Macedonia

 You never know how this searching the world for musick is going to go. Previously in Albania, I had to make some compilations of available tuneage, as the former Yugo area is quite tumultuous to say the least. Now here in Macedonia, two great bands with releases from back in 1988 that are poignant & vital today.

ALEKSANDAR MAKEDONSKI was formed in 1986, in Skopje, then Socialist Republic of Macedonia as an offshoot of the prominent punk rock group Badmingtons. It included: Vladimir Petrovski - Karter – guitar &vocals; Dejan Škartov - Deko – keyboards & backing vocals; Zoran Janković – Bajo – bass & backing vocals; Vlado Dimovski – drums; & Melita Stefanovska - backing vocals.

The former Badmingtons drummer Boris Georgiev decided to join the gothic rock cult band Mizar, the other band I am featuring today. He played on their first self-titled album released in 1988.

Unlike Badmingtons, who were a punk band, Aleksandar Makedonski was initially a more pop-rock oriented act. Aleksandar Makedonski recorded several songs for the national Macedonian Radio-Television music production. They soon became popular across the country. The group released its debut album Za heroje i princeze for Jugodisk record label in 1988. Differing from their previous material, the album was in Serbo-Croatian, because it was the most widespread language in the multilingual former Yugoslav market. In 1990, they recorded two songs, "Mi se igra" & "Sečavanja" in Macedonian at Mladinski Radio Klub 100, which were released on the Demoskop tape. 

Shortly thereafter the line-up changed. Melita Stefanovska left to joined the all-female alternative rock band Royal Albert Hall, while Dimovski & Škartov joined the psychedelic rock group Kleržo. Vladimir continued to work with a new bass player Mite Brljamov, but with a different musical style.

In 1991, they recorded songs for the second album at the studio of Nikola Kokan Dimuševski of Leb i sol, however it was never released. After a long pause, they recorded a new material throughout 1995, which was finally released as Aleksandar Makedonski's second album Moeto carstvo for the Makoton label in 1997. All three original members of Badmingtons are on "Moeto carstvo" along with bassist Zoran Janković. 

 Aleksandar Makedonski – Za Heroje I Princeze, Jugodisk LPD-0431, 1988. 

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Side A –

Da, Da, Da

Neću Da Plačem

Celu Noć I Ceo Dan

Kucao Sam Na Tvoja Vrata

Rum & Coca-Cola

Side B –

Za Heroje I Princeze

Bezabi Babi

Kraj

Dođi, Jutro

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Mizar (Мизар) is a Macedonian darkwave band formed in 1983 in Skopje, Macedonia. Mizar's musical style is post-punk, darkwave & gothic rock. Mizar combines elements of bands like Joy Division along with traditional Macedonian folk & Byzantine music. Another highlight of their music is the two Goran's (Tanevski & Trajkoski), whose vocals are based on Eastern Orthodox church chants. Most of their songs are in Macedonian.

Mizar’s lyrics have a strong socio-political message. Trajkoski says that few Macedonian musicians dare to oppose the party line of the government or the political establishment:

The bands self-titled first release has achieved something of a cult status, especially in Republic of Macedonia & across the former Yugoslavia. It was the first Yugoslav rock record in the Macedonian language. Previously, Macedonian bands primarily recorded in Serbo-Croatian for marketing reasons, as it is the most widespread language in the multilingual former Yugoslav Federation. The album was a major success for the band. It is listed among the top ten rock albums ever released in Yugoslavia. Because of the band's avant-garde sound & image, its Eastern Orthodox Christian leanings & its support for Macedonian self-determination, they were viewed with certain degree of suspicion by the former communist regime. Still, the group received great media attention including numerous appearances on the national television.

On their self-titled first release, Mizar are: Goran Tanevski – vocals; Gorazd Čapovski – guitar; Sašo Krstevski – bass;  Katerina Veljanovska – keyboards; & Boris Georgiev – drums.

Mizar ‎– Mizar, Helidon ‎– FLP 05-074, 1988. 

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Side A –

Devojka Od Bronza

Doždot

Magla

Iljada I Šeeset Leta

Uninije

Stoj

Side B -

Gradot E Nem

Hoden Že

Istekuvam

Zlatno Sonce

Enjoy,

NØ