from the homely student life to the tour life and abroad brings," they said and added that the linguistic diversity they've been exposed to recently, will be noticable.

"It's still a completely unfathomable and an inspiring fact that our songs in Slovene and Serbian broke the language barrier:" Photo: Vita Orehek

The Jokers, who recieved the Zlata piščal (Golden flute - Slovene musical award) for artist of the year for the third time, are recording their new album in Hamburg. Recording abroad is primarily so close to their hearts because "only when you're somewhere far away can you truly get away from all the uncreative musical duties and completely fall into the music."

The quintet will preform on August 24th during the fifteen minute break at the event "Noč Zmaja", a farewell match for Goran Dragić. "We've already begun prepearing for the performance. This is the first time we're a part of a half-time performance, which is why we'll prepare something special and unique," the members assured, of whom Peteh and Maček are big basketball fans - even during the recording process in Germany they kept up with Slovenian players in the NBA.

You can find out more in the conversation below.

At he beginning of the year you went to London to "air out" your heads. Did you succeed? What new things did you learn by wandering down unknown paths with the purpose of making music?

It's true, we went to London with the purpose of stepping away from our local and known turf encouraging new and unknown experiences, people and events, which would change our perspective and bring new inspiration. We definetly achieved that, however it took us to completely new thought processes, which we didn't expect. "We went to the west to get cosmopolitan inspiration, but the Balkan sound and spirit ended up burning into us. This intense mix of our of our and foreing culture made its way into our music"

You planned on recording the new album in Hamburg, where the Eurovison song Carpe Diem was created. Is it different, recording abroad? Does it have a special charm?

The studio in Hamburg holds a special place in our hearts, since our most successful song to day was recorded there - one that opened up new doors into the world for us. That's why we decided that this studio has the right karma, which we want to spread to the other songs on the new album. Recording abroad is especially so close to our hearts because only when you're somewhere far away can you truly get away from all the uncreative musical duties and completely fall into the music

You took a short break from recording at the end of May. Are these short breaks neccesary for more creativity? How's the recording process going otherwise? Is everything up to your expectations?

Taking breaks during the creation of new music is necessary so that you can mentally distance from it. As a musician, you are quickly too exposed to your music, which means that you lose any objectivity or distance to it. Taking breaks allows us to come back with a clearer head and less bias, which then results in a better finished product. The breaks between the end of one creative period and the next are also important, so that we can recharge and let ourselves experience new things. As expected, our recording process is progressing with a slight delay. The music always dictates the tempo.

How will this album, which is coming in the atumn, be different from the last two? Will it continue the story? What can listeners expect?

The upcoming album will reflect our view of the world since Eurovision. There will be a large mix of emotions, that the switch from the homely student life to the life on tour and abroad brings, the linguistic diversity we've been exposed to in the last year and a half, will also be noticable. We didn't hold back musically wise, we looked for new musical paths,we experimented with a wider range of instruments and sounds than before. In short, we didn't allow ourselves to stay within our comfort zone, which we also indicated with our previous single "Everybody's Waiting" and our new single "Šta bih ja".

You have successfully "ridden" the Eurovision wave, and you already have a good number of guest performances behind you. Already during Eurovision, even those who do not speak Slovenian sang your songs in Slovenian. Now the number of these has definitely increased. Have you gotten used to the feeling that even foreigners sing your songs in Slovenian? Are concerts abroad different from those in Slovenia?

Although that acute feeling of disbelief may no longer exist when we step on stage, it is still completely incomprehensible and inspiring to us that our songs in Slovenian and Serbian broke through the language barrier when we take a moment to breathe and process these concerts. In the past, concerts abroad seemed more euphoric, more wild than in Slovenia, but we realized that this was more because we performed a lot in Slovenia, while in other countries we did only one or two concerts.

Now, that we also perform less in Slovenia, at the concerts that we have here, you can feel this sparkling charge of anticipation, which cannot be obtained if you are frequently present.

"In the past, concerts abroad seemed more euphoric, more wild than in Slovenia." Photo: Vita Orehek

You also opened a new platform, Openstage, where listeners can get an insight into the recording process, have access to advance ticket sales and other exclusive content. Does this matter?

Except at concerts, it is difficult to connect with the most loyal listeners and followers, especially through social networks, where interactions are completely devoid of any personal touch. That's why platforms like Openstage, where you can have more direct and honest communication, are important for maintaining that relationship, especially with fans from areas that we rarely or never visit. Of course, music or a concert are still the main and irreplacable medium of connection.

You have a colorful summer of festivals ahead of you, and on August 24th you can also expect to perform at the Night of the Dragon event, which is the farewell match of sports ace Goran Dragić. During the 15-minute break, as many as 200 Slovenian performers will take the stage in front of more than 10,000 people, you said that you are looking forward to such a memory. Are you already preparing for the performance between the two half-times? What does it mean to you that you too will be part of an event with a charitable note?

We've already begun prepearing for the performance. This is the first time we're a part of a half-time performance, which is why we'll prepare something special and unique. Of course it's an infinitely large bonus that while doing something that we love and which completes us, we can also bring that same joy and circumstances that perfect the lives of those that can't afford it, but also deserve it the most.

Are you a basketball enthusiast? For example, have you followed Dragić's career through the years? Is there a special moment that stayed in your memory?

We are. Jan and Jure are primarily big fans of basketball and during the recording process in Germany they kept up with Slovenian players in the NBA (as they have in the past). that also included Gogi (Goran Dragić's nickname). Kris' fondest memory of him is the reception of the basketball players at Congress square in Ljubljana after their victory at the European Championship. He was there and says that it was the biggest and most euphoric crowd in Ljubljana since he can remember.

You emphasise that you are committed to peace, love and humanity. In May, you also revealed a part of the song Sonce (Sun), which was inspired by the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. Is it important to use music to convey these kinds of messages as well, your attitude to the situation?

Music is the only medium through which we want and even feel able to share our thoughts about the world around us. The messages in our music arise from the need to self-define our circumstances, but we are happy if at the same time others can feel heard or understood through our lyrics.

The IPF (Institute for enforcing the rights of performers and producers of Phonograms of Slovenia) revealed that the song Carpe Diem was the most played Slovenian song on Slovenian radio stations in 2023, or second overall (right after 'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus). It's the third time you've won the "Zlata piščal" for Artist of the Year. What do these achievements mean to you?

We are extremely proud to receive the award for the most played Slovenian song, because it is very concrete proof that we have managed to take over hard-to-reach radio waves with our original music. Also, the mantra "because no one listens to rock n' roll anymore", which we heard over and over when we started isn't true at all..Additionally, it is a special honour for us that, after several years, the most played Slovenian song is not in 30th place alongside foreign music in terms of playback, but second; for the attention of listeners. This means that the Slovenian young music scene is of high quality and can compete with other countries for listeners' attention. The new 'Zlata piščal' for performer of the year is once again a nice confirmation that we continue to do well.

[architectuul]

New Digital Architectuul Fellows: DAF

Learning, Interacting and Networking in Architecture, shortly LINA, is a new European architectural platform coordinated by the Faculty of architecture in Ljubljana. A network connecting prominent cultural institutions with emerging practitioners steers the architectural profession towards sustainable, circular and clean practices with highlighting emerging voices. The LINA Architecture Programme is carried out by different  architectural museums, universities, research networks, foundations, triennials, biennials, and other European and Mediterranean architectural organizations. It was born from the Future Architecture platform, created by the Slovenian architect, critic and curator Matevž Čelik.

Under the umbrella of LINA Architectuul will give the opportunity to several fellows under the programme Digital Research Fellowship to join the collaborative online architecture publication and work with Architectuul’s editorial team. I had the opportunity to talk with Architectuul’s Digital Research Fellows 2023 Tevi Allan Mensah, Meriem Chabani (New South), Laura Solsona and Eduard Fernandez (self-office).

What is your current focus in architecture?

Allan Mensah: Architecture has changed and it can’t be the same discipline as it has been for decades. We need to understand that architecture doesn’t necessarily mean to build, it can also be a discipline of communication and research. In such a way one of my main focuses is to research how architecture can become a means of communication.  

Eduard Fernandez: I believe that an architect nowadays cannot do only one specific thing, and that thing cannot be just building. Bringing in other topics could help the architecture discipline to go further with its role within society, especially to open new conversations in other specific fields. In this sense, it is crucial to demand our public institutions to invest in research and culture through financing and new policies in construction, so this is the way new narratives and approaches can be explored. Our office is, in this sense, multidisciplinary: we enter competitions, we have a few private commissions, but we also do research and teaching.

Meriem Chabani: I prioritize vulnerable bodies and territories following the words of bell hooks by putting the margin at the center. I enjoy questioning power dynamics and stakeholder relations, looking for that space of freedom in-between, where my projects explore human practices to inform spatial resolution. In order to tackle the climate crisis, I also deeply believe in a decolonial approach centering overlooked knowledge, practices and bodies from the Global South.

How is your proposal for LINA dealing with such issues?

Allan Mensah: My visual research Borderlands has an idea how the border can be a territory of possibility and of opportunity for architecture. In such a way I can propose ideas to change the way people are perceiving different kinds of territories. Being an architect means creating borders every day with every line that you draw. Therefore I started to cut the word “border” in different synonyms, which creates different positions in architecture. In such a way borders can be displacement, thresholds, it can be an invisible, virtual border, a territory of heterotopy, it can also be a synonym of an island.

Island, project for a moving refuge. | Photo © Tevi Allan Mensah

Meriem Chabani: The research Sacred Grounds is a call for cities to reinvest in the notion of the sacred, bringing about processes of care for the built environment. In secular societies, the sacred has all but disappeared from the urban realm. The buildings that embody sacredness - churches, mosques, and other places of worship - are increasingly removed from the city’s landscape, and stand, for the most part, empty. Elsewhere, monuments offer a rigid approach to collective meaning and memory - often shaped by political agendas - but overall, the urban realm in Western cities holds little space for that which cannot be defiled. In a nutshell, Sacred Grounds is about the restoration of a sacred covenant between people and place, to establish a framework for the creation of value outside of market price, fostering truly sustainable cities.

Could the notion of the “un-defileable” hold a vital significance in the age of climate emergency?

Meriem Chabani: An example can be found in the Algerian desert town of Ghardaia. Built on a hill, Ghardaia is an oasis town of brick and packed earth houses overlooking the Sahara. At its base, a few acres of palm trees grow, while at the top, a single palm tree stands across the mosque. For miles, the trees below and the tree above are the only patches of green visible. A few decades ago, the townspeople decided to expand the city outside of its historical walls and build new houses by cutting down the palm grove. In 2008, heavy rainfall resulted in a flood that destroyed hundreds of homes and killed thirty people. The neighboring town of Beni Isguen, which had preserved the trees growing on its border, was not affected. As a result, in Ghardaia and surrounding towns, the fundamental importance of the palm tree has been re-established. As Muslims, the inhabitants do not worship idols - to them, there is no god but God. Yet the palm trees, if they are not holy, are definitely sacred.

First prototype built at CIVA (Brussels) in summer 2022. | Photo © NEW SOUTH

The story of Ghardaia teaches another lesson: to build a sanctuary isn’t to separate it from the urban landscape; it is simply a way to define, collectively, a priority that is absolute. From this perspective, sacredness could be an economic principle:  by design, the sacred is what lies outside of the reach of human exchanges. If translated into the language of contemporary architecture, the sacred is outside of the grasp of unchecked real estate development.

How did participation in LINA influence your work?

Laura Solsona: When Eduard and I moved back from Australia, where we worked for four years, we applied to LINA with the aim of establishing a network of people with similar interest in the European context. We believe LINA can offer us the opportunity to get involved in contemporary research projects and collaborate with peer architects from different disciplines. The research project Infrastructures of Resistance with use for the application to the LINA open call was produced in 2021 at the University of Technology Sydney. As tutors we did a design studio that investigated alternative forms of ownership to collective housing. Now the next step is to keep developing the project in other European contexts.

Project of the student Boris Mandić from Infrastructures of Resistance studio, University of Technology Sydney. | Photo © self-office

What do you expect from LINA?

Allan Mensah: Well, to be showcased on a European scale is for me a big opportunity because it offers me new connections and the possibility of creating my own network. LINA also changed the format of my research by understanding and learning from involved institutions' needs. It offers me new ways of learning especially with new tools, like being a digital fellow of Architectuul will help to understand and work in digital publishing. Digital publishing via Architectural is a territory of freedom that is completely new to me and I am really excited about learning brand new tools.

Where did you hear about LINA?

Eduard Fernandez: I heard about LINA via e-flux magazine because I’m subscribed to the newsletter. I knew its predecessor, the Future Architecture platform, which I just found out it was formed by most of the same members, which is great. I hope that LINA keeps pushing young architects, editors, organizations, schools of architecture, museums, biennials and triennials to create alternative narratives and a new critical body of work.

What shall the architecture profession become/change in the future?

Allan Mensah: Architecture needs to be able to adapt to another position. As a profession it needs to be more honest and not try only to reproduce answers. In times of complete uncertainty we can’t be in the position that we know everything and we are able to solve all problems because we won’t change the world alone. My idea of the change is not in the way we work, organize, construct, but more the way we are.

Island, project for a moving refuge. | Photo © Tevi Allan Mensah

Laura Solsona: We believe that the figure of the architect that knows about everything and works alone does not exist anymore. An architect is a professional who can establish strategies and is able to coordinate the work in between disciplines. It combines different narratives and goals that take into consideration the limited resources, both material and economic, in each case scenario. Moreover, it is crucial to reframe education of architecture in universities. Shifting towards an educational model that puts the focus on collaboration rather than competition could start changing the attitude towards design and building.

Meriem Chabani: The architecture profession is likely to undergo significant changes in the future, mainly driven by the climate emergency, and shifts in societal needs and values. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the construction sector is responsible for approximately 36% of total energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions globally. Architects are, and will continue to be expected to design buildings that are more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and resilient. However, some argue for a more fundamental change, with Charlotte Malterre-Barthes defending a moratorium on new construction (2021). In industrial countries, tomorrow’s cities will mostly be today’s cities, with already densely built urban fabrics. Our industry might be wise to anticipate a shift towards greater care for what is already built, transforming, re-using and expanding on what is already there.

A pavilion calling for cities to reinvest in the notion of the sacred, bringing about processes of care for the built environment. | Photo © New South

Care in which sense?

Meriem Chabani: The standard body for which we design will hopefully also come into question. With increasingly aging populations in Europe and industrialized countries, how we accommodate the needs and care necessary for these bodies will become an essential driver of public policies. Overall, I think these changes are to be celebrated: let’s bring more care into architecture, more diversity both in how and for whom we design.

How hard is it to survive with architecture on today’s market?

Eduard Fernandez: As architects, we have been educated to provide a service to society based on economic growth. What we have learned recently after the Global Financial Crisis, and even Covid-19, is that we do not need new museums, hospitals, housing developments, etc. but rather a more specific approach towards the way we reuse what we have already built and a more sustainable way of living. All this is directly related to architecture, so there needs to be a market shift in this direction. Also, we do not need to build that fast as we have been doing in the last decades. Nowadays, the situation of our society is based on precarity (energy, housing, etc.) so we need to find alternatives to that situation.

Project of the student Boris Mandić from Infrastructures of Resistance studio, University of Technology Sydney. | Photo © self-office

In our office, we want to change the way we think and explain our projects, as we have been taught. New narratives that take into consideration sustainable construction methods, the reuse and recycle of materials and the circular economy. It is hard to survive economically when one has this ambition because it is time consuming, but that is our ambition.

Meriem Chabani: Obviously, this varies depending on the context, but if we’re talking about the construction market, we’re really talking about value. And in this equation, architects find themselves in unfavorable power dynamics. Mainly, what I see everyday are the following difficulties: a profit-driven construction market, with a growing private sector and ever-disappearing public sector; the increasing complexity of the construction process has given way to a specialization of expertise, and an increasing division of the fees associated with it, with small and young architecture practices struggling to keep up and restricted competitions that favor older practices and exclude younger or more innovative approaches.

Faced with an uneven playing field, I strongly believe that we cannot simply play by the rules. We need to understand the rules, the other players and their endgames. Then hack the game, disrupt it, play within and across it, shamelessly. Overall, the architecture industry is constantly evolving, and surviving in it requires a combination of technical expertise, creativity, business savvy, and grit.

Digital Architectuul Fellows 2023: Tevi Allan Mensah, Meriem Chabani (New South), Laura Solsona and Eduard Fernandez (self-office).

[oz-posts]

Slightly belated but I am so mad about the bake off when they covered parkin.

I tend to watch the episodes a bit late online so this is a few days after, and I'm probably overreacting but I am genuinely pissed off.

I understand that nearly all of them didn't know what parkin is but Dylan and Christiaan's complaints are unreasonable.

People do "even like parkin". It is a part of our culture up north and it's "unappetising batter" is a result of just how left behind the north has often been.

The north of England is comparatively poor and it always has been. Of course a cake made of cheaper oats and byproducts of sugar production to accommodate for this is going to look less appealing, but we did the best with what we had and it honestly tastes great, especially the modern versions including real sugar and some flour.

Honestly to me it seemed like a continuation of the "rough, and uncivilised northerner stereotype" (think how Americans treat Appalachians) of course even our food is backwards and gross.I truely think they would have reacted differently if asked to make something else they are unfamiliar with like a Slovenian poteka cake.

Also here's my attempt.❤️

So yes, Dylan people do like parkin. Sincerely, a northerner.

I know this is probably an overreaction but I just wanted to rant, please don't take this too seriously, no hate intended to anyone.

[marwahstudios]

AAFT School of Hospitality and Tourism Celebrates International Cuisine from Slovenia, Peru, and Namibia at 8th Global Fashion Week

Noida, India – The second day of the 8th Global Fashion and Design Week at Marwah Studios was marked by a spectacular showcase of international cuisine from Slovenia, Peru, and Namibia. The event, which took place during the first session of the day, was inaugurated by a distinguished panel of ambassadors: H.E. Mateja Vodeb Ghosh (Ambassador of Slovenia), H.E. Javier Paulinich (Ambassador of Peru to India), and H.E. Gabriel Pandureni Sinimbo (High Commissioner of the Republic of Namibia).

The food festival was a vibrant celebration of global culinary traditions, supported by the Indo Slovenia Film and Cultural Forum, Indo Peru Film and Cultural Forum, and Indo Namibia Film and Cultural Forum of the International Chamber of Media and Entertainment Industry. The aim was to foster cultural exchange and appreciation through the medium of food.

Dr. Sandeep Marwah, President of AAFT, opened the event by introducing the chefs and highlighting the importance of such cultural initiatives. He stated, “The integration of diverse cuisines at this festival not only enriches our cultural experiences but also educates our students about global hospitality standards. This platform allows us to celebrate the richness of international culinary arts.”

H.E. Mateja Vodeb Ghosh, Ambassador of Slovenia, expressed her enthusiasm for the event, saying, “It is a pleasure to see Slovenian cuisine being showcased in such a prestigious setting. The efforts of the students and the faculty at AAFT are commendable. This initiative truly bridges cultural gaps and brings us closer together.”

H.E. Javier Paulinich, Ambassador of Peru to India, shared his appreciation, “The Peruvian dishes prepared today reflect the authentic flavors and traditions of our country. I am impressed by the dedication and skill of the AAFT students. This event not only promotes culinary excellence but also strengthens our cultural ties.”

H.E. Gabriel Pandureni Sinimbo, High Commissioner of the Republic of Namibia, also praised the initiative, “Seeing Namibian cuisine being celebrated here in India is heartwarming. The students have done an excellent job in presenting our traditional dishes. This kind of cultural exchange is vital for fostering mutual respect and understanding among nations.”

The food festival featured a stunning array of dishes, each reflecting the unique culinary heritage of the participating countries. The colorful presentations and authentic flavors captivated the attendees, who included a large number of dignitaries from India and abroad. The event provided a platform for the students of AAFT School of Hospitality and Tourism to demonstrate their culinary prowess and engage with international guests.

The festival’s success was a testament to the hard work and creativity of the AAFT students and faculty. By bringing together the culinary traditions of Slovenia, Peru, and Namibia, the event highlighted the school’s commitment to cultural education and global hospitality standards.