Stvaranje muzike putem računara ili pak putem hibridinih formi koje kombinuju i analogno i digitalno, može se široko posmatrati, pa tako uticaj računara možemo videti i kroz pravac sint muzike i mnogobrojnih izvođača koji su u periodu osamdesetih bili inspirisani pojavom računara. Samo neki od primera su, recimo, kaver grupe Data za njihov vinil Neka Ti Se Dese Prave Stvari / Ne Zovi To Ljubavlju na kom se nalazi fotografija računara ili kroz direktne reference kao što je pesma Program tvog kompjutera pop sint grupe Denis Denis. Računarska era u Jugoslaviji imala je svoj snažan uticaj i na popularnu muziku, pa su tako elektronski sintisajzeri postali sve prisutniji u pop i rok muzici, donoseći novu dimenziju zvuka i ritma. Grupa Bijelo dugme je jedan od primera najpopularnih bendova koji su eksperimentisali sa elektronskim zvucima i sintetizatorima.

Ipak, posebno interesantno je stvaralaštvo određenih umetnika koji su otišli korak dalje u istraživanju dometa računara i muzike. Oni su koristili računarske programe i sintisajzere kako bi istražili nove zvučne mogućnosti i kreirali kompleksne kompozicije. Njihova muzika je često bila apstraktna, eksperimentalna i bazirana na tehnološkim eksploracijama. Među njima se svakako izdvajaju umetnici Vladan Radovanović, Marjan Šijanec i Miroslav Miša Savić, koji su među pionirima kompjuterske muzike na prostoru bivše Jugoslavije.

Vladan Radovanović – kreator prve računarske kompozicije u Jugoslaviji

Multimedijalni umetnik Vladan Radovanović bio je aktivan od kraja pedesetih godina XX veka na polju muzike, slikarstva, književnosti, i novih medija. Centralno mesto u njegovom stvarlaštvu zauzima interesovanje za sintezu umetnosti i autor je preko 250 teorijskih tekstova o muzici i novim tendencijama u umetnosti.

Vladan je kreator prve računarske kompozicije „Kompjutorije” koja je nastala 1976. godine u Utrehtu. Za njeno stvaranje korišćen je kompjuter PDP-15/20, a kao softver muzički programski jezik POD6 zasnovan na Poasonovoj distribuciji verovatnoće, koji posreduje između mašinskog jezika i kompozitora. Kompozicija je realizovana tako da je autor na osnovu „mape tendencija” koju je „zadavao” računaru, dobijao kao rezultat slučajne vrednosti u određenom opsegu, od kojih je nakon generisanja formirao konačni muzički tok.

Vladan Radnovanović

Vladan Radnovanović Undina

Radovanović je rukovodio Elektronskim studijom u Beogradu od 1972. do 1999. godine. Dobitnik je velikog broja nagrada, u periodu od 2001. do 2011. je bio profesor po pozivu na Univerzitetu umetnosti u Beogradu (Grupa za višemedijsku umetnost) i bio je član Udruženja kompozitora Srbije i Udruženja likovnih umetnika Srbije. Preminuo je u 91. godini života.

Marjan Šijanec – doprinos daljem razvoju računarske muzike

Pored Radovanovića, stvaralaštvo slovenačkog kompozitora i dirigenta Marjana Šijaneca obeležilo je drugu polovinu osamdesetih godina u Elektronskom studiju III programa Radio Beograda. Imajući u vidu broj računarskih centara u zemlji, bilo je logično očekivati da će u nekom od njih biti mesta i za muzička i zvučna istraživanja. Jedan od retkih (možda i jedini) kompozitor kojem se pružila takva prilika bio je upravo Šijanec, koji je svoje programersko umeće usavršavao u institutu Boris Kidrič u Ljubljani, kao i u institutu u Vinči.

Marjan Šijanec

Paralelni svetovi Marjan Šijanec

Šijanec je u narednim decenijama nastavio da se bavi muzičkim stvaralaštvom, kako u Sloveniji, tako i u inostranstvu. Dobitnik je mnogobrojnih nagrada, njegove kompozicije često su opisivane kao postmodernistička dela koja pripadaju informatičkoj eri, a mnogi ga danas smatraju jednim od pionira kompjuterske muzike na teritoriji bivše Jugoslavije.

Miroslav Miša Savić – Začetak trenda digitalne manipulacije zvukom

Kako je osamdesetih došlo do ekspanzije upotrebe ličnih računara, a kako je i sam dosta stvarao u okviru Elektronskog studija III programa Radio Beograda, kompozitor Miša Savić, počeo je u svoje stvaralaštvo da uključuje računar. Savić je bio deo grupe MGM, koju su pored njega činili Gordana Novaković i Marjan Šijanec. Tokom devedesetih godina, značajne su njegove saradnje sa Gordanom Novaković sa kojom je izveo nekoliko zajedničkih novomedijskih ostvarenja poznatih pod zbirnim nazivom Košulja srećnog čoveka (1992-1998). Na grupnoj izložbi Kompjuterska umetnost prikazana su dva Savićeva rada – Šest pogleda na jedno i Glas Anđela, koji je posebno zanimljiv, jer je u njemu prikazana digitalizovani prikaz freske Anđeo na grobu Hristovom. Ovim radom, umetnik ukazuje vrlo rano na predstojeći trend digitalne manipulacije, koji će ubrzo kulumnirati pojavom interneta.

Miša Savić

Miša Savić, Glas Anđela (1991) predstavljen na izložbi Kompjuterska umetnost

Savić je nastavio da bude aktivan na polju multimedijalne umetnosti. Organizovao je i niz izložbi, predavanja, festivala, snimanja i publikovanja ploča, kaseta, knjiga i kataloga, uglavnom u vezi sa minimalnom muzikom. Od 2009. godine radi kao profesor kompjuterske muzike na Novoj akademiji umetnosti, a od 2003. do 2020. predavao je niz predmeta na Odseku za muzičku produkciju u Muzičkoj školi Kosta Manojlović u Zemunu.

Vladan Radovanović – Fonoverzum (Phonoverse), album na kom se nalazi kompozicija Kompjutorija

Tokom trajanja festivala izvedene su i Šijanecove kompozicije među kojima se izdvajaju Random toccata (1987), Flautijada (1987), Đorđe Ilijin je predstavio ostvarenje Metamorfoze (1987), ajedno veče festivala bilo je posvećeno prvoj jugoslovenskoj računarskoj kompoziciji – Kompjutoriji Vladana Radovanovića. Značajno je pomenuti i (nenajavljeno u programu) učešće članova beogradske impro-grupe Institut, Fraparege i Papa Nik-a koji su priredili muzički performans sa računarom, u kojem su izvodili muziku uz pomoć dva džojstika vezana za PC sa perkusivnim softverom i igračkom, malenim ozvučenim patkom koji je proizvodio digitalne zvuke svojim kljunom dok je tražio vlati trave u tanjiru sa vodom.

Muzika u Srbiji – poslednje izdanje festivala posvećeno elektroakustičkoj muzici

Manifestacija Kompjuterska umetnost posvećena likovnoj i muzičkoj upotrebi računara u Srbiji trajala je od 8. do 23. maja 1991. godine, u galeriji ULUS-a u Beogradu, dok se na nju nadovezao trodnevni festival Muzika u Srbiji – elektroakustička muzika održan u Bitef teatru, čiji je početak bio 23. maja.

Iako se ponekad dešavalo da se se organizuje poneki koncert elektroakustičkog žanra i na ranijim festivalima, prema rečima selektora Vladana Radovanovića „sazrelo je vreme da se i ceo festival po prvi put posveti stvaranju na ovom polju.” Prvi događaj organizovao je Predrag Šiđanin iz Novog Sada i uključivao je pored stalne postavke vizuelnih radova i instalacija, premijerna koncertna izvođenja dela domaćih stvaralaca iz Beograda i Novog Sada. Odabrana su dela Vladimira Tošića, Slobodana Atanackovića, Ludmile Frajt, Miroslava Savića, Arsenija Jovanovića, Josipa Kalĉića, Borisa Despota, Dušana Radića, Ivane Stefanović. Milice Paranosić, Zorana Erića, Vladimira Jovanovića. Marjana Šijaneca, Katarine Miljković, Miloša Petrovića, Zorana Hristića i Srđana Hofmana koja su emitovana ili samo sa trake ili u kombinaciji reprodukcije i živog izvođenja.Festival Muzika u Srbiji je nakon svojih četrnaest izdanja i različiith oscilacija po pitanju finansija i organizacije prestao da postoji, a njegovo poslednje izdanje je održano upravo 1991. godine.

The creation of music using computers or hybrid forms which combine analog and digital technologies can be studied from many angles, and as such the influence of computers can be seen in the synth genre and numerous performers who were inspired by computers during the 80s. Just some of the examples include the record sleeve the band Data used for their single “Neka Ti Se Dese Prave Stvari/Ne Zovi To Ljubavlju” (May The Right Things Happen To You / Don’t Call it Love) which featured the photograph or a computer, or direct references such as the song “Program tvog kompjutera“ (A Program of Your Computer) by the synth-pop band Denis & Denis. The computer era in Yugoslavia had a significant influence on popular music, so electronic sound synthesizers became increasingly present in pop and rock music, creating an entirely new dimension of rhythm and sound. The band “Bijelo dugme” is one of the most popular bands that experimented with electronic sounds and synthesizers.

What is particularly interesting, however, is the work of certain artists who went one step further while exploring the field of computers and music. They used computer programs and synthesizers to explore new musical possibilities and create complex compositions. Their music was frequently abstract, experimental and based on the exploration of technology. Particularly notable are the artists Vladan Radovanović, Marjan Šijanec and Miroslav Miša Savić, who are some of the pioneers of computer music in former Yugoslavia.

Vladan Radovanović – the creator of the first computer composition in Yugoslavia

Multimedia artist Vladan Radovanović was active in the fields of music, painting, literature, and new media since the end of the 1950s. Radovanović’s interest for the synthesis of arts was central in his creative process and he has authored over 250 theoretical works on music and new tendencies in art.

Vladan created the first computer composition named “Kompjutorija” (Computoria) in Utrecht, in 1976. POD, the audio programming language based on the Poisson distribution, was used for its creation. The composition was created in the following manner: the composer would input a “tendency map” into a computer, and as a result he would get accidental values within a certain range, which he later used to create a final musical flow.

Vladan Radnovanović

Vladan Radnovanović Undina

Radovanović was the Head of the Belgrade Electronic Studio during the 1972-1999 period. He has received numerous awards. During the 2001-2011 period he worked as a visiting professor at the University of Arts in Belgrade (Group for Polymedia art). He was also a member of The Composers’ Association of Serbia and The Association of Fine Artists of Serbia. He passed away at the age of 91.

Marjan Šijanec – Contribution to the further development of computer music

Next to Radovanović, it was the work of Slovenian composer and conductor Marjan Šijanec that left a mark on the second half of the 80s at Radio Belgrade’s Electronic Studio III. Given the number of computing centers in the country, it was logical to expect that some of them would also take part in the exploration of music and sound. One of the few (and quite possibly the only) composer who got the chance to do just that was Šijanec, who studied programming at the Boris Kidrič Institute in Ljubljana and at an Institute in Vinča.

Marjan Šijanec

Paralelni svetovi Marjan Šijanec

In the following decades, Šijanec continued to create music, both in Slovenia and abroad. Šijanec has won numerous awards and his compositions have often been described as postmodernist pieces belonging to the IT era. Today, many consider him one of the pioneers of computer music on the territory of former Yugoslavia.

Miroslav Miša Savić – The beginning of the digital audio manipulation trend

With the increasing use of personal computers during the 80s, and considering the fact that he himself was frequently involved in the creative process at Radio Belgrade’s Electronic Studio III, the composer Miša Savić started including computers in his work. Along with Gordana Novaković and Marjan Šijanec, Savić was a member of the MGM group. Some of Savić’s significant works during the 90s were his collaborations with Gordana Novaković, with whom he performed several collaborative new media productions collectively known as “Košulja srećnog čoveka” (Lucky Man’s Shirt) (1992-1998). Two of Savić’s works were a part of the group exhibition Computer Art (Kompjuterska umetnost) – “Šest pogleda na jedno” (Six Views on The Same Thing) and “Glas anđela” (The Voice of an Angel), which is particularly interesting, as it shows a digitalized depiction of the fresco “Anđeo na grobu Hristovom” (The Angel on The Grave of Christ). With this piece, the artist brings attention to the trend of digital manipulation, which would soon culminate with the inception of the internet.

Miša Savić

Miša Savić, The Voice of an Angel (1991) shown in the group exhibition Computer Art

Savić remained active in the field of multimedia art. He has organized a series of exhibitions, lectures, and festivals, as well as the creation and publishing of records, cassettes, books and catalogues, mostly in relation to minimal music. Since 2009, he has been employed as the professor of computer music at the New Academy of Arts. During the 2003-2020 period, he has taught numerous subjects at the Department of Music Production at the Music School “Kosta Manojlović” in Zemun.

Vladan Radovanović –  Phonoverse (Fonoverzum), album with the composition Kompjutorija

During the festival, Šijanec’s compositions were also performed, notably “Random toccata” (1987), “Flautijada” (Flautiada) (1987), Đorđe Ilijin presented the piece “Metamorfoze” (Metamorphoses) (1987), and one evening of the festival was dedicated to the first Yugoslav computer composition – Kompjutorija by Vladan Radovanović. It is also important to mention the participation of the Belgrade improv group “Institut” formed by the artists Fraparega and Papa Nik (which was not announced in the program), who staged a musical performance with a computer during which they performed music using two joysticks connected to the PC with an installed percussive software and a small duck toy that made digital sounds with its bill as it tried to pick up grass in a plate of water.

Music in Serbia (Muzika u Srbiji) – The last festival dedicated to electroacoustic music

The event Computer Art dedicated to visual and musical use of computers was held between May 8 and 23, 1991 at the ULUS gallery in Belgrade and it was followed by the three-day festival Music in Serbia – Electroacoustic Music (Muzika u Srbiji – elektroakustička muzika) held at the BITEF Theater beginning on May 23.

While some electroacoustic concerts were occasionally held at previous festivals, according to the selector Vladan Radovanović, “the time has come for the first festival entirely devoted to this genre.” The first event was organized by Predrag Šiđanin from Novi Sad and, in addition to the permanent exhibition of visual pieces and installations, the event included premiere concert performances of pieces composed by local artists from Belgrade and Novi Sad. The pieces selected belonged to composers Vladimir Tošić, Slobodan Atanacković, Ludmila Frajt, Miroslav Savić, Arsenije Jovanović, Josip Kalčić, Boris Despot, Dušan Radić, Ivana Stefanović, Milica Paranosić, Zoran Erić, Vladimir Jovanović, Marjan Šijanec, Katarina Miljković, Miloš Petrović, Zoran Hristić and Srđan Hofman, which were performed either by simply playing a recording or by playing a recording in combination with a live performance. The festival Music in Serbia ended after 14 iterations and various changes in finances and organization. The final festival was held in 1991.