Representing the Free Jazz scene in North Macedonia (Part 1 of 2)

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 bass-lines 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 bass-line 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 subconsciousness.

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 brilliant 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.