Morcheeba occupies an important place in the British electronic and downtempo tradition as a band that has built a trip-hop sensibility from the beginning in combination with pop, soul and psychedelic heritage. At the heart of their sound is a recognizable relationship between subtly complex production and Skye Edwards' soft, suggestive vocal interpretation. Over the course of a career spanning several decades, they have developed a musical expression in which electronic elements are not an end in themselves, but serve to create an atmosphere of calm, introspection and emotional balance. Their songs are characterized by an economy of expression, clear melodic profiling and a sense of tonal color that relies equally on studio precision and organic musicality. Because of this ability to be both intimate and broadly communicative, Morcheeba remains one of the most convincing examples of longevity within contemporary popular music.

You've probably wondered how Morcheeba got its name. No, it's not anyone's personal name or nickname, but the Godfrey brothers, the band's founders, combined MOR (an abbreviation for Middle of the Road, i.e. mainstream music) and Cheeba, a slang term for marijuana.

If you are over forty-five years old, then you probably listened to their first albums, which at that time belonged to the trip-hop genre, along with Portishead, Tricky, Massive Attack and Sneaker Pimps. Then you must have heard the song Trigger Hippie, their first big hit from 1996, which embodies the meaning of their name.

Of all these artists, Morcheeba was perhaps the best and most successful at combining folk and psychedelic influences into a new kind of music that had a lot of electronica, but also jazz and blues influences. In keeping with the first part of the name (MOR), the band soon achieved noticeable commercial success, thanks in large part to the vocal performance of singer Skye Edwards. Her soft, sexy and seductive voice, as well as her physique, perfectly suited the laid-back music of the Godfrey brothers.

And although they weren't as historically significant as Massive Attack or Portishead, Morcheeba has been delivering high-quality and inspiring intellectual pop music for thirty years that is equally stimulating for the mind and body.

I personally saw them live twice and both concerts were superbly conceived, played and, above all, sung. Because Skye has lost none of her seductive performance on stage, and the rest of the band is made up of top musicians. And therefore it is not surprising that Croatia loves Morcheeba, but also Morcheeba Croatia. I don't think there is a band that has performed here more times in the last fifteen years. Several times in Zagreb, in Opatija, Šibenik, and now for the first time in Split.

Before the concert, I would recommend those who haven't listened to Morcheeba's albums to listen to the first two, especially the second one. Big Calm, which is much broader in genre and shows the full range of talent of the Godfrey brothers. Paul left the band about ten years ago and since then Ross, along with Skye, has been the main creative force of Morcheeba, combining laid-back rhythms with reggae, blues, folk, hip-hop, soul and jazz influences.

I'm especially happy to say that their latest album, released last year, Escape the Chaos probably the best in the last fifteen years. Full of great songs, it goes back to its roots, but also brings contemporary production and a modern pop sensibility. It shows that Morcheeba's time is not over and that we can expect good new music and top performances from them in the future.

Morcheeba is always a concert treat and it's definitely time to start planning your days off at the end of August because the entire roster of performers at the Vibrez Festival guarantees a top-notch time – as I said, both mental and physical.

- Zdeslav Benzon

Location: Meštrović Gallery in Split!

Pupils, students, pensioners and existing subscribers of the Croatian House Split receive a 20% discount on individual tickets exclusively at the Croatian House box office. Discounts are not cumulative and do not apply to festival tickets.

Croatian House Split ensures an accessible and inclusive experience for all visitors. Persons with disabilities, persons with reduced mobility, and persons requiring assistance are provided with appropriate accessible seating at all concerts and performances of this year's Vibrez Festival.