LISTEN LOUDEST WITHOUT MUCH BASS

Two years before war SCH made the album "During Wartime". In the middle of the war they have prepared material for their new album with the working title "The Gentle Art Of Firing". After a decade of existence, SCH has grown into the most eminent underground band in Sarajevo and has become one of the most significant cultural phenomena on these teritories.
"What we have made might seem too "softy", but we ten years ago went into "noise". Others are left in the dust. And since we hope that in some thirty years peace might come, we have prepared material that fits that period". With these words SCH turned to the audience that gathered at club "Obala" on January 7. to hear and see the promotion of the newest audio and video material that they had recorded in the basement of the Academy of Performing Arts. An expected recognizable statement. However, after listening to the material and to six songs that were played live, the only iritating thing was that it was too short.

Soft and singing

First impression is - unexpected. As usual SCH is running away from dominant trends. While other bands are in competition for who will be the wildest and closest to dominant world trends, in which "Sikter" and "Lezi majmune" have most of the succes, SCH, in the middle of the war, is creating soft, slow material. Slow is still faster than how they used to play few years ago. Emotions, by which they communicate with the audience are still very twisted, so they cannot be read as political messages. Senad has begun to sing and he does not bark into the microphone any longer, but still he is the only one who knows what he is singing. Guitars are more melodic than in previous recordings, but, even if it sounds like a love song there is no sweetness in it at all.
As usual, SCH offered an alternative vision that talks about the reality sorrounding it. They will also be different (this time as well) than most of others creating rock'n'roll and that is proof that the only band these others should be alternative to is - SCH.

Rock'n'roll band

Since the first public concert in 1983. at Kuk, SCH has become the most important alternative underground band in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time when New Primitives passed from illegal to main stream, they were leaning towards punk and reggae. Then, as the opening band for "Saxon" they reached the top, they became the first and the only trash and noise band in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time when trash finally became mainstream, SCH was playing what one journalist described as something he had never heard before.
SCH had gone so much into alternative than it became less alternative than the bands trying to enter mainstream. Finally they stopped being the most important alternative band in the city and become the only authentic band.
It is a matter of personal taste who to declare as the best Sarajevo band: "Sikter", "Lezi majmune" or some other band; SCH is certainly not it. They are simply the only band in the country.
After the promotion of their newest material, it is beyond doubt that they can play whatever they want, but they are playing only what they think they should.
Others play what they know. SCH is not convicted to momentary mainstream or alternative trends, grunge, hip-hop, metal or something else.
In their music you must work to find influences and you must know 70's, 80's, 90's. The music traditions on which they lean include Robert Fripp, kraut rock, trash, noise and dark rock and others, but nothing will appear in it's original form. Tradition remains a basis on which Senad, Pero and Dane build their own music expression and views.
The thing that is missing is a good studio and a producer that would be better than the one with which "The Gentle Art Of Firing" was made, but having in mind the punk history of the present director of Open Society Found of Bosnia and Herzegovina, these things are not out of reach.

Milan Cvijanovic
(taken from "Dani")

E-mail:
franticz@hi.htnet.hr