ZIDAR BETONSKY - I gledam i sanjam i ne dam

ZIDAR BETONSKY - I gledam i sanjam i ne dam
€8.00 - €22.00

GNGR182 // releases February 10, 2026

Special price during the pre-order period!

<a href="https://music.geengerrecords.com/album/i-gledam-i-sanjam-i-ne-dam">I gledam i sanjam i ne dam by Zidar Betonsky</a>

During the final months of the war in Croatia, the city of Split witnessed the formation of a trio super-group composed of underground musicians and enthusiasts, making it one of the first Split-based band lineups without a live drummer.

Edi, Zdeslav, and Hrvoje brought with them valuable experience from their earlier involvement in notable local bands such as Rapa Nui, Mistery Lapsus, and Touch Friction, and were ready to embark on a new, more aggressive and ambitious venture. That same summer, they recorded a six-song demo—later forming the A-side of the record—under DIY conditions. Shortly thereafter, they performed their now-cult concert at the Zlatna Vrata Theatre, titled In Memoriam Jimi Hendrix, in the fall of 1995. As their audience began to grow, aided by the demo and a measure of goodwill, the band connected with Marko Brecelj in Koper, who organized their first mini-tour, alongside Ruzina Means Rust—who would join Zidar Betonsky the following year. In February 1996, they performed in Ilirska Bistrica, and recordings from that concert were later pressed as the B-side of the release "I sanjam i gledam i ne dam".

Although the material was recorded at home under guerrilla-style DIY conditions, the record sounds surprisingly fresh, well produced, and clearly articulated. Looking back nearly thirty years later, it has retained its charm and persuasive power. The unique position of Zidar Betonsky in the history of Split’s underground scene later enabled collaborations between its members and Urban & 4, most notably on the album Žena dijete and the hit “Black Tattoo.” In addition, the members went on to realize dozens of successful artistic projects spanning contemporary theatre, sound art, and music production—further underscoring both the significance of the band and the enduring talent of its individual members.

Composed of a series of authentic band artifacts, and featuring collaborative design by Vinko Pelicarić and Igor Mihovilović, the lavishly produced vinyl edition has been meticulously restored sonically by Višeslav Laboš and Ivan Jakić, while the accompanying texts on the band are authored by Ivan Ramljak and Igor Mihovilović.

The record documents the group’s first year of activity, when they operated as a trio. The vinyl itself includes two bonus tracks—cover versions of songs by Bauhaus and Pink Floyd (not available on digital platforms)—and is released in two limited editions: “concrete grey–white splatter” and “crystal clear.” Released as the first audio edition of the media project Tajni Split, the record is a collaborative effort involving five additional independent labels: Guranje s litice, Dare The Divine, Geenger Records, Slušaj najglasnije!, and slovenian Debil Records. The album is issued on the 30th anniversary of the aforementioned concert in Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia, where the band performed on February 10, 1996. The band’s pioneering and distinctive sound blends the emotional intensity of 1980s cold wave and goth rock with the bitterness and darkness of Split in the 1990s, filtered through the unmistakable abrasive guitar aesthetic of the late Steve Albini and his protégés. It represents an indispensable rescued fragment of a nearly lost chapter in the history of domestic alternative rock and electro-industrial music.

Zidar Betonsky is performing again in its original lineup, and the record is released three months after their spectacular reunion in Split in November 2025, following a 25-year creative hiatus.

U zadnjim mjesecima rata u Hrvatskoj u Splitu je nastala supergrupa trojice underground muzičara i entuzijasta, te jedan od prvih ST bendova u postavi bez živog bubnjara. Edi, Zdeslav i Hrvoje izbrusili su nešto ranijeg iskustva po lokalnim bendovima vrijednim spomena (Rapa Nui, Mistery Lapsus, Touch Friction) te bili spremni za novu, agresivniju i ambiciozniju avanturu. Istog ljeta snimaju u kućnim uvjetima demo kazetu sa 6 pjesama (koja danas tvori A stranu ploče) da bi nedugo zatim odsvirali kultni koncert u kinu “Zlatna vrata” pod nazivom “In memoriam Jimy Hendrix” (jesen 1995). Kako ih je publika počela primjećivati i prihvaćati oni su uz pomoć nevedene demo kazete i nešto volje došli do Marka Brecelja u Kopru koji im je organizirao prvu mini turneju (ovu suradnju su kasnije nastavili) sa suborcem Ruzina Means Rust koji već iduće godine postaje 4. član ove supergrupe. U Ilirskoj Bistrici nastupaju u veljači 1996. i snimke s tog nastupa utisnute su na vinilne brazde B strane ploče "I sanjam i gledam i ne dam". Iako je riječ o materijalima koji su nastajali u gerilskim “do it yourself” kućnim uvjetima ploča zvuči iznenađujuće svježe, producirano i artikulirano, a sam materijal s tridesetgodišnjim odmakom ne gubi na šarmu i uvjerljivosti. Unikatna pozicija Zidar Betonskog u povijesti splitskog undergrounda nešto kasnije omogućuje suradnju članova benda na “splitskom” albumu Urban & 4 “Žena dijete” (točnije njegovom hitu “Black tattoo”) a deseci uspješnih umjetničkih projekata, od suvremenog kazališta do sound arta i produkcije elektronske glazbe, kojima su se članovi grupe bavili zadnjih četvrt stoljeća potvrđuju važnost na sceni i nepresušan talent ovih pojedinaca. Sastavljen od niza autentičnih artefakata benda, uz kolaborativni dizajn Vinka Pelicarića i Igora Mihovilovića luksuzno opremljen vinil zvučno su minuciozno restaurirali Višeslav Laboš i Ivan Jakić, dok tekstove o bendu potpisuju Ivan Ramljak i Igor Mihovilović.

Ploča pokriva prvih godinu dana rada grupe dok su djelovali kao trio. Na samom vinilu nalaze se dvije bonus pjesme - obrade grupa Bauhaus i Pink Floyd (koje nisu u digitalnoj distribuciji) a ploča je limitirana na dvije verzije - “betonsko sivo-bijeli splatter” i “kristalno prozirnu”. Izdana kao prvo audio izdanje medijskog projekta “Tajni Split” ploča je kolaborativni rad još 5 malih labela - Guranja s litice, Dare The Divine, Geenger Records, Slušaj najglasnije! i slovenskog Debila Records. Album izlazi na 30. godišnjicu spomenutog koncerta u Ilirskoj Bistrici u Sloveniji gdje je bend nastupio 10. veljače 1996. Pionirski i unikatan zvuk benda kombinira emotivnost coldwave/goth rocka 80ih utopljenu u gorčinu i mrak splitskih devedesetih provučenu kroz filter nezaobilazne abrazivne estetike gitarskog rada neprežaljenog Steve Albinija i njegovih pulena. Nezaobilazan je spašeni komadić zamalo izgubljene povijesti domaćeg alternativnog rock i electro industrial zvuka. Zidar Betonsky ponovno nastupa u originalnoj postavi a ploča izlazi 3 mjeseca nakon spektakularnog reuniona u Splitu u studenom 2025., nakon 25 godina kreativne pauze.

Bass, Programming: Hrvoje Pelicarić
Guitar, Synthesizer, Programming: Zdeslav Kukoč
Vocals, Programming: Eduard Raos
Producer: Zidar Betonsky, Robert Raos

Side A recorded in Split, July 1995
Side B recorded in MKNŽ, Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia, February 1996

Live mix by Bojan Babič Babo
Mastered by Višeslav Laboš and Ivan Jakić, 2025

Concept, editorial work and digitization Igor Mihovilović
Design Vinko Pelicarić
Back cover photography Alistair

Track Listing

Hard
Te-Ve
Ziggyjeva crna zavjesa (Z.C.N)
Racija
Slon
SplaČina
Jimmy H
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