The Bastardz

History

The Bastardz formed in 1990, with Zoran Jaeger Jex on electric guitar, Zvonimir Bučević on bass, Goran Markić on drums, Alan Bjelinski on keyboards, and Miha Hawlina on tenor saxophone. They played local Zagreb clubs and acted as the house band for the TV program Top-Cup. Alongside original songs, they recorded funk covers and hosted regular Thursday nights at the Zagreb club Saloon. The group split in 1991 but got back together in the summer of 1995 with a new lineup: vocalist Helena Bastić, bassist Zvonimir Bučević - Buč, guitarist Zoran Jaeger - Jex, drummer Kruno Levačić, and keyboardist Gojko Tomljanović.

That year they put out the mini-LP Your Love, featuring original material. The track "Tvoja ljubav" became a major hit, climbing to number one on Croatian charts. In 1996, they won the Porin award for debutant of the year. Soon after, the lineup dissolved.

From 1996 onward, Lady Miss Helena (Helena Bastić) and guitarist/composer Jex formed the band’s core, working with many notable Croatian and international musicians. They released several studio albums and collected three Porin awards: debutants of the year (1996), best instrumental performance, and best album of urban club music. Their debut album introduced a fresh sound to Croatia, leading to the founding of Aquarius Records, and they helped launch the Lagano, lagano festival.

The band has regularly performed at jazz festivals and concerts at home and abroad. To date, they have produced ten Top 10 hits, ten music videos, multiple studio albums, a compilation, and a live album. Besides leading The Bastardz, Jex performs with several successful Dutch jazz and acid jazz groups. In 2006, Helena Bastić left the band.

The Bastardz then briefly worked with vocalist Danijela Pintarić and sometimes shared the stage with Croatian funk legend Dino Dvornik. In 2008, Tasha (Natasha Petrić) joined as lead vocalist. With many guest musicians, they released their sixth album, The Bastardz 6, in late 2010 on IDM Music.