Nemeček is a three-piece band from Zagreb that blurs the lines between noise and meditation, past and future. Their sound is predominantly dark, loud, and tense — a fusion of noise rock, psychedelia, krautrock, and traditional Balkan motifs. Critics often compare them to the legendary American band Swans, but what sets them apart is their authentic, locally rooted sensibility.

The band consists of:
• Vedran Živković – guitar, vocals
• Leo Beslać – bass guitar, synthesizers
• Borna Maksan – drums, production

Nemeček functions as a tight-knit creative unit — all members compose together, and their synergy forms the backbone of the complex sonic wall they construct. The band began as the musical project of Vedran Živković, later joined by Maksan and Beslać. They released their debut self-titled EP in late 2018, which marked the beginning of the Prokletije trilogy. The first part came out in 2021, and the second, Prokletije II, followed in February 2024.

Prokletije II represents both a thematic and production leap forward — a dystopian, cosmic whole that evokes Slavic mysticism and modern neurosis through layers of noise, tambura, and ambient passages. The album was recorded between 2021 and 2023 at Zagreb’s Rattus Rattus studio, produced by drummer Borna Maksan, and released in collaboration with the label Lack of Records. Designed to be listened to “in one breath,” it is a piece of contemporary ritual rock that explores the emotional landscapes of our times through harmonic contrasts and raw distortion.

A major milestone in the band’s career is winning the prestigious “Milan Mladenović” award for best song in the region — the first time a Croatian band has received it. The EKV Foundation’s expert jury selected their track “Mirila”, with the award ceremony held for the first time in Makarska, the hometown of Milan Mladenović’s mother and a place that inspired much of his work.

Over the past year, Nemeček has performed more than 30 concerts across the Balkans and Central Europe — including shows in Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Luxembourg. In early 2025, they appeared at the renowned Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) festival in Groningen, as part of their new European tour.

At Arsenal Fest 2025, Nemeček brings a sound of the future rooted in the shadows of the past. Get ready for a hypnotic force of live performance that makes no compromises — only unforgettable experience.