Even though the alternative music worlds of Hungary and its neighbors have a lot to give to each other, there are still bridges to be built or rebuilt. Back in the year of 1999, an independent Croatian label named Kekere Aquarium together with Trottel Records of Hungary co-published a curious cassette compilation called "Jelačić Vs. Héderváry", which documented the underground avant-garde music scene of the two countries, and which was perhaps the only systematic attempt in history in connecting these two scenes. 25 years after its release only two bands from the compilation remain active, and Inverted Spectrum Records brings them together for a special evening in Gödör club. Šumski and Kampec Dolores, two distinctive bands which have been at the vanguard of their local creative scenes for decades, will play a rare show together in Budapest on November 16th.
Šumski:
Founded in Zagreb in 1991, from the very start Šumski was noted to be one of the most unusual acts appearing on the alternative scene and to this day remains as one of the most prominent alternative bands in Croatia. Šumski created their own musical landscape, full of experiments and unexpected arrangements, within which krautrock, world music, psychedelia, new wave, animation soundtracks, noise, avant-pop and electronics all take up their place equally. The band has collaborated with many interesting names such as Blurt saxophonist Ted Milton and Can vocalist Damo Suzuki. To date, the band has performed in 14 countries and released 6 albums; the latest one, "Kolobari", was co-published by Hungary's veteran alternative label Trottel in 2022. The band's music has been compared to Kampec Dolores by the music critic Rácz Mihály.
Besides playing in Šumski, all the band members also form part of the Zagreb scene in other ways, and the bassist Kornel Šeper manages the cult club Močvara and runs the label Kekere Aquarium, and has perhaps been the only person in Croatia trying to connect the underground scenes of the two countries, promoting Hungarian alternative bands such as Kampec Dolores, Egy Kiss Erzsi Zene, Persona Non Grata, Masfel, Pop Ivan, Anima Sound System, and Trottel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=3iRelgqe9lc
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=wCkbkJ8Vu74
https://sumski.bandcamp.com/ album/kolobari
Kampec Dolores:
Kampec Dolores was founded in 1984, and since then has been continuously present in the domestic and international music scene with their distinctive and well-acknowledged idiosyncrasy. The formation, with its approach and sound that carries elements of art rock, experimental music, avant-folk, and improvisation and defies categorization, and with a constantly evolving membership with the exception of the two founders, has produced many defining records during its four-decade career.