1960s and early 1970s: Vranešević brothers' beginnings

Predrag "Peđa" Vranešević started his musical career in 1962, in a Novi Sad local band.^[1] In 1964, he was one of the forming members of the Belgrade band The Best of Nothing.^[1] The members of the band chose their name after a poem by Dylan Thomas.^[1] The band consisted of Zlatko Lozić (vocals), Dejan Ilić (guitar), Predrag Vranešević (bass guitar), Drago Juričević (rhythm guitar) and Nikola Ranđelović (drums).^[1] Initially, they performed beat music, but later turned towards The Byrds-inspired folk rock and gained local popularity.^[1] Their songs had unusual titles—like "Intelektualno sakupljanje jabuka u dolini senki" ("Intelectual Apple Gathering in the Valley of Shadows")—and were influenced by mysticism.^[1] After the band ended their activity, Predrag Vranešević moved back to Novi Sad, where he formed the band Med (Honey).^[1] With Med he made his first recording, the song "Gajba" ("Crate").^[1] Simultaneously with his work in Med, he worked as a film editor of the Novi Sad Youth Grandsand^[1] and wrote film reviews for the Index magazine.^[2] In 1972, he graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture^[1] and got an employment in Urbis architectural and planning company, where he worked until 1981.^[3]

Mladen "Bata" Vranešević started his career as the vocalist for the bands Falkoni (The Falcons) and Neoplanti (The Neoplanters), and later joined Med.^[1] In 1971, the brothers started composing music for theatre plays, films, radio and TV shows.^[1] They debuted with music for Karpo Godina's 1971 short film Zdravi ljudi za razonodu (Healthy People for Recreation), composed on the lyrics of poet and musician Branko Andrić.^[1] For the music they were awarded on the Festival of Short and Documentary Film, which motivated them to continue composing.^[1] During the years, they wrote music for numerous films, most prominently for Karpo Godina's The Medusa Raft and Artificial Paradise, Dragan Kresoja's One Last Time, The End of the War, Oktoberfest, The Original of the Forgery, Full Moon Over Belgrade, and numerous TV shows, including popular children's shows Poletarac (Nestling), Priče iz Nepričave (Stories from Nepričava), Fore i fazoni (Jokes and Gags) and Čik pogodi ko sam (Guess Who I Am).^[1] They wrote music for plays by Belgrade National Theatre, Sarajevo National Theatre, Belgrade Drama Theatre, Duško Radović Theatre and other Yugoslav theatres.^[3] For their work they received several awards in Yugoslavia and abroad.^[1] In 1975, they started their own recording studio.^[4]

In 1976, Vranešević brothers created the theatre play Gastarbajter opera (Gastarbeiter Opera) with film director Želimir Žilnik.^[1] Five years earlier, the brothers and Žilnik tried to produce their rock opera Fabrike radnicima (Factories to the Workers) in Atelje 212 theatre, but were—despite positive reactions by prominent figures involved in the theatre's work, like writers Jovan Ćirilov and Borislav Mihajlović Mihiz, director Borka Pavićević and actor Zoran Radmilović—refused by managing director Mira Trailović due to the play being overly politically provocative.^[2] Gastarbajter opera caused a minor diplomatic incident. The play dealt with life of Yugoslav migrant workers in West Germany and Austria. After the play's premiere in Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad, the cultural attaché of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany tried to put across the ban of the play, claiming that it portrayed German employers as fascists.^[5] After a TV crew from Cologne did a report about the play, containing shots of the play and interviews with the authors, the scandal quited down.^[5]

Late 1970s and 1980s: Band formation, rise to prominence and mainstream popularity

In 1977, Vranešević brothers formed the band Laboratorija Zvuka.^[1] They chose the name Labratorija Zvuka as they often experimented with sound in their studio.^[4] The band featured musicians with whom the brothers had previously worked in studio: Aleksandar Pejak (guitar), Stevan Lukić (guitar), Laslo Pihler (drums), Vera Lajko (vocals, keyboards), Dina Kurbatfinsky Vranešević (Mladen Vranešević's wife, vocals), Aleksandar "Caki" Kravić (bass guitar), and Olah Vince (violin).^[1] During the following years, Vince would simultaneously perform with Romani music band Zemlja, Točak i Nebo (Earth, Wheel and Sky).^[6]

With the song "Dok vam je još vreme" ("While You Still Can") Laboratorija Zvuka appeared on the 1978 Opatija Festival.^[1] After Opatija Festival, they performed on the 1978 Subotica Youth Festival.^[4] After the success of the 7-inch single with the songs "Dok vam je još vreme" and "Sve je to bilo u proleće" ("It All Happened in the Spring"), the band released two more 7-inch singles and started recording their debut album.^[1] The album, entitled Telo (The Body), was released through Jugoton in 1980.^[1] The album featured new bass guitarist, Đorđe Urban, new drummer, Ivan Kašik, and new female vocalist, Renata Viegy.^[7] Telo was a concept album, with the A-side entitled Vrline (Virtues), featuring the songs which celebrated asceticism and healthy lifestyle, while the B-side, entitled Poroci (Vices), featured songs about bodily pleasures.^[1] The album opens with an acted transmission from the bodybuilding competition in Bački Jarak, and is followed by new wave-oriented (but also featuring elements of other genres) songs "Suvarak" ("Spall"), "Lepo telo" ("Pretty Body", featuring a quotation from Oliver Dragojević's song "Oprosti mi, pape"), "Alkohol, žene i..." ("Alcohol, Women and...", featuring a quotation from the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"), "Bajna mašina" ("Fabulous Machine").^[1] The album cover was designed by Predrag Vranešević.^[8] Telo was sold in 60,000 copies in Yugoslavia, becoming a silver record.^[8]

On the concerts which followed the album release, the band performed in a thirteen-piece lineup, which, beside the band members, featured bodybuilding champion Petar Čelik and his wife Irena.^[1] While the band was playing, Čelik was practicing his bodybuilding using various training devices.^[1] The unusual performances brought them large attention of the media.^[1] Later during the year, the band released a 7-inch single which brought their biggest hit, the ska song "Ska-kavac joj zaš'o u rukavac" ("Grasshopper Got in Her Sleeve"), which featured quotes from Crven ban, a collection of erotic folk poetry compiled by Vuk Karadžić.^[1] The song also featured the debut appearance of the band's mascot, Vilmoš Kauboj (Vilmoš the Cowboy, real name Vilmoš Lakatoš), a marginal character from the streets of Novi Sad, who toured with the band as the announcer.^[1]

The band's following album, Duboko u tebi (Deep inside You), was released through Jugoton in 1982 and featured the cover designed by renowned comic book artist Igor Kordej.^[9] The album was stylistically more diverse than the band's debut,^[8] with some of the songs featuring elements of rockabilly.^[1] The song "Zaboravljena draga" ("The Forgotten Beloved"), released on the album, was originally recorded for Zoran Amar's film Piknik u Topoli (Picnic in Topola), and featured lyrics written by Predrag Vranešević and Slobodan Tišma, the leader of Luna and former leader of La Strada.^[1] However, as Tišma did not want to be known that he worked on the song lyrics, he was signed on the album as Bobo Misteriozo.^[1] The album also featured a cover of Larry Williams' "Bony Moronie", and "Odlazim dolazim" ("I'm Leaving I'm Coming"), the latter recorded live in 1978 on the band's performance at the Subotica Youth Festival.^[1] At the time of the album recording, the band's new members became Deže Molnar (saxophone) and Miroslav Cvetković "Pis" (guitar).^[1] In 1982, the band performed in West Germany, on the concerts organized by Novi Sad Prison for the children of Yugoslav guest workers.^[1] During this staying in Germany, the band recorded the synth-pop-oriented 7-inch single with the songs "Devica 69" ("Virgin 69") i "Šetnja" ("A Walk").^[1]

After their return from West Germany, the band continued to perform in Yugoslavia, and in late 1982 Predrag Vranešević was charged because the band "insulted socialist moral and hurt patriotic feelings" of the citizens of Novo Mesto, SR Slovenia.^[1] Some citizens of Novo Mesto saw a poster announcing Laboratorija Zvuka concert in the city, depicting naked Vilmoš Kauboj with a hat similar to the ones often worn by late President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito.^[8] Believing the image of Vilmoš Kauboj insults the memory of Tito, some citizens of Novo Mesto took the posters to the police.^[1] The consequent trial resulted in Predrag Vranešević initially being sentenced to 40 days in prison, but the whole case was soon hushed up as absurd and the charges were dropped.^[1]

In 1983, the band performed in West Germany once again, and after performing at the Zagreb Music Biennale alongside Gang of Four and Classix Nouveaux, they established contacts with British managers, and in August 1984 went to London.^[1] During five evenings they performed in London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, under the name La Boratoria.^[1] The happening, entitled Jašući konje Svetog Marka (Riding the Horses of Saint Mark), featured an art exhibition and a theatre play about a hero named PVC, "the illegitimate son of Sergei Yesenin and Isadora Duncan".^[1] On the scene appeared the members of the band, ballet dancers, and bodybuilder Slobodan Blagojević.^[6] The performance was met with positive reactions by the British press.^[6] During their staying in London, the band recorded a short documentary, entitled Kuda ide naše malo društvo (Where Is Our Small Society Heading To), with the screenplay written by Predrag, and directed by Mladen Vranešević.^[6] At this time, Mladen Vranešević started working with younger band, and helped Plavi Orkestar and Ruž in their first steps.^[6]

Laboratorija Zvuka with their two "mascots": Dušica Ilić (first one from the left) and Vilmoš Kauboj (sitting)

In 1986, the band released the album Nevinost (Virginity), in the new lineup, which featured Predrag Vranešević on keyboards, guitar and vocals, Deže Molnar on saxophone, Mladen Vranešević, Renata Viegy and Dina Kurbatfinsky Vranešević on vocals, a former Luna and Pekinška Patka member Zoran "Bale" Bulatović on guitar, a former Luna and Ekatarina Velika member Ivan Fece "Firchie" on drums, Stojan Jovanović on bass guitar, and Senad Jašarević on keyboards.^[6] The band's new mascot, beside Vilmoš Kauboj, became a trans woman named Dušica Ilić, who would in the 1990s become known as the clairvoyant under the name Kleopatra.^[6] In accordance with the album title, the center label on the vinyl record did not have a hole in the middle, and buyers of the album had to tear it by putting the record on a record player spindle.^[10] Beside new material, the album featured new versions of songs "Ska-kavac joj zašo u rukavac", "Devica" and "Šetnja", originally released on the band's 7-inch singles.^[6] The tracks "Daj mi bugi, dam ti vugi" ("Give Me Boogie, I'll Give You Woogie"), "Mala moja, al' je paranoja" ("My Baby Is Paranoid") and "Vili, Vili" ("Willie, Willie") saw large airplay.^[6] After the album release, Vranešević brothers dedicated themselves to composing for film, theatre and television, and the band, although officially still active, appeared in media sporadically only.^[11]

1990s: Final works and disbandment

After a longer break in their work, the band, in 1996, released the album entitled in Serbian ijekavian, Nema niđe te ljepote (There's No Such a Beauty), through Komuna.^[6] The album featured ten songs, recorded in a minimalist manner and resembling demo recordings.^[6] The title track was originally recorded for the Tourism Association of Montenegro, and the others were written during the band's career, but were previously unrecorded.^[6] The album featured the song "Čudnan susret u tmurno popodne" ("A Strange Encounter during the Gloomy Afternoon"), originally performed by Vranešević brother's old band Med.^[6] The songs "Do I Dare" and "Vinyl Mirrors" were written on the poems of Johnatan Loyd, and the lyrics for the song "Mimi" were written after the motifs from Ivo Tijardović's works.^[12] The album was recorded in the lineup featuring Vranešević brothers, Molnar, Bulatović, and the backing vocals were sung by Milana Vranešević, daughter of Mladen and Dina Vranešević.^[6] Nema niđe te ljepote was met with mostly negative reactions by the music critics.^[13] After the album release, the band officially ended their activity.^[6]

Post-breakup

In 1991, Predrag Vranešević became the TV Novi Sad musical editor.^[6] He retired in 2005,^[6] dedicating himself to composing.^[3] In 2011, in cooperation with Želimir Žilnik, he created the opera Nema zemlja (Silent Land), partially based on their 1971 rock opera Fabrike radnicima.^[14] He died on 6 February 2022, after a long illness.^[3]

Mladen Vranešević dedicated himself to marketing.^[6] He died on 16 July 2006.^[15]

Dina Kurbatfinsky Vranešević also turned to marketing, becoming the assistant of Radio Television of Serbia marketing manager,^[13] and later became the general manager of Radio Television of Vojvodina.^[16] Renata Viegy turned to acting, becoming an actress in the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad.^[13] Deže Molnar, after Laboratorija Zvuka ended its activity, performed with numerous artists. He died in Novi Sad on 18 November 2013.^[17]

Studio albums

• Telo (1980)
• Duboko u tebi (1982)
• Nevinost (1986)
• Nema niđe te ljepote (1996)

Compilation albums

• Laboratorija Zvuka (2005)

Singles

• "Dok vam je još vreme" / "Sve je to bilo u proleće" (1978)
• "Ko ne zna da se smeši" / "Brek boks" (1978)
• "Kad postanem slab i star" / "Kas" (1979)
• "Mod-deran" / "Ska-kavac joj zaš'o u rukavac" (1980)
• "Poletarac"/ "Stočiću postavi se" / "Oproštaj od magneta" (1981)
• "Devica 69" / "Šetnja" (1982)
• "Još ovaj put" / "Još ovaj put – instrumental" (1983)