An unforgettable party in 2006 @ Hotel Belvedere, Dubrovnik, Croatia (DJ set)

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Back in 2006, I played one of the most unforgettable sets of my life — at the now-abandoned, once-luxurious Hotel Belvedere in Dubrovnik.

Built in 1985, Belvedere was once the crown jewel of Dubrovnik’s coastline — a five-star hotel with 460 rooms, beach access, fine dining, nightclubs, and even presidential visits. But after only six seasons, the war in 1991 turned it into a frontline of resistance… and since then, it's stood in silence, weathered by time and history.

That night, I brought music back to its empty amphitheater — not with vinyl, but with Ableton Live. This wasn’t just a DJ set — it was my artistic statement. A mashup-style performance, fusing uplifting dance tracks live, showing that digital tech had arrived and was transforming the way we create and perform.

The hotel was crumbling, but the energy? Absolutely electric. Over 500 people filled the space, dancing in what felt like a moment suspended in time. The crowd kept asking for more — and even the police, who came to shut us down, let me finish the final track.

This wasn’t just a party.
It was history echoing through music.
A forgotten landmark.
A future-facing sound.

.......................................

Još 2006. godine odsvirao sam jedan od svojih najnezaboravnijih setova — u danas napuštenom, nekad luksuznom Hotelu Belvedere u svom rodnom gradu Dubrovniku.

Izgrađen 1985., Belvedere je nekad bio pravi biser dubrovačke obale — hotel s pet zvjezdica, 460 soba, privatnom plažom, vrhunskim restoranima, noćnim klubovima i posjetima državnih delegacija i predsjednika. Čak je i moj oćuh koji je bio glazbenik, tamo svirao sa svojim bendom. No već nakon samo šest sezona, rat 1991. pretvorio ga je u prvu liniju borbe… i od tada stoji razrušen, u tišini, izložen vremenu i povijesti.

Te večeri vratio sam glazbu u njegov napušteni amfiteatar — ali ne sa pločama, već uz pomoć tada novog programa, Ableton Live-a. Nije to bio samo DJ set — bio je to moj umjetnički statement. Mashup nastup uživo, spajanje raznih pjesama i traka, dokaz da je digitalna tehnologija stigla i da mijenja način na koji stvaramo i nastupamo, bez obzira svidjalo se to nama ili ne.

Hotel se raspadao, ali energija? Potpuno električna. Više od 500 ljudi ispunilo je prostor, plešući kao da je vrijeme stalo. Publika je tražila još — čak su i policajci, koji su došli zatvoriti zabavu, pustili da odsviram cijeli set i zadnju stvar do kraja.

Ovo nije bila samo zabava.
Bila je to povijest koja odjekuje kroz glazbu.
Zaboravljen simbol.
Zvuk koji gleda u budućnost.

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