Alo!Stari: You Can Judge a Horse by Its Golden Teeth

Alo!Stari are preparing to release their third album, simply titled Alo!Stari, on September 22. The Maribor skate-punk band will follow it with a major promotional concert at Ljubljana’s Media Center on October 16.

The group’s sound remains firmly rooted in skate punk, and its lyrics are still written in the Maribor dialect. Tine Matjašič, the band’s singer and songwriter, says they are even angrier this time. The aim, however, was not to reinvent the group. “On the third album, we tried to preserve our essence, while raising the production to an even higher level than on the previous two,” he says.

“

On the third album, we tried to preserve our essence, while raising the production to an even higher level than on the previous two.

Alo!Stari also resisted the temptation to move into a different musical direction. “We did not allow ourselves to drift into other waters, which happens to bands very often,” Matjašič says. “We are keeping the style, content and stories that feel close to us.” The band believes its strong messages remain necessary, even though many things have improved during its seven years of existence. “The world has not,” he says.

“

We did not allow ourselves to drift into other waters, which happens to bands very often.

The group has chosen to make the bonus song “Nikol ni blo dovolj” available only on physical formats. Matjašič says physical releases offer something more tangible than streaming platforms, and listeners who buy them deserve an extra song alongside the booklet or a special vinyl colour. He calls the track personal and says the format gives it the right place on the album.

The band belongs to a generation that grew up during the shift from analogue to digital culture. Its members buy records and use streaming services, while still releasing singles before bringing a group of songs together as an album. Despite today’s fast consumption and short attention spans, Matjašič says Alo!Stari sell many albums. Their first record is already heading for its third reprint, showing that hyper-consumption and tradition can coexist.

“

The world has not.