ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SLOVENE ROCK MUSIC

Rock culture as a phenomenon is not easy to be defined or placed. On the one side we do have some theory works on the phenomenon of rock music and rock culture in Slovenia, on the other side the rock music practice has been flourishing (here we speak of non-commercial high-quality creative work, which tries to get financial means for its continuous development).

First formations of rock music Slovenia took place quite early - in comparison to other Central and Eastern European countries, the process started almost simultaneously to the phenomenon of rock culture prosperity in the West. The beginnings of energetic movements took place in the early 60s. Local rock bands took over quite a few youth clubs around Slovenia during the 70s, the impulses of alternative culture invigorated the scene during the 80s and continued through many new challenges of the social systems changes during the 90s. We are speaking of a period of four decades.

During the last decade some theoretical books appeared, dealing with rock culture within modern media culture in Slovenia (cf. Frontier book collection). Thus the subject was made widely accessible also to the circles that considered rock culture a trivial issue. However, the crucial gesture is still missing.

The Encyclopaedia of Slovene Rock Music should be a systematic and comprehensive alphabetically ordered overview, which is going to provide a missing link - it will not only fill up an empty space, but actually place the rock culture within a broad context of vibrant cultural production in Slovenia. The encyclopaedia is conceived as a basic tool with a documentation value (rock culture heritage) as well as practical promotion value (living culture). The internet version (hopefully in English) is simply going to make practical life of encyclopaedia longer, while the data will be accessible to wide audiences.

In the project many people should be engaged: experts, critics, fans, all interested participants who have been active in the field during the last four decades, current protagonists being of utmost importance. Co-operation with students as well as professors from all three Universities (covering Slovenia regionally) is envisaged in the field of research, we shall collaborate also with Slovene section of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, etc.

The Encyclopaedia of Slovene Rock Music is going to comprise the following entries:

- music bands (biography, chronology, discography, reviews)
- individual authors, composers, writers
- producers, record labels, clubs, organisers
- festivals
- music magazines
- theoreticians
- some entries related to rock culture (D.I.Y., fanzin, ska, punk - definitions, examples of influences, Slovene characteristics), cross-references…

The concept of the entry selection should be spacious, according to correlation of the notions of rock and modern music.

Subkulturni azil Maribor will organise an information statistics action following a precise scheme in several phases. It will be structured as an operation implemented by the following groups:

- entries collectors
- entries editors
- encyclopedia editors
- proof-readers

Entries should be obtained in different ways, simultaneously via:

- media
- post (e-mail adremas of record companies, club networks)
- cultural institutions (professional and amateur)
- training institutions
- making the project popular in Slovenia and abroad

The entry collectors should be all who are interested in the project

- educational institutions - student terrain research
- record companies
- music institutions - clubs, youth centres, associations, syndicate, SAZAS
- the VIPs of Slovene music scene.

The Encyclopaedia of Slovene Rock Music is a three-year project.

The Encyclopaedia of Slovene Rock Music will present the first relevant database of Slovene modern music creation.

Dušan Hedl

Maribor, October 20th, 2004

Contact: subazil@mail.ljudmila.org