DUNAJ - legendary cult music group of alternative direction, Brno, Czech Re… Read Full Bio ↴DUNAJ - legendary cult music group of alternative direction, Brno, Czech Republic
formed in 1989
disbanded in 1998
The first phase of the musical ensemble Dunaj's functioning in the 1980s was the association Kolektiv with a variable membership base, which originated based on the duo of Iva Bittová (violin, vocals) and Pavel Fajt (drums). Kolektiv attracted attention in 1986 with a performance at the Rockfest festival with the lineup: Josef Ostřanský (guitar), Vladimír Václavek (bass guitar, guitar), Pavel Richter (guitar), Pavel Fajt (drums), Jiří Kolšovský (vocals), and Iva Bittová (vocals). Subsequently, due to the busy schedules of the musicians with their other projects, Kolektiv performed only occasionally. The first recording was released in 1989 by Panton, which originally intended to release another album by the duo Bittová and Fajt (based on the success of the 1988 LP, which won Album of the Year). However, as they did not have new repertoire ready, they offered Panton the recording of older Kolektiv songs as an alternative. Thus, Kolektiv was renamed to the more sonorous Dunaj as a short-term project for recording an album and performing several concert tours. The performances were particularly successful due to the unusual musical expression.
Bittová kept her promise and parted ways with Dunaj after a year because she intended to focus primarily on solo performances. Pavel Richter also left the band, and his guitar parts were taken over by Jiří Kolšovský, who also became the main vocalist of the band. On the subsequent album "Rosol," released in 1991, keyboardist Zdeněk Plachý also participated, who at that time temporarily collaborated with Dunaj.
There was a crystallization of the musical expression, which differed from the classic big beat of the 1980s, characterized mainly by the use of a meter other than the four-beat, often featuring odd five or seven-beat measures. Ostinato figures were typical for instruments, sometimes starting on different beats within the measure. There was also a resignation from the verse and chorus as traditional formative elements of a popular song. Stylistically, besides the big beat foundation, influences of minimalism, punk, and in the beginning, even Prague's new wave were apparent. The authors of the evocative lyrics were the visual artist Vladimír Kokolia, Karel David, Pavel Fajt, and Vladimír Václavek. Initially, due to the lack of a more suitable term, Dunaj was externally classified as art rock, but later the term "Brno alternative" became accepted, encompassing Brno bands creating in a similar style.
In the spring of 1991, the band officially ceased its activities, but in the course of 1992, it was revived, and in 1993, it released its arguably best album "Dudlay" in a new and definitive lineup: Jiří Kolšovský (guitar, vocals), Josef Ostřanský (guitar), Vladimír Václavek (bass guitar, acoustic guitar), and Pavel Koudelka (drums). The sound of the band changed again, especially with the arrival of Pavel Koudelka, whose style of play significantly differed from the playful drums of Pavel Fajt. The latter used an extensive set and created, for big beat, atypical, tonally colorful surfaces with a relatively large number of accents on light beats. For Pavel Koudelka, on the other hand, a characteristic feature was an economical, more forceful style of play (using only bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat, and china splash).
In the first half of the 1990s, the group gained an almost cult status in Bohemia and released two more albums, "IV." and "Lalalai," with an unchanged lineup.
In 1995, in an expanded lineup (during the duration of this project, former members Iva Bittová and Pavel Fajt joined Dunaj) under the name "Pustit musíš," the debut was re-recorded, supplemented with newer songs, followed by several concert performances.
As the members of Dunaj increasingly devoted themselves to their side and solo projects, the band officially ended its existence in 1998. Shortly thereafter, the singer Jiří Kolšovský passed away. Dunaj was only revived once - as part of the Delta Dunaj project, which consisted of a joint performance of bands associated with the Brno scene. Václav Bartoš from the band Pluto took over the role of the vocalist for this occasion.
formed in 1989
disbanded in 1998
The first phase of the musical ensemble Dunaj's functioning in the 1980s was the association Kolektiv with a variable membership base, which originated based on the duo of Iva Bittová (violin, vocals) and Pavel Fajt (drums). Kolektiv attracted attention in 1986 with a performance at the Rockfest festival with the lineup: Josef Ostřanský (guitar), Vladimír Václavek (bass guitar, guitar), Pavel Richter (guitar), Pavel Fajt (drums), Jiří Kolšovský (vocals), and Iva Bittová (vocals). Subsequently, due to the busy schedules of the musicians with their other projects, Kolektiv performed only occasionally. The first recording was released in 1989 by Panton, which originally intended to release another album by the duo Bittová and Fajt (based on the success of the 1988 LP, which won Album of the Year). However, as they did not have new repertoire ready, they offered Panton the recording of older Kolektiv songs as an alternative. Thus, Kolektiv was renamed to the more sonorous Dunaj as a short-term project for recording an album and performing several concert tours. The performances were particularly successful due to the unusual musical expression.
Bittová kept her promise and parted ways with Dunaj after a year because she intended to focus primarily on solo performances. Pavel Richter also left the band, and his guitar parts were taken over by Jiří Kolšovský, who also became the main vocalist of the band. On the subsequent album "Rosol," released in 1991, keyboardist Zdeněk Plachý also participated, who at that time temporarily collaborated with Dunaj.
There was a crystallization of the musical expression, which differed from the classic big beat of the 1980s, characterized mainly by the use of a meter other than the four-beat, often featuring odd five or seven-beat measures. Ostinato figures were typical for instruments, sometimes starting on different beats within the measure. There was also a resignation from the verse and chorus as traditional formative elements of a popular song. Stylistically, besides the big beat foundation, influences of minimalism, punk, and in the beginning, even Prague's new wave were apparent. The authors of the evocative lyrics were the visual artist Vladimír Kokolia, Karel David, Pavel Fajt, and Vladimír Václavek. Initially, due to the lack of a more suitable term, Dunaj was externally classified as art rock, but later the term "Brno alternative" became accepted, encompassing Brno bands creating in a similar style.
In the spring of 1991, the band officially ceased its activities, but in the course of 1992, it was revived, and in 1993, it released its arguably best album "Dudlay" in a new and definitive lineup: Jiří Kolšovský (guitar, vocals), Josef Ostřanský (guitar), Vladimír Václavek (bass guitar, acoustic guitar), and Pavel Koudelka (drums). The sound of the band changed again, especially with the arrival of Pavel Koudelka, whose style of play significantly differed from the playful drums of Pavel Fajt. The latter used an extensive set and created, for big beat, atypical, tonally colorful surfaces with a relatively large number of accents on light beats. For Pavel Koudelka, on the other hand, a characteristic feature was an economical, more forceful style of play (using only bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat, and china splash).
In the first half of the 1990s, the group gained an almost cult status in Bohemia and released two more albums, "IV." and "Lalalai," with an unchanged lineup.
In 1995, in an expanded lineup (during the duration of this project, former members Iva Bittová and Pavel Fajt joined Dunaj) under the name "Pustit musíš," the debut was re-recorded, supplemented with newer songs, followed by several concert performances.
As the members of Dunaj increasingly devoted themselves to their side and solo projects, the band officially ended its existence in 1998. Shortly thereafter, the singer Jiří Kolšovský passed away. Dunaj was only revived once - as part of the Delta Dunaj project, which consisted of a joint performance of bands associated with the Brno scene. Václav Bartoš from the band Pluto took over the role of the vocalist for this occasion.
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Rosol
Dunaj Lyrics
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