The latest release from the independent label Sharla is the EP “Maelstrom” by Martin Georgievski, a.k.a. Amplidyne Effect.
The label notes that Georgievski is known as an exceptionally dedicated Skopje indie kid, a breed that’s slowly disappearing. A figure from the frontlines of all the more or less important gigs and concerts in the city, and at the same time, a devoted follower of everything worthwhile happening on the local independent music scene.
“A friend and a fan. When you flip to his other side, you’ll find an equally dedicated and talented electronic artist who releases and performs under the pseudonym ‘Amplidyne Effect’. A recognizable, gentle shoegazer presence with a clear inclination toward diving into sonic depths and pulling out all sorts of musical fruits. We don’t have him in our story often, but he appears whenever he needs to lead it into his already recognizable zone. That’s the idea. Winter—cold wind outside, ideal conditions for deep inner activities closer to silence than anything else. A state. It’s in that zone of minimal entropy that this short but precious musical work by Martin operates. Quite the opposite of the world outside,” Sharla says.
Regarding the 19-minute release itself, Georgievski tells Radio MOF that it is a short audio recording made of two tracks captured in entirely separate improvisational sessions, where he also used some of the new gear he recently acquired: a guitar with a NUX MG300 multi-effect processor, a Novation Mininova synth, and his favorite digital sounds from the Arturia synthesizers.
“The idea in my releases has always been the moment of improvisation—not so much to dive into composition, but to let the sound carry me. ‘Medley’ came from the desire to capture that astral guitar tape-delay sound of my idol Nick McCabe and merge it with Robert Fripp’s frippertronics. The track ‘Maelstrom’, on the other hand, came about the very first time I plugged the Mininova synth into my streaming setup. I even have a Twitch stream video where you can see how the track slowly took shape,” he explains. Sometimes, in different sessions, he adds, tracks appear that naturally connect to each other and create their own small microcosm.
“In this case, that microcosm carries the feeling of water, the full moon, and the uncertainty of the sea in darkness. A maelstrom is a strong sea whirlpool, and that’s how the two improvisational sessions sounded to me—like currents meeting and forming a long shape in constant motion. What’s interesting is that, without me ever telling that to David (from Sharla), we ended up on the same wavelength (pun intended). His cover photo perfectly captures that moment. And strangest of all—if it really is the same full moon, taken at the same time but at another location—I actually took a similar photograph. I’m saving it for some future LP release where these two tracks might also find their place,” Martin Georgievski adds.
The review was originaly posted on Radio MOF
