Zagušljivi dim (“The Suffocating Smoke”) is a three-piece band from Čakovec in northern Croatia. Since 2019, they’ve been igniting the music scene, starting with their debut album, Kranjecovi krugovi pakla (“Kranjec’s Circles of Hell”).
On November 1st, they unveiled their fourth studio album, Durchfall der Lebensmaschine, a collaboration released under three labels: WV Sorcerer Productions (France/China), Ramble Records (Australia), and Echodelick Records (US).
As a Čakovec-based trio, the group delves deep into sounds that transcend boundaries, exploring the mysteries within and the world around them. Their music is a mantra-like journey, taking listeners to wondrous, eerie, and uncharted realms. The “Smoke” in their name is no accident—think of it as fluid, elusive, shifting between forms.
Zagušljivi dim fuses psychedelic rock, krautrock, and spoken word, with dashes of experimental, post-punk, post-rock, and even ethno/folk elements blending into cohesive, atmospheric narratives.
The band’s sound has spread across the region—from Čakovec, Zagreb, and Split to Paris, Brussels, and beyond. Zagušljivi dim has taken the stage at major festivals, including Serbia’s Mount of Artan Festival and Slovenia’s Porazno dete. In September 2024, they shared a night at Zagreb’s Močvara club with Indonesia’s iconic Senyawa.
With Durchfall der Lebensmaschine, Zagušljivi dim has cranked up the infernal engine. The opening track, “Lonely Daddy,” greets listeners with the twisted, grinding sounds of a deranged patriarch—a figure of rage, manipulation, and sadism whose chilling gaze pierces through, like Cronus devouring his own.
This dark figure is a tyrant, casting his children’s remains into a murky pool—a grim “recreational center” he promotes to innocent souls for his own gain, driven by grandiose ambition and a hunger for destruction.
Then comes the trance-like “Milost za milost” (“Mercy For Mercy”), a track built from synth organs, electronic rhythms, and a pulsing percussion heartbeat that sinks into your bones.
It’s a soundscape for midnight escapes: you could be lost in a club’s darkest recesses or lurking in your own yard at 3 a.m., surrounded by shadows. Voices murmur like prophets, guiding you through transcendence and intensity, with guitar notes floating between heaven and earth before suddenly launching you into cosmic chaos.
“Život je frula” (“Life is a Flute”) brings us back to spoken word, a medium the band has been exploring since 2020. This track is a meeting point for storytelling and poetry—a journey through the raw experiences of ordinary people brought to life in band’s songs.
The cryptic “Trinaesterokutno krivnalo” (“Triskaidecagon Curvyruler”) layers in samples from Krsto Papić’s film Izbavitelj (“The Rat Saviour”) and Erich Fromm’s lecture Western Man Today and His Choices (1962).
In its web of ringing guitars, eerie percussion, and resonant keyboard tones, the band nods to the philosophical depth of their debut album, Kranjecovi krugovi Paula. This track draws you into a world of watchful eyes—13 to be exact—each casting a dark, piercing gaze over humanity.
This album is where Zagušljivi dim unleashes their music’s raw, untamed side. Imagine electric and bass guitars grinding like the wheels of hell while drums and percussion pound like the Four Horsemen. The occasional organ cuts through like a saloon shootout at midnight. It’s thrilling stuff, so buckle in for the ride.
Check out Durchfall der Lebensmaschine by Zagušljivi dim on Bandcamp here.
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