ALEXANDER SOPCHEK - DESTINY DAWN   (Alexander Sopchek) 2000
This is spacey mix of Sopchek's track from forthcoming album 'Masks' dedicated to African rhythms. Fascinating combination of different styles predominated with African spirit. Although very fresh and original in approach he sucesfuly preserved original roots. Dance floor killer. 
ALL IN ONE - SERBANTU    (Darko Filipovic)  2000. Young and talented multi instrumentalist, programmer and producer from Belgrade is an expert in House and Electro /ambient /dance music. That is not really my cup of tea but I spent some time with him discussing music. Just few days after that he came to me with this track asking 'Is this what you want?' and I loooved it. It's a killer dance tune. Extremely intelligently combined African Bantu chanting with traditional Serbian folk, wrapped into solid Funk. Winning combination.
COXLESS PAIR - JIVE SAMBA   (N. Adderley / Coxless Pair) club mix 2000
You've heard many versions but none like this. This is another prove that Jazz standards could be done in a modern club styles and to preserve the original freshness. 
MENSON BENSON SEXTET - FAVOURITE TONGUES (No Time mix)
(R. Rogers / Dusan Petrovic) 2000
Most original approach. As you can hear them saying: We just love Coltrane, we just love to dance, we just love to do something to combine it and we don't like it cheesy. Solid. 
 DJ CHILE - RUNNING FAST (Zeljko Kerleta) 2000. Probably one of the best Belgrade's DJs moved into production and here is his club remix of Running Fast. It is more funky then original and grooves all the way throu. Nice touch with vocals. Ethno feeling is still there, it is just more danceable.
TEGET  - TONIC (Teget) I don't think I can label this track but for sure it's got some Jazz in it. It is so rounded and nicely produced although recorded in Dusan's bathroom. It is solid and groovie but very smooth at the same time. It is danceable but ambiental as well. Sounds so simple but it's complex. I can't say it's catchy but it stays in your mind. Well done guys.
LINEAR DRAFT - RECYCLE (LD) They were recommended to me by a friend who knew that I wasn't really into house and electro/dance/ambient what LD are doing. Checking their material I got hooked to this track for some, should I say, Jazzy feeling in it. Smooth and catchy sax is a winner.
ALEXANDER SOPCHEK- NEW DELHI (ARABESCA) (Sopchek) 1987
Alexander spent a lot of time travelling around the world. Inspiration guttered from these trips resulted in album "Between New Delhi and New York" recorded in 1988. Album was never released but here is the chance to here this fascinating ambient track 'New Delhi' inspired by Indian sounds (much earlier than similar sounds became trendy in London).
MISHKO PLAVI - DEFRAGMENTATION  (Mishko Plavi) Mishko is a big Pop/Rock star from Belgrade, owner of many gold records. Digging throu his unreleased material I stumbled on this smooth Jazzy track. Mellow Jazz mood dominates but in a second part develops into solid groove.
ZELJKO KERLETA - IT WAS SO NICE OVERTHERE (Z. Kerleta) 2000
Zeljko's dedication to exotic holiday this time reused to revoke nice time spent in Belgrade. More solid than original and with additional vocals.

 

MUZIK magazine (UK) issue 70, March 2001. page 69. "..underground dance music mashing up Afro, middle eastern, house and jazz influences." " The music here is not totally out there, but rather subtly but impressively different. The elements are familiar but they're put together in a way that's unfamiliar and very fresh. It's jazzy, but it ain't trad Vlad. Evidence that mix of cultures in the Balkans can sometimes lead to triumph instead of tragedy. (4/5) STRAIGHT NO CHASER /spring 2001/ page 70 Two from the independent Cosmic Sounds label ran by jazz enthusiast Zeljko Kerleta from Belgrade. Field trips led him to discover all these artists feverishly working outside the main streamand lacking an outlet for their productivity-until now. The vibe is on amalgam of inspirations, be it jazz, African. local folk, electro and dance. Alexander Sopchek's 'Destiny Dawn' is the first track from the compilation and his own long player 'Masks'. It's his personal homage to Africa, inspired by Pigmy melodies and the tribal rituals of Kenyan tribes resulting in spacey trip hop colours with roots planted firmly in the Motherland's soil. Menson Benson Sextet's Favourite Things indulges in oneof the most unique takes on an all time classic, brilliant in it;s originality - today's rhythm and yesterday's melody. Ambient drum and bass sofistication as one on 'Linear Draft 'Recycle'proves nothing has escaped the ears of Belgrade's musicians; Zeljko Kerleta pays tribute to them on "It Was So Nice Overthere". Full of Eastern promise. New Musical Express  NME (27. Jan, 2001, page 35) The Serbian city may no longer be literally burning, but the eclectic strains of modern jazz, tribal folk and future funk compiled here by local DJ and producer Zeljko Kerleta suggest  that Belgrade is, metaphorically speaking, on fire. Necessary or evil? Turns out that Kerleta is Belgrade's very own Gilles Peterson, meaning that the vibes are distinctly late-night and seriously  down-tempo. Coxless Pair's excitable 'Jive Samba' and 'Destiny Dawn' by  veteran beatnik Alexander Sopchek enliven the smooth jazziness. (7/10) Pure Dance Music site: PUREDM.COM    (check magazine/reviews/compilations/soul,jazz,funk) Endlessly pleasurable mix of jazz, electronica and African music from Belgrade...  Believe it or not, (former) Yugoslavian jazz – and other related forms of music - has always had quite strong connections with African sounds. So don't be surprised when you pop this LP on and discover that what you thought might be a collection of weird European electronica is actually a sophisticate mix of jazz, African music and electronic sounds. All the producers and musicians included - with the exception of label owner Zeljko Kerleta – are based in Belgrade, though they all offer something different. Alexander Sopchek starts things off with ‘Destiny Dawn’, a tribal jazz affair complete with African chanting. Later on, he keeps the cultural scope broad and offers the sitar-infused ‘New Delhi’. All In One’s ‘Serbantu’ employs some Bantu vocals, wrapped in a cloak of rolling folk and funk. Coxless Pair takes a trip into the realm of jungle for his floor-wrecking version of the jazz classic ‘Jive Samba’, while Menson Benson 6 provides a wonderfully brass-led, dancefloor rendition of ‘Favourite Things’ (entitled ‘Favourite Tongues’). Elsewhere there’s highly percussive ethno-house grooves on ‘Running Fast’ (DJ Chile), a smooth, Rhodes-driven jazz nuggets like ‘Tonic’ (Teget) and label owner Zeeljko Kerleta rounds things off with ‘It Was So Nice Over There’ a wistful, insouciant look back at his time spent in Belgrade. Not essential, but an endlessly pleasant listening experience. ECHOES (The Essential Black Music Magazine), March 2001, page 38 A bit special, this Zeljko Kerleta's Cosmic Sounds label specializes in modern, jazzy underground music made by Serbian musicians. If that sounds interesting on paper, it sounds even better on your stereo system. Although some may take the Serbian angle as a gimmick, this is just straight up good music. Jive Samba is taken and put through a jazz-drum & bass ringer, resulting in a funky, freaky and overall fun dance tune. Linear Draft's Recycle is mellow and outstandingly luscious. All In One's Serbantu takes in disparite world music elements to make an engaging laid-back groove, and Sopchek's own Destiny Dawn builds and builds into an irresistible funky groove. With 14 albums released in the label's first year, including rare jazz and fusion collections, original Serbian album re-issues as well as fresh Cosmic Sounds material, this is without one doubt an imprint to watch closely. Ellia Rulli. (4/5) FUTURE MUSIC (Spring 2001, no 173, page 96) "...These ten tracks prove the Eastern European dance scene is totally on the cutting edge and not merely churning out old news. All in One's Serbantu combines African and Serbian folk tunes with some serious funk, while DJ Chile's club mix of Running Fast is perfect underground house fodder. With hints of jazz, folk melodies, dubby rhythms and plenty of inovation we'd better look east." Lisa McGee. (9/10) PLASTIKS - Check this Belgian magazine For review in Flemish PETER KRUDER G-Stone Recordings "I don't know if i got those Cd s sent or if somebody gave them to me at a gig, but i sure know that they are wonderful. I really dig the Alexander Sopchek album.Very special no boundaries music. Also the Belgrade's Burning Compilation has some fantastic moments...So i just wanted to tell you that i'll appreciate the vibe..."< DUSTY GROOVE AMERICA A selection of tracks from the current underground scene in Belgrade< -- hipper than you'd expect, and a real crossroads of grooves! The tracks follow in the line of some of the older jazz funk that's been reissued on the Cosmic Sounds label -- but they also blend together bits of electronica, remix styles, and other modern influences -- to take a pan-European groove into the next century, and showing that the evolution of styles over the past 10 years has left no city untouched!  XLR8R magazine, USA (no. 49, page 64) Since launching his Cosmic Sounds label over a year ago, Yugoslavian expatriate Zeljko Kerleta has been promoting Eastern European jazz both past and present from his London HQ. This recent compilation features some fascinating club orientated jazz experiments from Belgrade. Highlights include a frenetic drum & bass version of 'Jive Samba' by Coxless Pair, the Menson Benson Sextet's homage to John Coltrane ("Favourite Tongues"), and some African influenced jazz from Alexander Sopchek. Truly original stuff, and a great introduction to a label. (Mark Turner) THEVIBESNET review in Italian.