Marcus 5 - Marcus 5 Marcus 5

Matrix Music Arhiv proudly presents the debut album by Slovenian group Marcus 5, featuring original archival recordings from the early 1980s.

Due to a lack of financial resources, the group was unable to releasee a full-length album during their active years. However, they did manage to release three songs on the cassette compilation Alternativna AA scena. One of the tracks, “Brez besed” (“Without Words”), even reached the top five on the Stop Pops music chart on Slovenian National Radio (now Val 202).

“I can say that they got better with every performance — for context, I once wrote about them: Their simple funk was highly effective, and they stood out with energetic and precise playing…”
— Tomi Gračanin, Mladina weekly, 1983

The story of Marcus 5 — a band perhaps unfamiliar to many, but well-known among experts on the Slovenian alternative music scene as the country’s first recognized funk group (as described by Tomaž Sršen of Radio Glas Ljubljana) — began in an attic in 1982. Guitarist Borut Kržišnik and drummer Friderik Vargazon-Fredi were rehearsing when they were soon joined by Jani Hace on bass, Zvone Kukec on guitar, and charismatic frontman/vocalist Vinci Vogue Anžlovar, who also contributed the lyrics.

They played alternative funk and sported a somewhat ‘new romantic’ image, citing bands such as Gang of Four, Talking Heads and Defunkt but also Joy Division as influences. Their sound was later enriched by the addition of saxophonist Mario Marolt and trumpeter Mare Sever.

Marcus 5 quickly caught the attention of both the music press and the general public, thanks especially to their tight, high-energy live performances. They were even dubbed the best live band in Ljubljana at the time.

Though their time together was brief — for some members, it served as a launching pad for future careers — the band left a lasting impression. They performed at the legendary alternative venue Disco FV, located in the basement of a student dormitory in a Ljubljana suburb, appeared as part of the concert program at the symposium What Is Alternative?, and in 1984 took the stage at the iconic Novi Rock festival.

After the breakup of Marcus 5, most of the band members went on to pursue successful careers in music and film.

• Vinci Vogue Anžlovar (1963–2024) made history as the writer and director of Grandma Goes South (1991), the first Slovenian full-length feature film. He went on to work on over twenty other films, including Poker (2001), The Vampire from Gorjanci (2008), the autobiographical documentary Selfie Without Retouching (2016), Grandpa Goes South (2022), and his final film, Tartini's Key (2022). Alongside his film work, he was active in advertising and continued composing music for theatre and film throughout his career.

•Friderik Vargazon-Fredi (1962–1996), an architect by education, was considered one of the most talented drummers of his generation. Together with producer Žare Pak and Aleš Dvoržak, he co-founded the legendary studio Kif Kif. Sadly, Fredi passed away at the young age of 34 due to a serious illness.

• Jani Hace remained dedicated to the bass guitar. In addition to his own projects as a producer and composer, he has been a member of numerous bands, including Siddharta, Elevators, Benč & Friends, Ecliptic, Sladica, and others. He is also a longtime collaborator with renowned Slovenian artists such as Vlado Kreslin, Magnifico, and Klemen Klemen, helping to shape the Slovenian music scene for decades.

• Borut Kržišnik gained recognition as a composer of avant-garde, contemporary, and eclectic music. His compositions are frequently used in film, theatre, dance, and other artistic productions. Among his notable works is the score for A Life in Suitcases (2006), a film by acclaimed British avant-garde director Peter Greenaway. He has also collaborated with Slovenia’s two most internationally recognized bands: Laibach and Borghesia.

• Zvone Kukec later joined the Slovenian rock band Sokoli and was a longtime member of the Don Mentony Band. Today, he is an established designer and music producer and the founder of the band Elektrika.