Kozmetika

History

Influenced by the David Bowie album Diamond Dogs, painter Vladimir Jovanović, director Marko Pešić, music editor of the Studio B television station Slobodan Konjović and Saša Nikolić, the owner of the first discothèque in Belgrade at the Atelje 212, formed the band Dijamantski Psi (Diamond Dogs) in 1974. However, the band career was interrupted at the very beginning by the incarceration of the band members due to marijuana possession.

Having been released from prison, in 1976, the band continued working, changing the name for a short period of time to Spajalice (The Staples). The band was finally renamed to Kozmetika in 1978, named after a combination of the words Kosmička Etika (Cosmic Ethics), featuring Vladimir Jovanović (guitar, vocals), Marko Pešić (synthesizer), Slobodan Konjović (bass guitar) and Miško Mihajlovski (rhythm machine). The following year, Jovanović got the award Sedam Sekretara SKOJ-a for his works as a painter. At the time, the band started preparing their debut album. Simultaneously, the band worked on publishing the youth magazine Izgled, and it was on the magazine promotion, held at the Belgrade SKC that the band had their first live performance.

Not having a continuous work on the album recording, the band had spent four years recording their debut self-titled album, working patiently on each track with numerous guest appearances. Kozmetika, released on March 7, 1983 by ZKP RTLJ, featured Annoda Rouge members Goran Vejvoda (guitar) and Dragana Šarić (vocals), Idoli members Srđan Šaper (vocals) and Nebojša Krstić (vocals), YU grupa member Raša Đelmaš (drums), Vuk Vujačić (saxophone), Gordi frontman Zlatko Manojlović (guitar), Zoran Radetić (electric piano), Bijelo Dugme guitarist Goran Bregović (guitar), Đorđe Ilijin (flute) and Bora Pavićević (percussion). Inspired by the works of Brian Eno as well as the current musical trends, the band used a technique in album production similar to the one which would later be known as sampling, creating their own vision of art rock. However, due to being uncommunicative, the album failed to reach much feedback from the audience. Even though after the album release the band often performed live, Kozmetika disbanded.

Post-breakup

After the Kozmetika disbandment, the only member to continue his musical career was Miroslav "Miško" Mihajlovski, forming the band D' Boys (The Boys) with Predrag "Peđa" Jovanović, until 1985 when D' Bojs disbanded. Continuing as Miško D' Bojs he collaborated with Bebi Dol.

Slobodan Konjović, often referred to as the Serbian John Peel, worked as a producer while being a Kozmetika member, producing almost all the releases by Pekinška Patka, including both of their studio albums, Plitka poezija and Strah od monotonije, as well as the Električni Orgazam live EP Warszawa '81. In 2006, he appeared as guest vocalist and composer on the Vasko Serafimov 2006 studio album Here. Vladimir Jovanović moved to Netherlands where he currently resides.

On December 2, 2011, Miroslav Mihajlovski died.

Legacy

The band's live appearance on April 6, 1977 at the Belgrade SKC is arguably taken as the beginning of new wave music in Serbia.

The band's debut and only album Kozmetika was polled in 1998 as the 98th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav popular music albums in the book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike (YU 100: The Best albums of Yugoslav pop and rock music).

In 2006 the song "Utisci" ("Impressions"), featuring Idoli member Nebojša Krstić on lead vocals, was ranked No. 99 the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs List. The song has also been used as the theme song for the Olja Bećković political talk show Utisak nedelje broadcast on RTV Studio B and B92. For the 20th anniversary of the talk show the Viva Vox Choir from Belgrade covered "Utisci" and the version has become the new theme song for the show.

Discography