Električni orgazam (Serbian Cyrillic: Електрични оргазам; trans. Electric Orgasm) is a band from Belgrade, Serbia. Originally started as punk and post punk, they later slowly changed their style and became a mainstream rock band. They were an important band of the Yugoslav New Wave scene and the Yugoslav Rock scene in general.

Biography

Električni orgazam was formed in 1980 by Srđan "Gile" Gojković (vocals, guitars), Ljubomir "Jovec" Jovanović (guitars), Marina Vulić (bass) and Ljubomir Đukić (keyboards, organs). Their first recordings were published in 1981 in the Paket aranžman omnibus showcase album that also included songs from Idoli and Šarlo akrobata. In addition to putting the three bands on the map, Paket aranžman also helped to further establish the punk, new wave and alternative scenes in Belgrade.

Their first self-titled album was released in 1981 featuring a fairly straight-forward punk sound with a small dose of post punk aesthetics. This LP was also distributed in the rest of Europe via Rough Trade label, managing to get some very good reviews in the British music magazine NME. During November 1981, Električni orgazam toured Poland and recordings from the gig in Warsaw were released as EP Warszawa '81 limited to only 2,000 copies. It was a first official bootleg released in Yugoslavia.

On their second, quite experimental and artistic album Lišće prekriva Lisabon 1982 (translated: Leaves Fall Over Lisbon) they incorporated a wider range of psychedelic influences. It was a post punk record with dark edge in the goth manner of Bauhaus and the likes.

The third LP Les Chansones Populaires consisted only of classic covers from David Bowie, The Doors, T. Rex, The Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground and others. After "Chansones..." Električni orgazam adopted a more mainstream rock sound while their concert performances remained punk-oriented, mainly due to the stage persona of their frontman Gile.

After their third album Kako bubanj kaže 1984 (translated: As the Drum Says) keyboardist Ljubomir Đukić left the band. With the next line-up, claimed by fans and critics as their best one (Srđan Gojković - guitars, vocals, Branislav Petrović - guitars, Zoran "Svaba" Radomirović - bass and Goran "Čavke" Čavajda - drums), Električni orgazam released their most successful mainstream rock albums Distorzija 1986 (translated: "Distortion") and a little bit pop-influenced Letim, Sanjam, Dišem 1988 (translated: Flying, Dreaming, Breathing). The title's acronym of "Letim, Sanjam, Dišem" was supposed to give a small hint to LSD. This album was remembered for the anthemic hit-song "Igra rock'n'roll cela Jugoslavija" as it was the most commercially successful and the had the highest popularity in the band's career.

After the tour for this album, the band went on a self-imposed hiatus. Srđan Gojković started work on his solo album and later together with Vlada Divljan (ex-member of Idoli) released a few albums with rock'n'roll songs specially written for and targeted at children. He also worked and wrote soundtracks.

In the early 1990s Električni orgazam emerged from hibernation again, releasing Balkan Horor Rock material in two parts (see discography below). This material consisted of live in studio-performed tracks from Lišće prekriva Lisabon and their 1st album, and also a few new tracks. In 1994 they released a 2LP album Zašto da ne! (translated: Why Not!) characterized by a sound with a lot of hippie rock and retro 1970s influencies. Soon after this album the original drummer Čavke left the band and moved to live in Australia where he died in 1997.

With a new drummer, Električni orgazam released two more albums: semi-acoustic rock offering A Um Bum 1999 and Harmonajzer with a more basic rock and with a kind of a modern touch in the vein of Queens of the Stone Age. During the recording process of Harmonajzer, original member Ljubomir Đukić returned to Električni orgazam.

At the end of 2006 the band started to work on their new album. In the meantime they officially released Breskve u teškom sirupu vol.1, a compilation of the earliest rehearsal recordings and bootlegs of the earliest gig and a live album ElOrgNewWawe recorded live in Dom Omladine, Belgrade and incuded tracks from the new wave period performed in a new and modern way. The live album featured guest appearance by Ljubomir Jovanovic Jovec, the band's original guitar player. On July 17th 2007 the band played as an opening act for The Rolling Stones in Belgrade and became the only Serbian band to have this kind of honour. On September 2007 the band went on their first US tour. Beside the new album, Gojkovic's new solo album is also expected.

Discography

Albums

• Električni orgazam, (Jugoton, 1981)
• Lišće prekriva Lisabon (Jugoton, 1982)
• Les Chansones Populaires (Jugoton 1983) - cover album
• Kako bubanj kaže (Jugoton, 1984)
• Distorzija (Jugoton, 1986)
• Letim, sanjam, dišem (PGP RTB, 1988)
• Zašto da ne! (PGP RTS, 1994)
• A Um Bum (City Records, 1999)
• Harmonajzer (PGP RTS, 2002)

Live albums

• Braćo i sestre (Jugoton 1987)
• Seks, droga, nasilje i strah / Balkan Horror Rock (PGP RTB, 1992) - live album + bonus studio tracks
• Balkan Horror Rock II (Master Music, 1993)
• Warszawa '81 (Yellow Dog Records, 1996) - reissue, integral version
• Živo i akustično (B92, 1996) - unplugged album
• Breskve u teškom sirupu vol.1 (Automatik, 2006) - official bootleg
• ElOrgNewWave (Automatik, 2007)

EPs

• Warszawa '81 (Jugoton, 1982) - Live, official bootleg

Singles

• "Konobar" / "I've Got a Feeling" (Jugoton, 1981)
• "Dokolica" / "Dokolica (dub version)" (Jugoton, 1982)
• "Odelo" / "Afrika" (Jugoton, 1982)
• "Locomotion" / "Metal Guru" (Jugoton, 1983)
• "Kako bubanj kaže" / "Tetovirane devojke" (Jugoton, 1984)
• "Bejbe, ti nisi tu" / "Ne postojim" (Jugoton, 1987)

Compilations

• Najbolje pesme 1980-1988 (Jugoton, 1988)
• Najbolje pesme II (PGP RTS, 2002)

Various artists compilations

• Paket aranžman (Jugoton, 1981) - with Idoli and Šarlo Akrobata
• Svi marš na ples! (Jugoton, 1981)
• Vrući dani i vrele noći (Jugoton, 1982)
• Giga mix 2 (CD, Album + Cass, Album) (PGP RTS, 2002)
• Novi val osamdesetih (City Records, 2005)

Tribute albums

• Yugoton (BMG, 2001)

Srdjan Gojkoviċ Gile discography

Solo releases

• Evo sada vidiš da može (PGP RTB, 1989)
• Crni bombarder (ZAM, 1992) - movie soundtrack

Collaborations

• Rokenrol za decu (PGP RTB, 1989) - with Vlada Divljan
• Rokenrol bukvar (PGP RTB, 1990) - with Vlada Divljan
• Kako je propao rokenrol (Taped Pictures, 1990) - movie soundtrack, with Vlada Divljan and Dušan Kojić Koja
• Lutka koja kaže ne (PGP RTB, 1991) - with Vlada Divljan, Ivan Stančić Piko and Zoran Radomirović Švaba

Goran Čavajda Čavke discography

• Regression (Sound Of Islands, 1997)

External links

• Official home page
• Article about Električni Orgazam in English
• Električni Orgazam on Europopmusic.eu (English)