Drveće i rijeke
Studio album by Pips, Chips & Videoclips
Released	11 April 2003[1]
Recorded	2002–2003
Studio	Rocco & Partneri, Zagreb Pleasantville, Zagreb Morris Studio, Zagreb Tarbox Road Studios, Cassadaga, New York (mixing and mastering)
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	63:22
Language	Croatian
Label	Dan, mrak; Menart
Producer	Jura Ferina, Pavle Miholjević, PCVC
Pips, Chips & Videoclips chronology
Bog (1999) Drveće i rijeke (2003) Dokument (2005)
Singles from Drveće i rijeke
"Mrgud, gorostas i tat" Released: 2003 "Kako funkcioniraju stvari" Released: 2003 "Porculan" Released: 2003 "2x2" Released: 2003

Drveće i rijeke (English: Trees and Rivers) is the fifth studio album by Croatian alternative rock band Pips, Chips & Videoclips, released on 11 April 2003 by Dan, mrak and Menart.^[1] The album marked a decisive artistic reset for the band and introduced a more restrained, atmospheric and introspective sound. It was mixed and mastered by American producer Dave Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York.^[2]

Upon its release, the album received mixed but engaged critical responses and was later reassessed as a transitional and conceptually cohesive work within the band’s catalogue. It was recognised at the inaugural Zlatna Koogla awards, receiving multiple honours related to production and visual presentation.

The creative process behind Drveće i rijeke unfolded after the dissolution of the band’s original line-up during the recording and touring cycle of Bog. In later interviews, frontman Dubravko Ivaniš described the early 2000s as a period in which he was, for a time, almost alone within the band’s structure and faced with the challenge of rebuilding both personnel and artistic direction.^[3]

One of the first musicians Ivaniš singled out during this rebuilding phase was guitarist Nikola Radman, whom he described as a particularly ambitious and inventive collaborator, referencing Radman’s earlier work with Damir Urban.^[3]

Recording sessions took place in several Zagreb studios, while final mixing and mastering were completed in the United States. Ivaniš later recalled that working with Fridmann was perceived as a form of validation, noting that the producer typically accepted only a small number of projects each year, adding: “We felt we must be worth something.”^[3]

The time spent at Tarbox Road Studios was documented in the short film U šumi kod Davea ("In the forest at Dave's"), included with selected editions of the album. Recalling the period following the dissolution of the band’s original line-up, Ivaniš cited a remark made by guitarist Tristan Karas—“Nisam ja nikakvo drveće i rijeke” (“I am not trees and rivers”)—which was later retrospectively associated with the album’s title and interpreted as reflecting a rejection of imposed symbolism during a period of personal and artistic rupture, themes that came to define the album’s atmosphere and introspective tone.^[3]

All lyrics on the album were written by Ivaniš, while the music was composed collaboratively by band members and close collaborators, as credited in the original CD liner notes.^[4] Compared with earlier releases, Drveće i rijeke places less emphasis on immediacy and conventional verse–chorus structures, instead favouring slow-building arrangements, layered instrumentation and extended song forms.

Critics have frequently noted stylistic affinities with early-2000s alternative rock aesthetics, particularly in the album’s rhythmic restraint and atmospheric focus. The track “Vjetar” has often been cited in this context, including comparisons to Radiohead’s “Pyramid Song”.^[5]

Guest vocalist Yaya, best known as the lead singer of the Croatian band Jinx, appears prominently on the album, providing lead vocals on “Vjetar” and later on “Kako funkcioniraju stvari”.^[6]

Drveće i rijeke was released in April 2003 on cassette and compact disc, with a limited CD/DVD edition also issued.^[7] The DVD did not include music videos from the album itself, but featured selected videos from the band’s earlier releases alongside the documentary U šumi kod Davea.

Lyrics for all songs have been published on the band’s official website.^[2]

Four singles were released from the album in 2003: “Mrgud, gorostas i tat”, “Kako funkcioniraju stvari”, “Porculan” and “2x2”.^[7]

Music videos were produced for all four singles. Mauricio Ferlin, a long-time visual collaborator of the band, directed the videos for “Porculan” and “2x2”, while “Mrgud, gorostas i tat” was directed by Kristijan Milić. The video for “Kako funkcioniraju stvari” was directed by Tanja Golić.^[8]

In addition to radio promotion, several singles were issued in physical formats, including promotional CD and VHS releases intended for media distribution.^[9]

Upon release, Drveće i rijeke received a divided critical response. Some contemporary reviews highlighted its subdued pacing and departure from the band’s earlier immediacy, while others praised its ambition, production quality and emotional coherence. A review on Muzika.hr framed the album as a demanding but carefully constructed work that foregrounded studio craft and long-form cohesion over instant accessibility.^[10]

Writing retrospectively, critic Aleksandar Dragaš described the album as one of Ivaniš’s most intimate and perceptive statements, emphasising its introspective tone and resistance to mainstream expectations.^[11]

Later assessments published on Terapija.net and Ziher.hr characterised the album as a transitional but essential release within the band’s catalogue, noting that its initially polarising reception gave way to broader reassessment.^[5][12]

Internationally, the album attracted attention in UK music publications such as Mojo, Q and The Face, and the track “Mrgud, gorostas i tat” later appeared on a compilation CD distributed with the American music magazine Magnet.^[13]

In the years following its release, several songs from Drveće i rijeke, particularly “2x2” and “Mrgud, gorostas i tat”, remained present in the band’s live repertoire. The album’s reputation gradually shifted from that of a difficult transitional release to a reference point for the band’s early-2000s phase, often cited as a key moment in redefining their sound and long-form album approach.

Introduced as a successor to the discontinued Crni mačak awards, the Zlatna Koogla recognised Drveće i rijeke and its release campaign in multiple categories.^[14]

Track listing, durations and music credits adapted from the original CD liner notes.^[4]

The limited CD+DVD edition included a bonus DVD containing selected music videos and a studio documentary filmed during the album sessions.

Credits adapted from the original CD liner notes.^[4]

Pips, Chips & Videoclips

• Dubravko Ivaniš – vocals, piano, Rhodes, keyboards, melodica
• Mario Borščak – bass
• Tin Ostreš – drums, percussion, guitar, synthesiser
• Nikola Radman – guitar, synthesiser
• Emil Tedeschi – additional contributions

Additional musicians

• Yaya – vocals
• Ante Gelo – acoustic guitar
• Mate Matešić – guitar
• Ratko Vojtek – bass clarinet, flute
• Ana Rucner – cello
• Marko Križan – harmonica
• Petar Eldan – piano
• Davor Križić – trumpet
• Ivan Potočnjak – trombone
• Mladen Hrvoje Ilić – kutu-wapa
• Ljubica, Ana – backing vocals

Production and artwork

• Produced by Jura Ferina, Pavle Miholjević, PCVC
• Mixed and mastered by Dave Fridmann – Tarbox Road Studios
• Design – Mauricio Ferlin
• Illustrations – Jadranka Ivaniš, Mauricio Ferlin

• Drveće i rijeke – band discography and lyrics (in Croatian)
• Drveće i rijeke at Discogs (list of releases)