Toni Starešinić - Exterminator '81 (2026) Hi Res

Toni Starešinić has released a concert album, “Eksterminator ’81”. This is a recording of an almost accidentally recorded performance that, despite minimal preparation, turned out to be exceptionally focused and musically well-rounded. And a special dimension to the album is given by the inclusion of plants, whose bio-signals are converted into sound in real time…

For this occasion, Starešinić has assembled a trio with musicians who know his work well. Alongside him, who plays the Hammond organ, synthesizers and electronics, are Andrej Jakuš on trumpet with vocal and guitar processors, and Janko Novoselić on drums. Plants are also integrated into the sound image via the Music of the Plants system, which further emphasizes the improvisational nature of the performance. The material develops through direct interaction, without pre-recorded backing tracks. And it was the improvisation with plants that opened the concert and directed its course.

“Sometimes the best things happen completely by accident, and this concert is just such an example. The recording that I initially experienced as a document turned out to be surprisingly precise and inspiring. And so much so that I decided to release it as an album,” said Toni Starešinić. He also adds that he uses technology exclusively as an instrument: “Everything happens in real time, without matrices and pre-recorded layers. Only through playing and interaction…”

The album title refers to the comic strip “Eksterminator 17” drawn by Enki Bilal, through which Starešinić reflects on the relationship between man and technology, but from the perspective of live performance in which technology remains a tool, not a replacement for the performer. The album also marks a return to the trio format that characterized his earlier works. With a personal reference to the concert album “Flossy” by the group Trianguli Zona.