„PMGJazz’s flagship ensemble SVETLOST are back…though, probably, they were never really away. “Six Years” – their third album in just over 200 days, is a 54-minute ride through various moods and textures, presented through 6 compositions. Their trademark groove inspired rhythms and hypnotic repetitive bass-lines are still omnipresent, as is Ninoslav Spirovski’s unmistakable tenor saxophone wailing – but all presented in a slightly different way. In contrast to their previous two offerings – the orchestral megalith “Odron Ritual Orchestra” and the conceptual “Jazz (to the working class)”, this record is about shorter pieces, which comprise the bulk of the material that Svetlost usually plays live.

Recorded in a single session on 10 January 2019, in Skopje’s premier art-house cinema “Frosina”, mostly empty at the time, the acoustics of this recording are, to say the least – unique. The album was recorded by Alen Hadži-Stefanov, an experienced engineer, who regularly records the Macedonian Philharmonic, and has worked on albums of free jazz royalty – artists such as William Parker, Peter Brötzmann, Billy Bang, Andrew Cyrille, Jemeel Moondoc, Sunny Murray, Nels Cline, Die Like A Dog, Mark Dresser, Alan Silva etc. To preserve the integrity of the recorded sound the album is mixed without compression, except (for artistic reasons) the track “Together Alone”.

The digital booklet features an almost 1,500 words long essay, written by dr. Vangel Nonevski, reminiscent of the classic liner notes of ’60s jazz. Enjoy!“ 

All compositions by Novkovski / Omeragić / Spirovski

SVETLOST

Ninoslav Spirovski [tenor saxophone]
Kristijan Novkovski [percussion]
Deni Omeragić [bass guitar / electronics]

Produced by Novkovski / Omeragić / Spirovski
Recorded by Alen Hadži-Stefanov @ Kino Frosina – MKC, Skopje,10 January 2019
Production assistant – Erik Omeragić
Mixed by Deni Omeragić & Ninoslav Spirovski @ Blue Town Studio, 2 December 2019
Mixing engineer – Aleksandar Džo Gospodov
Mastered by Deni Omeragić

Design by Kristijan Novkovski
Cover photo: “Unfamiliar certainties” by Ana Ivanovska
Liner notes by Vangel Nonevski

Executive producers – Vladan Drobicki & Mirko Popov (for PMGJazz)