The Master Scratch Band
Encyclopedia
The Master Scratch Band are a group considered to have started Serbian hip hop in the early 1980s with their Degout EP, which was released through Jugoton
in the year 1984. The release had five electro-breakbeat tracks with rap in English
and Serbian
. As Serbia was a part of Yugoslavia
at the time, the release is also considered the first Yugoslav hip hop release.
Zoran Jevtić, Zoran Vračević and Miša Stojisiljević composed, programmed, recorded and produced the MSB project. Since the only samplers available then were far beyond their financial reach, the trio had to employ some tricks to achieve the sound they wanted. Synthesizers, drum machines, vocoders and delay processors were used in an innovative way.
The team worked with a number of contributors over a month or so in the famous "Druga Maca" studio. The studio time was free of charge, since the owner was curious about the MSB's music, which was so radically different at the time.
The Degout EP was released by the Jugoton
label, from Zagreb
(in SR Croatia
, Yugoslavia
(today independent Croatia
)). The EP
resulted in two chart hits in Yugoslavia and a number of TV appearances.
Jugoton
Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
in the year 1984. The release had five electro-breakbeat tracks with rap in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
. As Serbia was a part of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
at the time, the release is also considered the first Yugoslav hip hop release.
Zoran Jevtić, Zoran Vračević and Miša Stojisiljević composed, programmed, recorded and produced the MSB project. Since the only samplers available then were far beyond their financial reach, the trio had to employ some tricks to achieve the sound they wanted. Synthesizers, drum machines, vocoders and delay processors were used in an innovative way.
The team worked with a number of contributors over a month or so in the famous "Druga Maca" studio. The studio time was free of charge, since the owner was curious about the MSB's music, which was so radically different at the time.
The Degout EP was released by the Jugoton
Jugoton
Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
label, from Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
(in SR Croatia
Socialist Republic of Croatia
Socialist Republic of Croatia was a sovereign constituent country of the second Yugoslavia. It came to existence during World War II, becoming a socialist state after the war, and was also renamed four times in its existence . It was the second largest republic in Yugoslavia by territory and...
, Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
(today independent Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
)). The EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
resulted in two chart hits in Yugoslavia and a number of TV appearances.