Tag: North Macedonia

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Music

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 with Kanal 103 FM) Bandcamp site:

“Kanal 103 turns 33.

Our birthday compilation is up. This time, Macedonian music only.
A lots of first times and debuts, new and established names, some crazy pseudonyms, rockers going electronic, bedroom songs, postcards from our music diaspora, and also some rarities and archival gems.

It was a blitzkrieg operation, and now, it’s time to celebrate.

Big love to all the wonderful musicians and souls who took part in it.
They are the most beautiful ones.”

Also, a big thank you to friends who took the time to interview me at the station, especially Toni Dimitrov, who I am indebted to for this honor.

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Music

Dimitar Dodovski – D​é​rive

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 the drone spectrum. Opening track ‘I’ introduces, of all things, mallet-struck chimes amongst the digital layers. The mallets recur on the following track (‘II’), but only when you least expect them. Staccato synth rises from a mist-draped lake of sound, each milky chord change rung by a bell. Pixelated textures drop in, then out, then back into focus again as Dodovski deftly carries us along on his smooth, humid, watery journey. It’s a gradually, dreamily dissolving picture of serenity. Sounds to submerge yourself in. By track 4, handily entitled ‘IV (Soul)’ I am spellbound by such moments of beauty that I have stopped typing and words have totally evaded me. For several minutes. That’s really not a good thing for a reviewer — but it *is* a recommendation. So. There. Especially if you enjoyed Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Suzanne Ciani’s latest joint opus. The rest of the album is equally lush. Even the choral pads and New Age-isms of some of the sounds can’t detract from that. It’s so very tropical sounding, unhurried; I can imagine stop-motion photography of an orchid blooming afresh to each struck note. David Attenborough’s voice optional but not entirely unnecessary.” –Norman Records”

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Music

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 develop it with a wealth of instruments, including ancient local ones like the tambura, the kaval and the daf, as well as bagpipes, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, accordion and (the very much non-Macedonian) ukulele.  The music is upbeat, fun, and shines a good light on the wonders of (North) Macedonian music.

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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 skills as a composer, thereminist and sound designer. This highly anticipated release comes two years after his debut solo album “Collective Zero” that marked Kuzman’s first foray into the world of studio albums as a solo artist, after his successful tenure with the Berlin-based band The Protagonist and the collaboration with the renowned producer Gareth Jones on the “OLAL” project. With an unwavering passion for music and dedication to his craft, he continues to explore new sonic landscapes and experiment with innovative musical approaches.”

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Igor Vasilev Novogradska – Sisterhood Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Igor Vasilev, working under the nom de plume Novogradska, has produced music in various genres, including darkwave (with Alexander Veljanov of Deine Lakaien), Mizar and his own solo work in electronic music.  He has also become a sought-after soundtrack composer.  This particular work, for the Dina Duma-directed Sisterhood, has an air of tension that would make it music appropriate for a David Lynch soundtrack.  There is an ominous foreboding in each track, which, to my ears, seems to be affected by everything from Hans Zimmer to easy listening music with a noir underpinning.  The highest compliment I can give this album is that it stands alone beautifully, even without the accompaniment of the film.  It’s not saccharine, not synthetic sounding.  The orchestration is tight, dark, and in many places, lush.  Well done, indeed.

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Music

Anna Michaels & Yordan Kostov Quintet – Abstract Attitude

Anna Michaels is not the Toni Morrison-kind of poet I can’t get into.  Rather, she has the power of a street storyteller, the sort of person who you can engage at a New York or Los Angeles coffee shop talking about her experiences across the world, her observations of American life both as a local and a foreigner in some sense, and at her best, her words can be rather spellbinding.  She is the sort of person I would utterly enjoy a coffee with.

It’s quite a treat to know that she has paired up with Yordan Kostov’s band, one of the many talented groups working out of Skopje, (Northern) Macedonia, my second home town.  The band give a sort of ‘beat’ feeling soundtrack to Anna’s wordplay, and the album gels together well.  PMG Records should be commended for continually producing fine jazz.

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Music

Toni Dimitrov – Live at SlovoKult literARTour 2020

Composer, radio presenter, label owner, philosopher and old friend Toni Dimitrov has released a new album on the ever-interesting Kalamine Records.  Here are some of the details regarding the release, courtesy of their Bandcamp page:

Performance at SlovoKult literARTour 2020 in Gevgelija, as a part of Bosh Festival. SlovoKult literARTour is a small international festival of contemporary art, text and poetry, taking place in Skopje and Gevgelija, Macedonia and Berlin, Germany.
www.slovokult-literatur.de