The remaining members continued working as Ekatarina Velika, after Catherine II of Russia, or EKV for short. Additionally, drummer Vdovi? left due to drug abuse problems, later joining Du Du A and the band Heroji, being replaced by the former Luna drummer Ivan 'Firchie' Fece. Later he collaborated with Vlada Divljan before moving to the United States where he has been residing ever since. However, since Mihajlovi? claimed rights to the 'Katarina II' name, he forced the band into using another one. Mihajlovi? also ran afoul of the law - a transgression that got him a jail stint - and after serving the punishment got informed by the rest of the band he was no longer a Katarina II member. Soon after their debut album, the band went through more lineup changes amid disagreements and personality clashes between Mladenovi? and Mihajlovi?. In a 1985 interview Mladenovi? complained about the album's poor sound quality, as well as what he felt to be lack of support from the label. Though it got good reviews, receiving praise for successfully linking Mladenovi?'s descriptive lyrical sensibility with the energetic new wave sound on tracks like 'Aut' ('Out'), 'Jesen' ('Autumn'), 'Radostan dan' ('A Joyful Day'), 'Treba da se ?isti' ('It Ought To Be Cleaned'), 'Ja znam' ('I Know'), Katarina II album was not a commercial success. Only 3,000 copies of the album were released, indicative of label's low commercial expectations. Mostly featuring Mladenovi?'s lyrics, except for the Mihajlovi?-written tracks 'Vrt' ('The Garden') and 'Platforme' ('The Platforms'), while the music was a collaboration between the two, the material was produced by ?or?e Petrovi? featuring guest appearances by Mario ?elik on congas and Film member Jurij 'Kuzma Videosex' Novoseli? on saxophone. Katarina II's eponymous debut album was thus released in 1984 by RTV Ljubljana's in-house record label ZKP RTLJ. The following year, the band took the offer from fellow musician and RTV Ljubljana's musical director Sr?an Marjanovi? of re-recording their debut album material in the state-owned media company's studios. The recording sessions for the material were completed in Enco Lesi?'s Druga Maca studio, however, the material was unusable due to a variety of reasons, most of them having to do with the studio's inferior technical equipment. Their material for the debut album material was recorded soon after, featuring guest appearance by actor Svetislav Gonci? on tin whistles. In spring 1983, the band took part in Zagreb Biennale, receiving positive reviews. At the same time, in early 1983, Bojan Pe?ar (former VIA Talas bassist) joined on bass. The vacant drummer position was filled by Branko 'Mango' Ku?trin (formerly of Grupa I), but after he left within a month, Milan's former bandmate from ?arlo Akrobata Ivan 'VD' Vdovi? became the new drummer. Shortly after, the rhythm section left with Radomirovi? joining Du Du A and Dejanovi? going over to heated rivals Disciplina Ki?me. Rounding out Katarina II's inaugural lineup were Du?an Dejanovi? (another former Limunovo Drvo member) on drums and Zoran '?vaba' Radomirovi? on bass guitar.Дuring late 1982, after their performance at the Top?iderska zvezda cinema, the band was joined by the 23-year-old classically trained pianist Margita Stefanovi?. Playing music together again after being bandmates a few years earlier at Limunovo Drvo, Mladenovi? and Mihajlovi? decided to name their new band Katarina II after Mihajlovi?'s unrequited love - a girl named Katarina. In February 1982, following the disbandment of ?arlo Akrobata, 24-year-old guitarist and vocalist Milan Mladenovi? decided to form a new band with an old friend - 22-year-old guitarist Gagi Mihajlovi?. History Post-punk years (1982-1986) Katarina II The group's core consisted of singer and guitarist Milan Mladenovi?, keyboardist Margita Stefanovi? and bassist Bojan Pe?ar, with other members mostly remaining for comparatively shorter periods. Initially called Katarina II ( Serbian Cyrillic: II, English: Catherine II), the band had built up a devoted following that greatly intensified and expanded after the death of its frontman Milan Mladenovi? in 1994, which caused the band to dissolve. Post-punk, alternative rock, art rock, neo-psychedelia, rock, gothic rockД®katarina Velika ( Serbian Cyrillic:, English: Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential Yugoslav music acts.

EKV in 1986: Milan Mladenovi?, Ivan Rankovi?, Bojan Pe?ar, and Margita Stefanovi?.

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