Elektroni (trans. The Electrons) were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Karlovac in 1961. The band is notable as one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene.
Elektroni were formed at the end of 1961 in Karlovac by teenagers Jurica Grosinger (guitar), Ivica BiÃÂanià(bass guitar), Branko Spudià(drums), Miro Stern (rhythm guitar), Marijan KlobuÃÂar (keyboards) and Boà ¾idar Boà ¾ek (tenor saxophone). The band had their first public performance in 1964 in their hometown, on the Mikrofon je vaà ¡ (The Microphone Is Yours) competition. Initially they performed The Shadows-influenced instrumentals, and later started performing covers of foreign rock hits, but also covers of traditional songs and their own material. The band held numerous performances on the island of Rab. In 1966, the band performed on the Zagreb Music Festival, winning the Zagreb City Silver Plaque. In May 1966, they opened the First Festival of Vocal-Instrumental Ensembles in Zagreb with an instrumental cover of the March on the Drina. In 1967, the band performed on the Second Festival of Vocal-Instrumental Ensembles. By then the band's drummer was Ivica ÃÂadeà ¾. For a certain period of time, keyboardist Marijan BaniÃÂ, vocalist Mirko Novosel and vocalist Kristijan Silvio Vedrina performed with the band, all of them leaving Elektroni after a short period of time.
In 1967, ÃÂadeà ¾, BiÃÂaniàand Stern left the group, and were replaced by Marjan Janjac (drums), Vatroslav Slavnià(bass guitar) and Boris Boroà ¡ià(rhythm guitar). The new lineup of the band turned towards pop rock sound and performing their own songs. In 1968, the band released their only EP, Jedne noÃÂi (One Night), through Jugoton record label. Beside the title track, the EP featured the songs "Drugog volià ¡" ("You Love Someone Else"), "Srna" ("Roe Deer") and "SjeÃÂanje" ("Memory"). All the songs were composed by SlavniÃÂ, and the lyrics were written by young poet Velimir FraniÃÂ.
The band's last lineup featured Jurica Grosinger (guitar), Vatroslav SlavniÃÂ (bass guitar), Darko Domijan (vocals, bass guitar, trombone), Velimir CvijanoviÃÂ (drums), Boris Licitar (organ) and Ratko PogaÃÂiÃÂ (saxophone). The band ended their activity in 1970.
After Elektroni disbanded, Darko Domijan started a successful career of a pop singer. For a period of time, his backing band Peta Rijeka (Fifth River) featured his former Elektroni bandmate Boris Licitar on keyboards.
The band's short-time keyboardist Marijan BaniÃÂ died in 1976, and short-time vocalist Kristijan Silvio Vedrina died in 1981. The band's original rhythm guitarist Miro Stern died in 2000, and the original bass guitarist Ivica BiÃÂaniÃÂ died in 2003.
In 2005, the song "Srna" and previously unreleased recordings "Moovin' and Groovin'" and "ZaÃÂarano more" (a cover of The Islanders song "The Enchanted Sea") were published on the box set Kad je rock bio mlad - PriÃÂe sa istoÃÂne strane (1956-1970) (When Rock Was Young - East Side Stories (1956-1970)), released by Croatia Records in 2005 and featuring songs by the pioneering Yugoslav rock acts.