Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Svetlost + Odron Ritual Orchestra: A Wave Returns to the Ocean

Svetlost + Odron Ritual Orchestra: A Wave Returns to the Ocean

By Vitalijus Gailius
December 11, 2021
View read count

Svetlost + Odron Ritual Orchestra: A Wave Returns to the Ocean

South-Eastern Europe isn't a place jazz fans often consider. It's time to change old habits. Svetlost, one of the finest North Macedonian trio, debuted in 2014, and in late 2021 returns with a second collaborative album, recorded at the Skopje Jazz Festival in 2020.

A Wave Returns to the Ocean steps in with ambient/field recording soundscape. This should not come as any surprise. Since the beginning, the band has regularly explored minimalistic electronic passages. Gradually, electronic gives way to lushy and a little sorrowful clarinet but only for a while. Drums and reeds accelerate the tempo to allegro and the mood from contemplative to rebellious. But it's only a beginning of the powerful and multilayered music narrative, created by North Macedonian crew.

Kristijan Novkovski

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Kristijan Novkovski,

Deni Omeragic

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Deni Omeragic and

Ninoslav Spirovski

clarinet

" data-original-title="" title="">Ninoslav Spirovski are prone to long compositions. Nevertheless, nobody can accuse them of creating wishy-washy music. They combine different genres and traditions from classical music to various styles of jazz, and from South Eastern European folk scales to rock or even pop music details.

So A Wave Returns to the Ocean is an eclectic record in a good way. Well-knitted and harmonious compositions bring colorful melodies while opening an immense space for the reeds section and muscular drumming—there are two drummers, which makes the sound much heavier. However, fans of polyrhythmics may be a little disappointed with the rather predictable and standard drumming.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

A Wave Returns to the Ocean / Altogether One; Towers; Awake!; Across the Wall and Down With the Ship.

Personnel

Ninoslav Spirovski

clarinet

Deni Omeragic

bass

Kristijan Novkovski

percussion

Blagoj?e Tomevski

clarinet

Petar Hristov

saxophone

Ivan Trajanoski

saxophone

Dragan Teodosiev

drums

Konstantin Had?i ��ocev

piano

Martin Georgievski

guitar

Additional Instrumentation

Blagoj?e Tomevski: clarinet; Ninoslav Spirovski: soprano & tenor saxophones; Petar Hristov: soprano & tenor saxophones: Ivan Trajanoski: alto & baritone saxophones; Kristijan Novkovski: drums, percussion; Dragan Teodosiev: drums, percussion; Konstantin Had?i ��ocev: piano; Martin Georgievski: electronics, guitar: Deni Omeragi?: contrabass.

Album information

Title: A Wave Returns to the Ocean | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: SJF Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Space and Time Blues
< Previous

The Home Show: Vi Redd, Joel Ross, J...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.