By Irena Stevanovska
The jazz scene is thriving among young people all over the world, with
artists blending different genres, creating new styles, and leaving a
legacy that feels alive and evolving. In Macedonia, a group of young people is doing the same. For a country with just 2 million people, it’s
surprising how strong the jazz scene is. Skopje, the capital, is the heart
of it – a place where you can find more than one improvised music gig per week.
The unpredictability of a life in a post-socialist country somehow pushes
the creativity of the people further, making the music deeply emotional.
The country is seen through different perspectives by the musicians, some
reflect the gray skies and cracked streets, while others catch the rare
flashes of light and color.
With so few people, there’s the challenge of not having enough musicians to
dive fully into avant-garde styles, so you’ll notice many of them rotating
through different ensembles.
There are three main labels for Jazz in Macedonia: SJF Records, the oldest,
along with PMGJazz and Aksioma. Together, they release a surprising number
of albums for such a small country. Here, I’ll focus on releases from
Aksioma and PMGJazz because my aim is towards the free form of jazz – the
improvised, and the completely free-jazz.
Yordan Kostov – Kichobal (Aksioma, 2024)
Yordan Kostov is one of the leading improvising musicians on the scene
today. Known for his collaborations with artists from both the Balkans and
around the world, he brings an avant-garde touch to the jazz genre. Playing
the accordion—a rare instrument in jazz—Yordan has developed a unique style
that sets him apart. With over 40 previous releases, this album sees him
gather a group of exceptional musicians for an improvisational session.
Later, Yordan reworked the recordings into a post-modern mashup, resulting
in a dynamic and vibrant album.
The album opens with a slow and calm introduction, gently preparing you for
the surreal mashup of sounds ahead. It features instruments rarely heard in
free jazz, creating an abstract, post-modern experience for anyone willing
to lose themselves in the music. The opening track combines accordion and
taishigoto, producing a glitch-like effect on your mind. Meanwhile, the
piano and guitar contribute to a dreamlike atmosphere, anchored by
percussion that keeps you grounded. By the third track, a hint of
melancholy begins to surface—foreshadowing the emotional depths explored in
later pieces. However, before delving into this heaviness, the album shifts
back to a groovier, more energetic vibe, complemented by the stunning
vocals of Ayumi Saita.
Midway through the album comes its centerpiece, Rainy Season. This track
captures the essence of Skopje during its rainy season—its damp, raw
ambiance providing the perfect backdrop for introspection. A constant drone
hums in the background, creating space for reflection, while a repetitive
guitar riff and bagpipe melodies radiate emotional pain. The accordion
offers a lightness that contrasts beautifully with the percussion, which
gently pulls the listener back to reality. Despite the track’s weighty
emotions, it also conveys a sense of calm acceptance.
From there, the album shifts to playful, high-energy sounds, featuring
heavy basslines and, at times, distorted drum patterns. The accordion,
ever-present, shines with cheerful melodies, blending seamlessly with other
unique instruments like the Vietnamese đàn bầu and the Japanese taishigoto,
both played by Yordan Kostov.
Svetlost – Everything Was as It Had Been a Minute Ago (PMGJazz, 2024)
Svetlost is a trio that’s often seen playing live. They’ve also released
music with an eleven-piece orchestra, which made it into Bandcamp’s top 15
jazz albums worldwide in 2019. Everything Was as It Had Been a Minute Ago is their first album in four years as
the original trio. Their sound is usually built around heavy, repetitive
bass lines by Deni Omeragić, energetic drumming from Kristijan Novkovski,
and Ninoslav Spirovski’s unmistakable tenor saxophone.
This album is a bit different. All the members have experience playing in
post-rock, psychedelic, and noise rock bands like Strog Post, Fighting
Windmills, Palindrom, and Local Blue, those influences show here. The album
starts with a melodic saxophone that quickly brings in the bass and drums.
The bass and saxophone constantly follow each other, while the drums push a
fast pace.
The third track begins with a more melancholic saxophone, quieter drums, and
a bassline that holds the structure together until the drums speed things
up later. The fourth and final track captures the feeling of city life. The saxophone
gives it a vibe that feels like it could fit into a 90s animated crime
series, maybe one based on a comic. This part of the album reflects the
late-night walks through Skopje—through brutalism, pollution, and the haze
of a fun night out. The saxophone mirrors this, while the drumsticks bring
a Balkan rhythm. As the song progresses, the bass takes on a more
traditional sound, and a clarinet, also played by Spirovski, unexpectedly
joins in.
Taxi Consilium – Spiritual Car Wash (PMGJazz, 2022)
This is easily the best free-jazz combo on the Macedonian jazz-scene. The
chemistry between the musicians is unmatched, and the atmosphere they
create captures the country’s dynamics perfectly – a mix of movement and
gloom. Each member brings something unique. Andrea Mircheska lays down an
old-school bass line that holds the whole album together, while Dragan
Teodosiev’s drumming breaks into post-modern rhythms that feel fresh and
unpredictable. Blagojche Tomevski’s clarinet shifts between the sound of
traditional Macedonian music and wild, stretched out tones that spiral into
chaos. Filip Bukrshliev’s guitar is a fusion of post-rock and jazz, mind
bending no matter how you hear it.
The track names are part of the experience, adding another layer to the
surreal vibe of the album, combined with the abstract cover art, you know
exactly where the music takes you. ‘Consumer Hot-Line with Atilla the Hun’ is
one of those tracks that stays in your head long after listening, something
your brain replays at 3 a.m. because it burned itself into your
subcosciousness.
The album doesn’t stick to one mood, tracks like ‘Nocturnal Flights’ and
‘Exposed Flesh’ lean into noir, and dark jazz, creating a slower, shadowy
atmosphere. Resembling their previous album “The Essential Sunday Glooms”,
sharing the same mood and energy.
Listening to this album feels like watching a briliant film. The last track
is the credits, pulling you back into reality but leaving you with
everything you felt during the journey – the ups, the downs, the whole
experience. This album isn’t just music, it’s a trip you will remember for
a long time after.