Romor

ROMOR is an alternative worldbeat group from Belgrade. At the end of 2023, their first official release comes out: the album “LIFE AFTER THE MORNING SHOW” (KontraRights).

In their fusion music, ROMOR relies on the hip-hop aesthetic of sampling breakbeats. The harmonic patterns are simple and bolstered by relentless arpeggiators and ambient synth sounds. At the heart of the described sonic landscape are oriental, traditional instruments like the Macedonian bass-tambura, kaval, flute, and uta-as provocative haiku-verses, which with their simplicity and repetition completely destroy the classic verse-chorus structure of pop songs.

The band name ROMOR stems from the old Serbian word “romoriti,” which means to mutter or speak unclearly. This is most convincingly discussed in the group’s short texts, skillfully integrated into the song arrangements. Lucid and witty, they make it clear that ROMOR tries to achieve the most difficult: to break the fervent contract between the so-called “ethno” sound and the religious-nationalistic expression in favor of social commentary, modeled after the forgotten Greek “rebetiko.”

ROMOR’s first single, “Kupanje (Swimming),” is a cheerful journey through transformative and traumatic moments of life. ROMOR weaves its sonic tapestry with samples, breakbeats, electronic and live instruments: relentless arpeggiators, synthesizers, powerful bass and saz lines, and seductive melodies of Balkan woodwind instruments. In the single “Swimming,” as in other songs from the album, ROMOR convincingly demonstrates the skill of blending different musical elements into a harmonious whole, creating an impression of newly discovered happiness and bliss.