Performing group The Stroj was formed in 1997 in Laško, Slovenia, when its founder Primož Oberžan gathered a group of enthusiastic friends to realize the idea of a huge mechanical sound machine that should sound like an articulated noise orchestra, driven by hypnotic rhythms and powered with their bodily energy. Fanatic enthusiasm had fulfilled their vision of how to research and develop their sonic totem – STROJ - while articulating their unique sound language.
The name The Stroj comes from the Slovenian word ‘stroj’ (pronounced as ‘stroy’) which means ‘machine’. Pronounced together with ‘the’, we get ‘destroy’, therefore The Stroj is a pun, playing with two meanings: machine and destruction.
The Stroj merges powerful and complex rhythms of their hand crafted percussions with astonishing sounds of old electrical devices, analog instruments, redesigned electric tools, modern digital sound manipulations and subtle feminine vocals. They are probably most famous by their special events and big scale productions in extraordinary locations such as mines, stone-pits, abandoned factories, large vehicles and high buildings.
In the last decade The Stroj has taken part in many important festivals across Europe and Asia (Big Torino 2000, EXPO 2000, BBC Music Live 2002, Stockton Riverside Festival '03 & '05, Singapore Art Festival 2005...)
In the year 2000 The Stroj won The Golden Bird award for achievements on musical field and national TV Slovenia made a documentary about their work. In 2006 they took part in the contemporary dance production Temporary Autonomous Zone in Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana. Their recent project Kymatikon was officially presented in Kinodvor, Ljubljana in april 2009. With this project, named after their machine for cymatic visualization of sound, The Stroj started to upgrade their performances with live video projections of cymatic effects made by their music.
DISCOGRAPHY:
Ventilator – CD (Strojmusic/Dallas Records 1999)
Gremo! – CD (Strojmusic/Dallas Records 2002)
Cona / The Zone - CD (Strojmusic/Dallas Records 2006)
RECENT LINE UP:
Goran Završnik – keyboards, controllers, theremin, electronic manipulation
Eva Breznikar – percussions, flexes, vocals
Anže Žurbi – percussions
Žiga Kožar – percussions
Matej Selan - percussions
Primož Oberžan – efektor, percussions, samples, cymatics
Jure Vlahovič – sound design
Arnold Marko – video, cymatics
Luka Drinovec - cymatics
