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jokeroutsubs · 10 months

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Bojan on the cover of Astro Suzy, special summer edition of Suzy Magazine, focusing on astrology and spirituality. Scans and ENG Translation by: @kurooscoffee Cover Title:

Bojan Cvjetičanin: "We have a duty to change things for the better"

Article title:

We are driven by our love of life

WITH JOKER OUT, WE HAVE WITNESSED A MENTAL LEAP AND A SOCIAL PHENOMENON THAT WE HAVE LONGED FOR. THE BOYS GIVE HOPE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CONNECTING INTO A STRONG COMMUNITY THAT CARES ABOUT THE FUTURE, EVEN THOUGH PREVIOUS GENERATIONS HAVE LEFT THEM IN RUINS. IN A FLOOD OF STARLETS AND ARTIFICIALLY CREATED ONLINE INFLUENCERS, WE GOT ROLE MODELS WHO DON'T OFFER DISCOUNT CODES, BUT IMPORTANT MUSICAL MESSAGES ABOUT VALUES. IN THE MIDDLE OF A SLOVENIAN AND EUROPEAN TOUR, THE LEAD SINGER AND VISUAL OF THE BAND SHARED WITH US WHAT HE'S THINKING ABOUT, WHAT CAUSES HE'S STANDING BEHIND, AND WHY IT'S BENEFICIAL TO DEEPEN YOUR SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE. What are you thinking about as representatives of the new wave, the new generation? What is your attitude towards the dynamics in society, climate change, pervasive social networks, in short, everything that weighs on modern man? On the one hand, we ourselves are involved in all the processes that actively and continuously prolong the problems you are talking about. On the other hand, we are deeply aware of them and we are afraid of what is coming. It seems to me that in our generation the desire for change is very strong. There is a universal language of youth that has come together on the basis of feeling obliged and able to change things for the better. The song New Wave is about just that. We are ready to celebrate this common strength because we are encouraged by the idea that we are not alone. At the same time, we know that we are compelled to do something because someone before us has seriously 'fucked up'.

In your hit song 'Novi Val' (New Wave), already the very first verse has you wonder where to go from here. Do you know the answer?

If we want to do anything other than burn the horizon, the only way is towards community, away from egocentrism, with an onlook towards common good.

Let's stick to the anthem of the generation of love, as you named your peers and loyal supporters. The phrase 'We were born yesterday and everything is already our fault' is powerful and worrying. You have been given a pitiful lagecy by your ancestors. How do you defend yourself from taking a role of a victim and instead get actively involved in creating a brighter future?

Great question! It would be hard to change anything for the better if we put on the victim's cloak. The fact that in recent years it has become clear that there is a rebellion by people who have had enough is already a cause for optimism. When you put yourself in the role of the one who carries a scepter as a synonym of the leader of change, you move away from being a victim. And each one of us in this community carries it. In reality, we are taking the position that society is currently a victim and it is our task to defend it.

How?

We all contribute in our own way. The role of musicians is to connect people with positive messages. So by constantly reminding people about friendship, love and other social components that can be tapped into through music. In Slovenia, we have a lot of organisations that are trying to change the situation for the better in many different ways. It does not require much to at least educate oneself about what these organisations are doing. I have the feeling that many people would like to get involved and help. At the end of grammar school and at college, we were encouraged to find out about collective organisations. It was clear to them that many people would want to join of their own initiative once they knew what they stood for. I know many former classmates who are very active members and supporters of various movements. Even if we minimise our own negative energy on social networks, it is a big step towards a good state of society, and of mind.

(picture 1: Family Cvjetićanin knows how to stick together)

You seem to care about a world that is increasingly drowning in chaos. You have become idols, not only of young people, but also of their parents. Is this a burden of responsibility or does it encourage you do even more activism?

It's a great feeling when the little ones take you for an idol. As a teenager, it was also inspiring to be surrounded by the music of Big Foot Mama and Siddharta. It gave me a message in a language that I could not compare with anything else. But our creativity does not depend on what people think of us or how they perceive us. But it is a great honour to know that you are one of those who encourage someone. Many people are listening, but not hearing. Joker Out is made up of five individuals who, in real life, when the cameras and the spotlights are off, are just normal guys. We went through all the processes of growing up on the streets, socialising and playing. We went through the process of going to school, and we were not problematic adolescents. Even today, our most extreme departure from an ideal is what 99% of young people do. To party sometimes. We are not outlaws by nature.

Your work is a beacon of light, a source of hope and strength. Many have done it before you, especially the Beatles. A lot has changed since their era, much of it unfortunately for the worse. How do you keep optimistic? Why is it worth the effort?

Every musician in history who has sung about ending war and living for love has failed miserably. I believe that at least those people who follow the messenger are convinced of peace and love. If every musician encourages someone to to do so, it's a hefty amount of opponents of hate. We are driven forward by love for life.

Writing texts is a responsible job, and you are baring your soul at the same time. Where is the line, to what lengths are you willing to go to protect the most vulnerable part of yourself?

I have never consciously inhibited the process of looking inside myself. But I feel that with age and experience I understand more and more what can lead me to a deeper state of mind. In the beginning I didn't dare to dig into myself. Today I have no problem in fully exposing my feelings, because they are, after all, states that happen of their own accord - and it is impossible to force them

(picture 2: The boys of Joker Out became even closer)

No Slovenian artist has enjoyed such a fierce international success as Joker Out. Concerts in iconic European clubs are literally sold out in hours, even minutes. How do you accept fame? Is it a blessing or is there also a bit of fear?

There are certainly Slovenian musicians with international experience. Maybe not at our age, but that doesn't take away from their importance. We have achieved a very nice success here in terms of listeners, we have honed our skills and we have grown with the band as a collective. We have grasped who and what we are as a whole. We are a group of people who make music purely because we really enjoy it. Whatever feelings our music-making evokes, it all comes from us in the most sincere way, Fortunately, our music is liked by a larger crowd and we have managed to transmit our unforced joy, happiness, joy across national borders. There is no better catalyst for such a breakthrough than Eurovision, we chose the moment to participate wisely. It paid off as a successful project, because for a good band it doesn't matter which part of the world it comes from. It's important to be heard - and we were heard by a lot of people. The only thing that has changed so far is that the bonds between us have strengthened. Suddenly we have been forced to talk about emotions and experiences that we did not have before. There has been a lot of filtering of unfamiliar feelings. The desire to create increased a thousandfold for all five of us.

Are you aware of the role that the public attributes to you, to act as a beacon of light in a crowd of frustrated, bitter people?

No. I would hardly say that I can understand that. Every time I hear something like that, it strikes me that it is saying too much. I really cannot think of myself in such a strong context.

You are giving yourself away. You are constantly on the road, interviews, concerts, promotional tours. It's exhausting. How do you recover? What calms you down, fills you with grace?

It's true that we give a lot of ourselves. But we get so much more in return. Nothing calms me more than coming home and being close to my family. And of course the company of Kris, Jan, Jure and Nace. The people we were with friends before this euphoria, have stayed with us, this team surround us with a lot of love.

(picture 3: He's noticing, that young people are connecting into a strong community that cares about the future)

As a front-man and lyricist, you are even more exposed. You've crossed the magical 200 thousand followers on Instagram, which is a mega number, but also a mega stressful situation. Most young people who find themselves in such a situation turn to intoxicating substances. Can you consciously stop and say that you need time for yourself?

The only thing that made me a bit anxious was the sudden exposure to such a large audience'on social media. This brings with it unimaginable dimensions of human imagination, including malice. Imaginary stories emerge in which people literally compete to see who can come up with something more bizarre. This stress got to me at the beginning, because I felt that I had to defend myself in front of the public. In the end, I realised that I didn't need to convince anyone and that it was enough to know the truth. With the help of colleagues who have similar experiences, I have calmed down. As for the substances, I have a natural protection against those, because I am an incorrigible hypochonder. I dare not take an aspirin unless it is really urgent. Above all, I know when to stop.

You come from a close-knit, loving family. That is certainly a solid foundation on which to build your personality. What is their view of everything that happens to you?

They are very proud! Of all my achievements and of me for being able to pull off a music career combined with the academic milestone of graduating. My parents and my grandmother are definitely my biggest supporters. They accompany me on my journey with warnings, but they are more about eating regularly, to not get a stomach ache, to consume enough water and to get enough sleep. I have been chronically lacking the latter in the last few weeks.

What is your relationship to astrology, esotericism, in short, something that is intangible but can be felt?

Superstition is the one I use the most. For Eurovision I had a special pair of underpants and I was haunted by the feeling that if I didn't wear them, everything would go to hell. Jan's mum gave me a lace clover, which I didn't dare leave in Ljubljana. I asked the stylist to sew it on my outfit as a precaution. I got a clay horseshoe from a little girl, and it went with me to Liverpool. It will seem strange to some, but I believe in energies and ghosts.

How do you strengthen your spiritual side?

Not very well. I wish I had managed to acquire more spiritual knowledge in the last year. For example, basic meditation techniques and the laws of yoga, because I am definitely not physically active enough. The feeling of being 90 years old eats up most of my spirit. My back hurts all the time. The best thing I do for inner growth is to read books. Not enough, but I'm going to get better. A little less phone scrolling and more self-reflection, that'll do the job! Author: Tomaž Mihelič, PHOTO: VITA OREHEK

Scans and translation by: @kurooscoffee (jokeroutsubs) DO NOT REPOST!

#Joker out #bojan cvjetićanin #bojan cvjeticanin #a sociologist rambling about sociological issues... this interview was so much fun to translate #but also challenging!!#i hope I did it justice #Bojan is SO well spoken in Slovenian <3 #and anyway people who have been following us saw the stuff like Bojan/JO doing these random acts of kindness that'd almost stay unnoticed #because JO never mention them - but the people who they made happy posted about it on their websites and social media so we learnt about it #they're also doing another charity concert next week in Ljubljana for a kid with a unique illness that requires very expensive treatment #there were also reports of Bojan donating to charity before he was even (that) famous #so yeah he's not just bullshitting but really stands behind what he says #he's a good bean

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jokeroutsubs · 6 months

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Joker Out in Tvornica Kulture - Jokeroutmania

On Friday, the first of two sold out concerts of the Slovenian music sensation, Joker Out, was held in Tvornica Kulture.

“This is the first post-Yugoslav Slovenian band that sold more than 50 tickets in Zagreb”, Ivan Ramljak, a longtime music journalist who has since turned into one of the best domestic documentary film directors, jokingly commented to me on Facebook. The truth is an inseparable component of every good joke, including the joke mentioned above.

The last post-Yugoslav Slovenian band that performed in the same concert venue was the band Siddharta, who also filled Tvornica Kulture, two decades ago, but in unusual circumstances in which a considerable amount of buses full of their Slovenian fans also came with the band. In 2003, at the peak of their career, Siddharta filled Bežigrad Stadium in Ljubljana and their loyal followers really followed them everywhere, and to Zagreb as well. That was the only night in Tvornica Kulture in Zagreb when I couldn’t hear Croatian spoken in the audience almost at all, so in that sense maybe the theory that the Zagreb public didn’t buy even 50 tickets was correct, despite the euphoria that dominated in a full Tvornica.

Twenty years later, Joker Out is a whole different story. Maybe it wasn’t obvious this summer, when they were the opening band for the popular Serbian duo Buč Kesidi at Šalata, but it definitely was at Špancirfest in Varaždin before Franz Ferdinand’s concert. To picture it, it’s enough to retell the story from the backstage, where the Scottish stars arrived right when the audience was screaming, saying goodbye to Joker Out. Alex Kapranos was delighted and surprised by it at first and asked if people were really so excited for Franz Ferdinand, but his mood was ruined when he got the answer that the reaction of the public was towards the opening group. On the other hand, maybe that was one of the reasons Franz Ferdinand delivered an excellent performance that night. Competition is a good thing.

The Zagreb promoter of Joker Out’s recent concerts was also very surprised when the tickets sold out and the decision to add another date was made. The tickets for that concert sold out as well, and the final tally is approximately 3,400 tickets sold for Joker Out.

The Croatian general public found out about Joker Out from Eurovision, where this band represented Slovenia. “They’re really handsome guys. We’d love to play around with them, if we find the chance. Maybe we’ll stick carnations up our asses or have group sex”, Mrle from Let 3 joked around in his usual fashion, but in a somewhat patronizing way. However, now at the end of the year there’s no joking around with this Slovenian band, who’s not only in demand in our region, but also more widely, from Scandinavia to Gibraltar. In addition, they recorded the song “New Wave” together with the legendary Elvis Costello, and a fairly well known British agency took them under its wing. Translated from the promoter’s language: If you want to book Joker Out, calling Ljubljana won’t work, for that you’ll have to dial a number in the UK and agree on their terms and prices. Sharp, isn’t it?

Now, it’s not exactly appropriate to stick a carnation up someone’s ass when they can teach about success in jumping to the most lucrative position in show business, which is being a teen rock star. Carpe Diem? Joker Out have definitely ‘seized their day’.

The Zagreb concert, scheduled for 21:00, started at 21:00, accompanied by screams of the entire Tvornica Kulture. Yes, screams that are an integral part of the song “Sunny Side of London”, which starts with a Beatles polyphony from Joker Out, followed by a ‘Beatlemania’ from the audience when the frontman Bojan Cvjetićanin appears. Basically, a ‘Jokeroutmania’, without exaggeration. I haven’t seen or heard that kind of mutual engagement in a long time.

This wasn’t a case of initial enthusiasm, which usually lasts for 10-15 minutes and then the band has to pull it on their own in order to raise the tension again to a new peak, according to the invisible sinusoidal rule. No. Last night, the venue sang with the band from the first until the last song for almost two hours, and when “Sunny Side of London” was performed as the last encore, it was followed by even louder screams than at the beginning. As if the enthusiastic and adrenaline-charged youth in Tvornica Kulture didn’t dance and sing the whole time in between.

I dare to say that the Slovenian language has never been sung so heartily and accurately in Tvornica. English as well, and we can’t even talk about “Demoni”, which is in our language. The band itself is full of first-class musicians, and one of the more experienced visitors said that evening: “We watched far more unstable British bands at INmusic festival”.

Of course, Joker Out’s songs are in the rock sphere, which massively attracts the teenage audience. But these songs are neither bad, nor do they bring with them the well known “stink” of pandering to the public. Joker Out believes in their songs. There’s no fraud with them, and their strongest “joker up their sleeve” is Bojan Cvjetićanin, who is a born frontman - he learned all the lessons, and managed to maintain naturalness and spontaneity, especially in communication with the audience.

With the exception of drummer Jure Maček, who cannot move around the stage due to “his job description”, the entire line-up alongside Cvjetićanin, i.e. guitarists Jan Peteh and Kris Guštin, as well as bassist Nace Jordan, formed a barrier at the very edge of the stage during the entire concert, which was an added bonus to the euphoria. No one turned their back to the audience during the performance, on the contrary, they were “on the front line” from the beginning until the end.

And of course, Joker Out are far ahead of similar bands that use pre-recorded instrumentals and samples during their performances. Namely, they have that old school, organic approach, which brings success in a time when there is a lot of talk about the popularity of trap music and similar genres, and about the lack of relevant young guitarist bands that could attract significant interest, primarily from a young audience.

And finally, we’re not talking about a band that was created as a project before the Eurovision Song Contest and is now flying on the wings of that success, but about the guys who have been working since 2016 on something they were recognised for across Europe six years later. As much as I appreciate Let 3, I have to express my doubts about who has better “group sex” with the audience. The only thing I have no doubt for is that Tvornica Kulture will be on fire tonight as well. The teenage audience chose their heroes and they didn’t choose wrongly.

Original article Ravnododna (11.11.2023)

Translation credit @moonlvster

#joker out #bojan cvjeticanin #jokeroutsubs #jan peteh #kris gustin #bojan cvjetićanin #nace jordan #jure macek #kris guštin #tvornica kulture #zagreb

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