Release Type: LP

Five and a half years on from their last original trio recording, SVETLOST are back. Were they even away? Somewhat. Taking the long route around to end up in the same place – though, one could argue they are now on a different plane than they were at that moment. But, we suppose most of the world feels the same. The date of that last recording, January of 2019, and the one that saw the production of this album, May of 2024, bookend a period of a global pandemic, perpetual economic crisis, new wars, personal losses, and friends gone (but never forgotten).

Regrouping in 2024 with a renewed artistic focus, SVETLOST quickly found the groove that helped them create their first three (critically acclaimed) albums in the space of a few months. The assembled material features their trademark non-idiomatic improvisation framed in compositions rooted in noise-punk and doom-jazz. The LP was recorded in their underground basement studio and masterfully engineered by Vladan Drobicki, to give it a raw live sound that best showcases the feel of their performances.

The program of the album was partly inspired by Austrian/ Israeli artist duo Muntean and Rosenblum’s 1990s piece portraying three disengaged melancholic figures, nominally untitled, but inscribed in large block letters: EVERYTHING WAS AS IT HAD BEEN A MINUTE AGO, EXCEPT FOR A SENSE OF GENERAL SUSPENSION, AS OF THINGS HOLDING THEMSELVES IN STILLNESS, NOT DARING TO BREATHE.

This record marks Svetlost and PMGJazz’s first collaboration with Inverted Spectrum Records, a boutique label and concert organization initiative based in Budapest and Ankara. 

Ninoslav Spirovski [clarinet / tenor saxophone]
Deni Omeragić [baritone guitar / bass guitar / electronics]
Kristijan Novkovski [drums]

#1, #2, #4 – Composed by Novkovski / Omeragić / Spirovski.
#3 – Composed by Spirovski, arranged by Novkovski /
Omeragić / Spirovski.

Recorded by Vladan Drobicki @ Svetlost HQ, Skopje, 4 may
2024.
Edited, mixed and mastered by Vladan Drobicki, for PMGJazz.
Artwork by Kristijan Novkovski

Produced for and published by:
PMGJazz (Skopje, Macedonia),
a division of PMG Recordings.

Published by:
Inverted Spectrum Records (Budapest, Hungary / Ankara,
Turkey)

For inquires related to SVETLOST contact Deni Omeragić (omeragic.deni@gmail.com)

This is the second release, the culmination of the Skordas-Teodosiev-Tomevski collaboration early this year (the first album, Re-Absorption of Light, also on PMGJazz), only this time the trio is augmented to a sextet. The unusual instruments in the line-up provide the musicians with all the spectral tools needed to capture the full scope of the comical dichotomy inherent to the Balkan experience: where the sound of various traditional small flutes pierces the bulky, pseudo-sophisticatedly voiced guitar chords like a wraith from the past, while the bagpipes beckon the double-bass to join them in an all-gas-no-brakes fire music extravaganza. This music is pure Balkan free-jazz pandemonium, but in the best kind of way. Like a tour guide that is well informed in the free-jazz practices of the revered 60’s, it grabs you by the hand and takes you to a godforsaken part of the Osogovo mountains. You find yourself in some unearthly dark forest, where wild boars roam free and the huge beech trees provide you with cover while you dodge the bullets from the poachers. At night you witness some secret pagan ritual, encounter some odd looking mushrooms and quench your thirst by drinking cold-cold water directly from the spring. Maybe later, you try some of the wild berries…

Composed, arranged and performed by:

Nikolas Skordas – tenor sax, soprano sax, bag pipe (gajda and tsampuna), bells, shells, tarogato
Blagojche Tomevski – bass clarinet, clarinet
Vladan Drobicki – trombone
Filip Bukrshliev – el.guitar
Deni Omeragic – double bass
Dragan Teodosiev – drums

Recorded and produced by Vladan Drobicki
Cover art by Dimitar Apostolov Zewlean

A fantastic free jazz impro quartet bringing the east and the west part of the world in central Skopje (N. Macedonia) to perform a live concert. On a quiet Sunday night, their music lit the vibrant sound of contemporary tuba, es horn creating a journey similar to an Eel travelling more than 3,500 miles in music rivers worldwide. Tuba was closely followed by freestyle piano, traditional but open accordion and drums sensual but strong enough always to fill the middle. Yordan Kostov is to blame for this musical meeting. Like the eel, he travels the world to meet and collaborate with different musicians, who in a magical way, just like the path of the eel, gathered in Skopje one Sunday evening to share with us this great music.

Composed and performed by:
Roman Stolyar – piano
Yordan Кostov – accordion
Nick DeCarlo – tuba, alto horn
Dragan Teodosiev – drums

Recorded live by Vladan Drobicki on 03.03.2024 at PMGJazz Club Night in Laboratorium
Produced by Vladan Drobicki
Sleeve design by Violeta Kachakova

Can light be absorbed by sound? The physics postulates that light doesn’t affect sound, as light is an electromagnetic wave that travels in space, while sound vibrates in air and requires a material medium to travel. Still, sound waves can modulate light frequency while light can render acoustic images visible. This fantastic Greek-Macedonian collaboration of jazz virtuosos on sax, bagpipes, bells, shells, clarinet and drums creates an aura of light-sound connection. Pure sound energy is absorbed as music to our ears and transmitted as vibration and light to our bodies. You only need to close your eyes and surrender to this energy.

Composed and performed by:
Nikolas Skordas – tenor sax, soprano sax, bagpipes (gajda & tsampuna), bells, shells, tarogato
Blagojche Tomevski – bass clarinet, clarinet
Dragan Teodosiev – drums

Recorded and produced by Vladan Drobicki
Cover art by Dimitar Apostolov Zewlean

A music ensemble born from the collaboration between outstanding authors and instrumentalists who outline the new history of Macedonian jazz and contemporary music, following the need for a new creative, free, inspiring and at the same time challenging expression. This contemporary ensemble innovates the creation and the performance of a music oeuvre due to a fusion of the individual musical preoccupations and forms of expression of each member woven into a challenging and quality performance unit. The member musicians, individually or as part of their original bands, are well acclaimed and awarded for their work in the national and international context: Filip Bukrshliev, Deni Omeragić, Ninoslav Spirovski, Vladan Drobicki, Vasko Bojadziski, Dragan Teodosiev, Gligor Kondovski and Blagojce Tomevski.

composed and performed by:

Ninoslav Spiroski-saxophone
Blagojce Tomevski-bass clarinet
Vasko Bojadziski-saxophone
Vladan Drobicki-trombone
Gligor Kondovski-violin
Filip Bukrshliev-guitar
Deni Omeragic-doble bass
Dragan Teodosiev-drums

recorded and produced by Vladan Drobicki at MKC-Kino Frosina
sleeve design by Violeta Kachakova

This beautiful release forefronts two lovely ladies musicians. Ana Padevska, a young and inspiring composer and Dunja Ivanova, a sensitive but strong piano player. The sensibility of Ana’s compositions musically draws the authentic atmosphere of Skopje city, presented by Dunja’s graceful piano performance. The album was recorded live at Audiokultura as part of the PMG Jazz series of concerts “Kraj Vardarot Sesii vo Audiokultura”.
It was a pleasure to work with these young, beautiful ladies. Enjoy the music as we were enjoying the live performance!

composed by Ana Pandevska
performed by Dunja Ivanova – piano

recorded at Audiokultura, Skopje on October 26, 2023 by Vladan Drobicki/Veselin Teoharov
cover art and photo by Violeta Kachakova
produced for PMGJazz by Vladan Drobicki/Mirko Popov

POETRONIKA is an innovative art project that contains a creative selection of works from Macedonian poetic creativity placed in a contemporary musical context, more precisely in an electronic musical form. It is about our authentic poetic creation, which chronologically includes poets from
the first post Second world war generation, up to some of today’s contemporary, Macedonian authors. Poetronica differs from all previous similar attempts in the very approach to the narrative and tries to avoid stereotypes about how it is interpreted and what musical form fits a poetic expression.
Andreja Salpe, one of our precious musial talents, fluidly combines electronic music with jazz, ambient and instrumentalisation. Over the top we get spoken word by Oliver Mitkovski, the most prominent Macedonian actor, who gets absolutely everything right. POETRONIKA delivers right atmosphere in the right time. It is innovative, meditative, dancey, all in all, very very cool. One of the best projects we ever managed.
A must have!

Spoken words by Oliver Mitkovski
Written, mixed, and produced by Andreja Salpe, during 2023
Arranged by Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski
Mastered by Vladan Drobicki
Artwork by Oliver Mitkovski

‘Poetronika’ chronologically includes Macedonian poets from the first post Second world war generation, up to some of today’s contemporary authors. 

Andreja Salpe, Oliver Mitkovski
POETRONIKA 

01. Psalm za Mlle Lili | POETRONIKA
(lyrics: Aco Karamanov; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

02. Jas pa ti | POETRONIKA
(lyrics: Gogo Ivanovski; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

03. Natasha Celakoska | POETRONIKA 
(lyrics: Goran Petreski; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

04. Dve prikazni | POETRONIKA 
(lyrics: Combination of ‘Vladimir Lukash’s ‘Mnogu glupa prikazna’ and Olivera Kjorvezirovska’s ‘Izbrishana prikazna’; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

05. Fatalino | POETRONIKA
(lyrics: Slavko Janevski; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

06. Pej mi | POETRONIKA 
(lyrics: Blazhe Konevski; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

07. Koj sum | POETRONIKA 
(lyrics: Gjoko Zdraveski; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

08. Tvojata tishina | POETRONIKA 
(lyrics: Andreja Risteski; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

09. Osamenost | POETRONIKA 
(lyrics: Radmila Trifunovska; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

10. Milo sonce | POETRONIKA 
(lyrics: Compilation of Igor Isakovski’s ‘Milo sonce’, ‘Zalegnat vrz stihovi’, ‘Smislata na edna nokj’; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

11. Slushaj | POETRONIKA 
(lyrics: Compilation of Igor Isakovski’s ‘Slushaj’, ‘Dozhd’, ‘Kje spijam’, ‘Znaesh’; Spoken words: Oliver Mitkovski; music: Andreja Salpe;  Arrangement: Andreja Salpe and Oliver Mitkovski)

This flying impro number, marks the start of our new little FREEway of LIVE releases, recorded “on field” by ourselves and played by our friends. See, we often arrange concerts, even a festival here in Skopje, North Macedonia, so more or less we started recording everything we do. The best stuff we record – we release and it’s all going to be FREE DOWNLOAD. We want you to have it and save your money for the next contingent of quality modern Macedonian jazz and whatever else’s revolving around it. We’re counting on you and yes! you can count on us.

G. Kondovski – violin
V. Drobicki – trombone
D. Omeragic – double bass

All music composed by Kondovski/Drobicki/Omeragic

Recorded 02.11.2023 at SCS Centar – Jadro by Pavel Drobicki
Mixed and produced by Vladan Drobicki

On Sundays, the production designers, the make-up artists, the writers, the producers: the whole crew is at home, resting. The studio is empty. Even the wig of the news announcer is left on the stand. There is no news, nothing to be reported. Time runs… slow. Perfect opportunity for two seasoned weirdos to use the room to make some noise. If you are a regular at this label, you may know them from Taxi Consilium: one of them has moustaches like an Austro-Hungarian count, the other one is overweight. The location of the recording session: the studio floor of ТВ Свет (TV World) a local TV station in the town of Sveti Nikole. The instruments: bass clarinet and guitar. The key: D minor. Very loosely…

Blagojche Tomevski – bass clarinet
Filip Bukrshliev – guitar

Composed by Blagojche Tomevski and Filip Bukrshliev
Recorded by Vladan Drobicki in TV Svet, Sveti Nikole, on 15.01.2023.
Mixed and mastered by Vladan Drobicki, January 2023.
Cover by Filip Bukrshliev.
Special thanks to Gjore Dechkov for the help and hospitality.

Well, well, what we have here… It’s our usual suspects!!! Thee peoples who can not stop doing this wonderful adventurous inspiring free music. For the lovers of open meditative spaces and complications without boundaries… we offer you the exceptional double bass-trombone-violinistic trio of ours. Our bestest friends and musicians and jazzists and beautiful people of ours. This music will probably blow your minds, but you’re here to be blown, ain’t you?

Composed and performed by
Gligor Kondovski – violin
Vladan Drobicki – trombone
Deni Omeragic – double bass
Cover art by Gligor Kondovski
Recorded by Gligor Kondovski and Vladan Drobicki
Produced by Vladan Drobicki