Radomir Mihailović Točak ‎– R. M. Točak (1976, LP, Serbia)

Songs:
1. Oro (2:30)
2. Arija Diamond (6:39)
3. Svrabez (5:31)
4. Neki Paraziti (3:07)
5. Organizam Blues (7:05)
6. Modifans (4:30)

Musicians:
Radomir Mihajlovic "Tocak" / guitars
Slobodan Stojanovic "Kepa" / drums
Zoran Milanovic / bass
Laza Ristovski / keyboards

Radomir Mihajlovic "Tocak" is guitarist, composer and leader of the band SMAK. His playing style is characterised by mixture of emotional expression and unique technique. Among other things, his specific style includes skillful fingerpicking and vibrato techniques. In many compositions he uses non-standard string tunings along with natural effects obtained from the guitar amplifier. For a long time he's been running his own guitar school.

As a solo artist he took part in many recording sessions of other bands. Together with Slobodan Stojanovic on drums and Mikica Milosavljevic on bass, he is playing in a trio called TEK. He also composed soundtracks for film and theatre, and in 1994 he was awarded for the "Byzantine Blue" film score. Tocak is also engaged in experimenting with computers while composing. His nickname means "the wheel" because he got a tattooed wheel on his right hand as a memory of his father - a wheelmaker. (Progarchives)

Kornelyans ‎– Not An Ordinary Life (1974, Cd, Serbia / Ex Jugoslavia)

Here's another gem that slips under the radar all too often.  Although they changed the band name for this one LP to Kornelyans to benefit the English-speaking world, this is actually Korni Grupa, the same band who gave the world one of the true masterpieces of experimental/progressive rock music from the former Yugoslavia in 1972 with their eponymous LP.  This was their follow-up aimed at a wider audience, and it should have done way better than history tells.  
Recorded in Italy and marketed for English language audiences, the album was poorly promoted and suffered disappointing sales.  But there's some incredible music here... kinda like a mix of Banco and/or PFM with Korni's unique Yugoslavian style.  Some of the vocals remind me of another great Italian band, Acqua Fragile.  But this album stands on its own rather well, with great variety in the track selections and a full, powerful symphonic rock sound with a tight rhythm section that stops and starts and changes faster than a hummingbird flits from flower to flower.  On "Not an Ordinary Life, Korni and Co. really push the envelope (for the time), and left us this one yet stunning document for us to enjoy.  And I enjoy it immensely!
This was reissued in 1989 by Italy's then-fledgling CD reissue label, Vinyl Magic, who I'm happy to report is still going strong after almost 2 decades.  But this CD (Vinyl Magic VM 030) went out of print almost immediately and has become one of the hardest CDs to locate.  Why this album hasn't been reissued after 18 years is a complete mystery to me.  I'm grateful to at least have a copy to listen to, but I'd love to have an official copy someday.  Who knows... maybe with the increase in classic former-Yugoslavian progressive rock reissues, this one will finally make it back into circulation again.  C'mon Serbia, you've got the technology! Highly recommended. RYM

Tracklist:
1. Rising (2:16)
2. Not An Ordinary Life (10:19)
3. Generation 1942 (6:43)
4. Fall Off The Land Of Woman (5:31)
5. Temporary Parting (4:00)
6. Man With A White Flag (11:50)

Line-up / Musicians
Zlatko Pejakovic: lead vocals
Josip Bocek: electric & acoustic guitars, backing vocals,
Kornelije Kovac: keyboards, backing vocals
Bojan Hreljac: bass
Vladimir Furduj: drums

CD Vinyl Magic - VM 030 CD

Boris Kovac ‎– Profana Liturgija (1991, CD, Serbia)

Tracklist:

1 Introduction : Profound 8:22 

2 Autumn Room : Delighted 13:21 

3 1st Interlude : Pensive 2:29 

4 Folk Prelude : Love Sick 4:48 

5 Scherzo : Loosely, Trivial 4:39 

6 2nd Interlude : Nostalgia 3:30 

7 Sound Archaeology : Misteriously 4:51 

8 Dervish Theme : Trance 13:29 

9 Interludum Circulus : Sacral 3:00

Performed by Ritual Nova Ensemble:

Nenad Vrbaški – violin

Nebojša Pandurović – cello

Veljko Nikolić Nik – sampler/percussion/accordion

Bora Janić – drums

Boris Kovač –reeds/sampler/accordion

Published by ADN, Milano, 1991

"Boris Kovac is one of a handful of modern composers and performers from the region of Hungary, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia whose names reached Western Europe and America. Strongly influenced by folk music from that region (a fascination he shares with István Mártha and Ernö Király), minimalism, Bela Bartok, and the philosophy of Bela Hamvas (also influential on Hungarian composer Tibor Szemzö), Kovac's music takes multiple forms."- François Couture/All Music Guide

"Music is the last relief between earth and sky. Deus sive natura. Petrol is more expensive today than yesterday. I live in a country called Yugoslavia and sometimes remember my father. Children are singing in the street… The neighbour is drunk… Thanks to all friends and enemies who help my work.

Chris Cutler, ‘Resonance’, London – ‘His composition, like a great release, possessed the spellbinding quality of great folk music: easy virtuosity, attention to the minutiae of expression, unembarrassing pathos… a deep base of audible, almost tactile emotion. Kovac slips easily across that twilight zone where contemporary composition and folk music touch.’