POMAKNUTO

"Pomaknuto" (Set Off) is the final in the trilogy of albums recorded with producer Tinnie Varga in his studio in Sweden. Moreover, it is the final Drago Mlinarec's album in his career and it remains so in the years to come.

Maybe it is unfair to pronounce it his worst album, but really so much dependence on drum machines and synths, vocal synthetic treatments, totally unnecessary sampling of odd sounds (baby cry, football game commentators...) and overall production done in this way, cannot rely on more understanding and sympathy. The worst thing is, the very songs seem not too bad at all and one wish that they be undone and re-recorded with more humane and natural production.

There are a few good moments, though. "Volim ih" (I Love Them) and "Urlik Skrutten" (Swedish translation needed...?) contain some very good guitar solos, augmented by certain psychedelic techno effects. The closing track with nonsense title "2 u 8,5 do 8" brings back acoustic folksy sound with Neil Youngish harmonica and a brewpub atmosphere. Speaking of Mr. Young I still remember my horror when hearing his notorious 1982 "Trans" album where he experimented with synths and computers, but over the years I learnt to treat it as such - a failed but sincere experiment.

Unfortunately, "Pomaknuto" is not experimental at all, rather it shows a period of letargy and creative down of a great songwriter. For collectors only...

"2 u 8" (2 in 8) is the expression from central Croatia and Croatian Hinterlands (Zagorje) for the mix of (usually bad) white wine and mineral water; 2/10 of water and 8/10 of wine. "5 do 8" is similar expression for cognac.

Much of Mlinarec's consequent work after this album was experimental music which usually surfaced at the various exhibtions openings or as the part of the artistic installations, also as the ambient music for radio or TV. No matter how bad it may sound as the LP, it indicated the direction of the Mlinarec's music to come.

Album was made during the expansion of Varga's studio, so the temptation to experiment was obviously much too strong.

During 90s Mlinarec issued 2 cassettes of experimental music for a Slovenian label. Apart from the experimetal tracks, the first cassette comprised also 2 songs composed on poems by the great Croatian writer Miroslav Krleza.