Repetitor’s 2008 debut Sve Što Vidim Je Prvi Put arrived like a gut-punch to the late-2000s Serbian rock landscape. A trio formed in Belgrade in 2005 — Milena Milutinović on drums, Ana-Marija Cupin on bass, and Boris Vlastelica on vocals and guitar — they quickly became figureheads of the so-called “New Serbian Scene,” a term coined by Popboks to describe a wave of emerging alternative acts alongside bands like Goribor and S.A.R.S.
Where some of their peers leaned toward indie or pop rock, Repetitor came out swinging with distorted fury and volume. This is noise rock laced with punk — equal parts raw Sonic Youth and regional Darkwood Dub. The album’s title (Everything I See Is for the First Time) hints at a sort of existential confusion and detachment that bleeds into the lyrics and sound alike. It’s not dissimilar to Macedonian punk band Lufthansa’s Far From The Right Thing in its message. These are not polished tracks — they’re jagged and sometimes jarring. But beneath that harshness lies something compelling with chemistry.
The opener Opet Jak, wastes no time, featuring angular, driving guitar riffs and sharp percussion built around lyrics like “Zatvorio je oči // Pravi se da ga nema” (“He closed his eyes // Pretends he’s not there”), offering anxious alt-rock tension.
Then comes Pukotine, one of the most punishing tracks. The distortion is thick, the drums are relentless, and Vlastelica’s vocals land like punches: “Teško mi je da se uklopim // U mašinu i u pravila” (“It’s hard for me to fit // Into the machine and its rules”). It’s personal, provocative, political, and relatable.
The middle stretch of the album leans into the noise: Slamčica growls with doom-tinged distortion, while hit-track Ja delivers raw punk nihilism: “Nemam mnogo prijatelja // Ne treba mi niko da mi kaže da me voli” (“I don’t have many friends // I don’t need anyone to tell me they love me”). The repetition (no pun intended) and abrasion on 10x Nedeljno grind the listener down like the machine and its rules from the previous track.
But it’s not all fury. Tracks like Prosečan Čovek and Zli Sin slow things down slightly, revealing a melodic sensibility underneath the rough current. The vocals here carry a tone of melancholy, especially in contrast to the noisy earlier songs.
Sve Da Zaboravim brings in Cupin’s vocals for a welcome change in tone — it’s softer but no less intense, and its extended alt-rock outro is one of the most sonically satisfying moments on the album. Then the final track, Teško Hodam, arrives like a collapsing building: all shrieks, fuzz, and free-fall energy. It’s a fitting closer, and if anything, the only minor production gripe is that the drums could have been pushed a bit louder in the mix, especially on such an explosive finale.
Visually, the album cover mirrors its sonic palette — a hand-sketched take on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, complete with a pencil prism and abstract symbols like a pyramid and ladder. It’s both playful and cryptic, much like the album itself.
Following its release, the band toured hard, sharing stages with the likes of Dinosaur Jr., The Stooges, Električni Orgazam, and Jarboli. It also appeared on several critics’ year-end lists, marking it as one of the standout regional debuts of the decade.
Nearly two decades later, Sve Što Vidim Je Prvi Put still hits with the same nervous energy and sonic urgency. Similar to contemporaries like U Nedogled, it crawls under your skin and stays there, more fulfilling with each replay.
Where to Find Them
- Instagram: @repetitor_bgd
- Bandcamp: listen & support on Bandcamp
