VA – The Rising Sound Of Skopje

Written on 29.12.2021 by Andrijan Apostoloski

Skopje-based underground radio Kanal 103 celebrates 30 years, and it commemorates it with this VA that features producers from the city. The compilation is released on a cassette format, alongside a digital release on Bandcamp, and features Herzel, Klara, Kronom, Aka Thesaur, Marko Rikaloski, Bodan Jamakoski and others from diverse electronic music sphere of the city.

Herzel and Klara are opening with ambient colors and it continues with K.R.T.’s “Automatic Obedience” track which reminds me of early Biosphere work. After that, Kronom’s “Karbon” track shatters ice with intense industrial flares of his signature, while continuing with Marko Rikaloski’s slow electro puncher afterwards.

Aka Thesaur’s x Lirka track “Leach” is a EBM influenced groove sludge with vocals splattered all throughout, and Mako’s “People are Changing” continues with a powerful electro beat. Bodan Jamakoski’s “日本人は近い” is also an electro dance-floor melter.

Nestvarnost’s “Alive” track is a punchy house influenced electro track that tones down all the prior flares, and giving way to the outro from Nova which is an ambience broken-beat and atmospheric ending to this very interesting release.