„ 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!“
credits
released April 24, 2020
All compositions by Novkovski / Omeragić / Spirovski
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
"...their debut album, Odron Ritual Orchestra, was shortlisted on Bandcamp for the top 15 jazz albums of 2019 worldwide. During that period, I followed them intensively, delighted by their live gigs and the constant desire/need/urge to play and experiment in different settings. They recorded the album as an 11-piece ensemble, but most often they perform as a trio (saxophone, bass and drums), though they often collaborate with other young and slightly older jazz musicians, as well. The sound that they constantly nurture, perfect and evolve can be placed somewhere at the complex crossroads between avant-garde jazz, post-rock, punk, funk, lyrical soul, experimental electronic music, etc. So, this is a group that is quite unique in our country, because none of the existing jazz groups (with the possible exception of Sethstat) have tried themselves in this extremely complex mix of styles. Although I had an exceptionally high opinion of the music of Svetlost from the very beginning, even I was surprised to learn that their album had made it to that Bandcamp list. I was surprised, because I follow jazz music worldwide and I know very well what kind of competition they faced.
And they did all this without the need to lean towards Macedonian or regional traditional music, which has so far been the universal and proven key to success of local musicians who have gained some degree of popularity outside the Balkans. Svetlost have been persistently refining their authentic style and sound, previously playing in other ensembles (Fighting Windmills, The Local Blue...), which relied on the sounds of instrumental rock, post-rock, stoner rock, psychedelic rock etc. But only after they collated in Svetlost and after they mixed the hybrid of jazz subgenres so supremely in their musical expression, they became a force with which every current and future jazz band in Macedonia, and beyond, will have to stand up against."
" ...here we are now, in front of their third album, Six Years, less than a year after their debut and just a few months after the release of their experimental ambient/electronic/jazz hybrid Jazz (to the working class) ... So, what do we have in front of us?
When I first listened the album, I thought that its title, taken from the eponymous song, would be a collection of their more aggressive punk jazz songs. Namely, “Six Years” is the closest thing on the album to the garage-jazz-rock hybrid characteristic, for example, of Mats Gustafsson’s trios Fire! and The Thing. This is where the punk ethos of Svetlost comes to the fore, only hinted in the title of their previous album Jazz (to the working class). One can easily imagine this song being played by some regular punk trio. However, that version would always be doomed for failure, because it would not be able to capture the raw, unrepeatable and unattainable energy of the original, which, due to the aggressive and at times dissonant free jazz improvising of saxophonist Ninoslav Spirovski, can never be emulated on a guitar."
(full liner notes available with every digital purchase of the album. yes, the full thing. not just the flattering cuts presented here.)
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Published by PMG Jazz
Format: Digital audio
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So happy to see a new album from this band. I've long been a fan of Mazurek and Parker's work in Tortoise, on top of the CUQ... Anyhow, if you're curious about contemporary jazz, this is a terrific place to start.
Hobie Anthony
Layered sax and synths combine in this rich, absorbing work that sounds like elegiac lounge music from another dimension. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 13, 2020
An expansive and bold modern jazz journey filled with delightful details from guitarist/composer Keenan "FLACCO" Ruffin and friends. Bandcamp New & Notable May 10, 2022
