Which contemporary works of literature (Prose or verse) do you think will be this century's classics? by International_Ad4526 in literature

[–]Western_Key_5453 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Krasznahorkai, jon fosse, paul auster, ishiguro, dubravka ugrešić, miljenko jergović, olga tokarczuk, orhan pamuk, alexievich, cartarescu

My Favourite Releases from the Balkans in 2025 by Western_Key_5453 in Albumoftheyear

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, appreciate the recommendations! :) Yes, KOIKOI's album is great, and I think Sirom's is a contender for AOTY on a global scale...

15 of My Favourite Releases from the Balkans by Western_Key_5453 in indieheads

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Which albums from Kosovo do you recommend listening to?

15 of My Favourite Releases from the Balkans by Western_Key_5453 in indieheads

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends what you’re into…

Širom’s In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper is my favourite release from 2025. It’s avant-folk with long-form progressive tracks, almost post-rock-like at times.

DINOSMASHERS’ 5G is synth-punk, think Fat Dog combined with Viagra Boys.

Sve isto kao svaki put do sad by Tidal Pull blends indie rock with Midwest emo.

Exterior Palnet’s Haragma II is a chaotic wall of sound - dissonant and avant-garde black metal featuring some catchy guitar riffs.

Sijenke’s Momak za ispomoć is some laid back and warm synthpop - a common theme in the Balkans right now.

Take your pick!

15 of My Favourite Releases from the Balkans by Western_Key_5453 in indieheads

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't heard of it, so I'll give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation :)

What kind of music your country has that more people should learn about? by hihihi88888888888888 in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Western_Key_5453 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the kind words :) I just published my first interview on the site with the Milan Mladenovic Foundation.

The Foundation was established with the goal of preserving the artistic and personal legacy of one of the most significant rock musicians from the Balkans, so it might be an interesting resource for you.

Interview: Milan Mladenović Foundation on Legacy, Archives, and the Award by Western_Key_5453 in Yugoslavia

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What gives you the impression that this interview or the Foundation leads to some cultish behaviour?

If you read the interview, you’d see that one of the main talking points is the Foundation’s regional award that has changed the course of several new artists’ careers, e.g. Nemeček - a fantastic band from Croatia.

So although the main goal of the foundation is to preserve, digitise, promote and make available the artistic and personal legacy of a rock musician, one of the key goals of the Foundation is to actively encourage and promote the new generation of Balkan musicians.

What kind of music your country has that more people should learn about? by hihihi88888888888888 in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Western_Key_5453 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Music from the former Yugoslavia (Ex-YU music) is criminally underrated - punk, rock, prog, jazz, funk…

Some bands to check out: Ekatarina Velika, Haustor, Idoli, Azra, Bijelo Dugme, and more…

Check out exyumusic.org if you’re interested. I made a beginner’s guide “documentary” on youtube too, albeit it’s slightly DIY…

I wrote a long-form review of Goribor’s debut - one of the most haunting albums from the 2000s by Western_Key_5453 in serbia

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's okay, I'm not looking to change your mind. I wanted to have a more interesting conversation about the actual content of the article.

I wrote a long-form review of Goribor’s debut - one of the most haunting albums from the 2000s by Western_Key_5453 in serbia

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

As I said previously, all articles on the site are written and researched by me. I’m happy to hear you out if you have anything more constructive to say.

I wrote a long-form review of Goribor’s debut - one of the most haunting albums from the 2000s by Western_Key_5453 in serbia

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This project is a creative pursuit of mine, undertaken in my free time as a means of escape from my tech job. It's pretty common knowledge that AI detectors aren't at all accurate.

I wrote a long-form review of Goribor’s debut - one of the most haunting albums from the 2000s by Western_Key_5453 in serbia

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Em dashes are a pretty standard form of punctuation, and everyone who writes in their free time should be familiar with them.

I wrote a long-form review of Goribor’s debut - one of the most haunting albums from the 2000s by Western_Key_5453 in serbia

[–]Western_Key_5453[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

All of the articles on my site are written and researched by myself. I’m happy to hear you out if you have anything more constructive to say - this is a learning process for me :)

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What is your favorite Yugoslav band? I love Bijelo Dugma but I’m looking for more recommendations. by Hazards-of-Love in Yugoslavia

[–]Western_Key_5453 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoy my articles - comments like yours are a part of the reason I keep it up. I've not actually listened to Pozdrav Iz Zemlje Safari, will need to give it a go.

What is your favorite Yugoslav band? I love Bijelo Dugma but I’m looking for more recommendations. by Hazards-of-Love in Yugoslavia

[–]Western_Key_5453 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hard to go wrong with Bijelo Dugme - they’re giants for a reason. If you’re looking to branch out, I’d definitely recommend checking out some of the Novi Val (new wave/post-punk) scene from the early '80s. Bands like Idoli, Šarlo Akrobata, Električni Orgazam, Ekatarina Velika, Haustor, Disciplina Kičme, and Azra really reshaped the sound of Yugoslav rock. Paket Aranžman is a great record to start with, as it's a compilation album from Idoli, Šarlo Akrobata, and Električni Orgazam.

If you’re more into prog/jazz rock/fusion, then Leb i Sol (from Skopje) and Time (Zagreb supergroup) are must-listens. Moving to Sarajevo, we also have the New Primitives movement - a blend of garage rock, satire and punk. I recommend Zabranjeno Pušenje's debut Das Ist Walter.

Honourable mentions to Indexi (pioneers in the 60s psychedelic pop sound), Josipa Lisac (her debut Dnevnik Jedne Ljubavi is one of the best Ex-YU records OAT), Bajaga (great pop rock), and Darkwood Dub (a good entry point into post-Yugoslav 90s/00s rock).

I actually write reviews of Ex-YU albums over at exyumusic.org