ZAGUŠLJIVI DIM

The Čakovec-based trio Zagušljivi dim (“The Suffocating Smoke”) finds inspiration in the worlds around and within us. Their music is a mantra-like musical journey, aimed at exploring the wondrous, the eerie, the unknown, and the mysterious. “Smoke” in their name signifies fluidity and elusiveness, echoed in their continual genre-shifting approach: the band constantly oscillates between psychedelic rock, krautrock and spoken word, incorporating experimental, post-punk/post-rock and ethno/folk influences, crafting their albums into cohesive musical narratives.

The band lineup features Aleksandar Dolić (bass guitar, percussion), Martin Geček (guitar, keyboards), and Nikola Švenda (drums, percussion). In 2019, they released their debut album, “Kranjecovi krugovi pakla” (“Kranjec’s Circles of Hell”, produced by Mark Mrakovčić), a 53-minute instrumental piece characterized by oriental, psychedelic, and hypnotic soundscapes. The album is layered with symbolism and conveys a philosophical statement, clarified in its introductory monologue. Zagušljivi dim has also created music for numerous theatrical productions and plays, including the soundtrack for “King Lear”, performed by the Dada Drama Studio of Pinklec Theater Company. In 2019, they teamed up with young Croatian poet Tina Čatlaić to create an experimental performance piece which combined poetry recitation and music. In this piece, they also incorporated theatrical elements through distinctive costumes and stage design, including black cloaks, plague doctor masks, and special background video projections. This performance was later recorded and released as a spoken word album called “Plava Lily” (“Blue Lily”, PMK Records, 2020); the album was produced by Saša Rajković – Zarkoff.

In 2022, Dim released the album “Dolina kralja Viktora” (produced by Borna Maksan) through the French/Chinese music label WV Sorcerer Productions. This label is known for releasing a diverse range of esoteric and avant-garde music from around the globe; Zagušljivi dim continues to collaborate with them on their upcoming album. Up to now, the band has presented its musical opus across the region (in the countries of the former Yugoslavia) and Europe, in places like Čakovec, Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Rijeka, Maribor, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Ljubljana, Paris, Brussels, and others. They have participated in musical events such as the Mount of Artan Festival and Malomfesztival in Serbia, Porazno dete in Slovenia, and High Grounds near Varaždin (northern Croatia).

In September 2024, they played at the Močvara club in Zagreb, sharing the stage with the renowned Indonesian band Senyawa. In November 2024, the band released a new album called “Durchfall der Lebensmaschine”, published in collaboration with three different labels: WV Sorcerer Productions (France/China), Ramble Records (Australia), and Echodelick Records (USA).