Absolute Beginners

### Previous members

Slavian Angelov (until 1991), Toni (until 1989), Rumen Manchev (until 1991), Milen Kozov (2012-2016), Georgi Tonev (2013-2016)

## Biography

Absolute Beginners (Абсолютно Начинаещи) is a self-proclaimed Bulgarian darkwave/grunge band from Sofia. Before forming in 1989, the band started a duo - Konstantin Gurov and Toni, in 1988 with only a drum machine and a multi-instrumentalist. Later, the band decided to come together in 1989 with Gurov (keyboard, vocals), Charlie Jirov (drums), Simeon Voev (guitar), Slavian Angelov (bass). Not long after, Voev left the band and was replaced with Rumen Manchev, who played with them until their split-up. Absolute Beginners was considered to be the "Band of Little Brothers", as Simeon and Konstantin were the younger brothers of musicians - Dimitar Voev (of New Generation) and Vaso Gurov (of the band Revue), whom had already had a large following during this period. Regardless of this, they became successful in the underground, opening for New Generation on several occasions, aswell as being a significant staple in the new wave movement in Bulgaria.

The band released a handful of songs on cassette tapes, some of which became cult hits in the underground wave scene, still being relevant today. Most of the recordings that were released to the public were recorded during rehearsals and practice, the reason being a lack of a record label. In 1989 and 1990, Absolute Beginners managed to get two singles published - Demo '89 and Demo '90, which had low-quality mixing and sound. Not long after releasing the two singles and the fall of the Soviet Union, the band officially split up. Jirov, Gurov and Angelov immigrated to the U.S. in 1990 resulting in it's disintegration.

Between 2012 and 2013 Gurov joined Voev to bring Absolute Beginners back, after moving back to Bulgaria. They were accompanied by the new members - Milen Kozov (drums) and Georgi Tonev (bass), allowing them to perform live once again for the first time in over 20 years. Eventually in 2016, original drummer - Charlie Jirov joined the band as a permanent member along with bassist Alexandria. The band played on average, 2-3 shows per year, with the occasional few more. Throughout 2018 and 2019, Absolute Beginners recorded their first studio album - Има още нещо в нас, which was released independently in 2020 on CD and Spotify, underneath the alternate title "Silicone Princes".

## EU4REAL

EU4REAL performing at a party in Seattle, 1993

## Information

### Genres

psychedelic rock, grunge, experimental rock, heavy metal

### Previous members

Charlie Jirov (until 1997), Slavian Angelov (until 1995), Joe Williams (1994-1997), Joel Shillander (1996-1997)

## EU4REAL (1991-2012)

After the band's splitting in 1991, former frontman, Konstantin along with drummer Charlie and bassist Slavian, reformed the band under a new name - EU4REAL in Seattle, Washington. They primarily played at their basement in the University District, where they recorded possibly hundreds of demos and beats, a large amount of which never were shown to the public. The band's members constantly collaborated with other artists involved in the grunge wave during the mid-90s. This resulted in their style shifting from fast-paced new wave over to a post-rock-esque, experimental mashup of psychedelic rock and grunge.

In 1997, Jirov, Williams and Shillander left the band to pursue other interests, leaving Gurov as the last member. He continued to record music until 2011, when he moved back to Sofia. During the early-2000s, Konstantin began uploading his music to online platforms where they remained until removal.

## Discography

### Демо '89 - Single (1989)

1. Инструментал
2. Г-ца Ужас
3. Балканиада

### Демо '90 - Single (1990)

1. Две Сълзи (Историята на едно самоубийство)
2. Г-ца Ужас
3. Некролози

### Има Още Нещо в Нас / Silicone Princes - Album (2020)

1. Има още нещо в нас
2. Пак ще греша
3. Humble
4. Song of The Dolphin
5. Release
6. Простете, аз съм прост
7. I Am Not an Idiot
8. Този звук
9. Некролози

## Unofficially reissued music

Most of the listed tracks are either unreleased music that was released on YouTube/SoundCloud by third parties or old/new versions of their work.

### Absolute Beginners: 1989-1990 Demos - Compilation (2023)

1. Истерия
2. Инструментал №1 (Демо '89)
3. Г-ца Ужас (Демо '89)
4. Балканиада (Демо '89)
5. Инструментал №2
6. Две Сълзи (Историята на едно самоубийство) (Демо '90)
7. Хей Ти
8. Истерия (Продавам си крилата)
9. Г-ца Ужас (Демо '90)
10. Некролози (Демо '90)

### EU4REAL / Absolute Beginners: Demos '93 - Single (2023)

1. Cry Baby Cry
2. Kind Insanity