Canary Records provides yet another stunning archive album, this time from the Macedonian community in Ohio. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “Bob Nicoloff’s Macedonian band remained active for at least 20 years, playing for dances organized by the Macedonian Patriotic Organization, weddings, and restaurants. Like the two other mid-Western Macedonian Continue Reading
Macedonia
Dimitar Dodovski – Liminal
(North) Macedonian composer Dimitar Dodevski offers a shimmering album blending Jon Hassell’s “Fourth World” sound with ambient and jazz fusion. A gentle, relaxing wade into dark waters.
Various Artists – Sharla: 100 vrati otvoreni
Respect to Sharla Records out of Skopje, Macedonia, who have produced over 100 records now of fine alternative music sung in the home language.
Kočani Orkestar – L’Orient est Rouge
It’s nice to go backwards to find some long-forgotten gems like this one. From the Kočani Orkestar’s Bandcamp site: “This explosive Gypsy brass band from the Balkans was led by trumpet player Naat Veliov till 2000, and comprises two trumpets, three tubas, saxophone, clarinet, zurla (traditional oboe) and percussion. Their Continue Reading
Undone – Indeed
Three brilliant musicians, Ronit Bergman, Dorian Jovanović and Filip Mitrov, combine to make heavy neo-psychedelic music with a gritty edge to it. A peach of a release.
stotrojka – Најубави
Kanal 103 FM is the best independent radio program in the whole of the Balkans, never mind Macedonia. I’ve had many friends work there and produce amazing shows, so when Gjorgji Janevski let me know that this compilation was out, I rushed to hear it! From stotrojka’s (the label associated Continue Reading
Kristo Rodzevski – Black Earth
Here is something rather magnificent coming out of Macedonia in the form of Kristo Rodzevski’s latest album through Defkaz, a great Greek label. There is hope for the Balkans yet! From the Defkaz Bandcamp site: “Black Earth has eleven traditional Macedonian songs infused with African aesthetics, including Gnawa undertones, Congo Continue Reading
Dimitar Dodovski – Dérive
Norman Records does a far more in-depth job introducing the world to the music of North Macedonian composer Dimitar Dodovski a wee bit better than I could. From their promo sheet: “”Dimitar Dodovski approaches his craft of granular synthesis from a melodic perspective at most definitely the warmer end of Continue Reading
Baklava – From Skopje With Love
Our friends over at the indomitable CPL-Music have released a charming disc of traditional music from my second homeland of Skopje, Macedonia! Baklava, the subject of today’s listening, work with folk music and does sterling work reinterpreting it for a more modern, updated sound. Speaking of that sound, the band Continue Reading
Kuzman – Fine Wound
Kuzman Markoski has produced a rather fine EP’s worth of soundtrack-style music. The composer, thereminist and sound designer offers a groove-filled, damn-near danceable disc. From his Bandcamp site: “Kuzman is a versatile musician and audio-visual artist based in Skopje, Macedonia. With a background in classical training, he has honed his Continue Reading