Recently I visited the Autonomous Cultural and Social Center (AKSC) in Skopje for a night of experimental ambient music by Martin Georgievski who produces music under the name Amplidyne Effect.
The corner of the small βliving roomβ of the center was littered with tangled cables, a laptop, several external audio controllers and a guitar. Right behind the setup was an improvised projection screen made of white tablecloth and opposite it was a rather decent projector.Β
Martin Georgievski aka Amplidyne Effect was hunched over his laptop, turning knobs, tuning his guitarβ¦getting ready for his live act that he has brought with him to many events around the world. The room next door, through the narrow corridor, was the place of Martinβs art exhibit- photos he had taken on his trip to Japan, that were slightly distorted with a cryptic fuzziness.
A railway, a glass building, some metal circles, a landscape with blue skies above it⦠this was the pretext to the sound design the small and privileged audience was about to experience. The guests pop in and out of the rooms and Martin is becoming anxious. He feels he should start right away so he summons the crowd- some twenty or so people of various ages, from college students to two elderly couples.
He says: βFolks, I am about to start. I just wanted to ask you, would you prefer to watch a projection of me improvising in my audio software or would you like to watch the stars?β People opt for the stars and so Martin begins while the last empty spots on the improvised benches, padded and made of transportation pallets, were being taken.
A long and deep, pristine wash sets the stage for some serious experimental ambient music. The projector throws images of red and purple, gaseous realms. Sounds of whizzing comets pop in and out of the stereo setup. Martin takes the guitar and holding it awkwardly on his lap, he tingles the strings while with the other hand he constantly turns knobs and plays on the small keyboard.
The audience is becoming lulled into the darkness. From time to time,Β some peep their eyes at the changing images of Space, completely feeding from the sounds, while some have their eyes shut to enjoy it all in utter darkness. This goes on for some odd forty minutes, broken up in a strange discontinuity between time and space.
When it is all over, Martin bows in gratitude for the attention given to his audio creation and mingles with the crowd in the other room furnished with a makeshift bar that serves red wine and mastika.
Amplidyne Effect recently collaborated on the release Oldcast #55.
You can listen to that release and the rest of his music on his Soundcloud.
You can visit the AKSC on their Facebook.
