Christopher Fleming

© Christopher Fleming

You don't know Christopher Fleming? How come you don't know Christopher Fleming? Those wonderful guitar parts, tremendous lyrics, a thrilling voice and a romantic soul after all! That's our creative and sentimental being of our friendly EVS family!

'Lord, here I go again... day in, day out...' beside lyrics that touch the strings of your soul the flowing sounding of a guitar along with it makes a bit dreamy, nostalgic and longing effect for the feel indescribable and yet undefined. It gently presents the scars of the past and the heart bleeding yet still able to feel the sincere and the beautiful... showing the image of a dreamer's eyes despite the pink glasses falling down, staying the same... full of hope.

However, in the compositions [I just heard 3 of them, but I know that there will be more!] I've noticed a tiny bit of influence from 'British pop' music guru's of the late 90-ties, which I think was an inspiring moment in the music scene back then. It's great to see this influence of the past times [when lyrics mattered] go steadily through the barriers of present times and offer the world new original tracks that remind us the importance of words and the way they can express the diverse nature of human feelings. I could find it in Christopher's music which despite the changing times stay romantic, meaningful and with a strong message.

Rock This Macedonian Party

Struga's DuoSlide

This story could be easily referred to most of the creative people seeking for success in music industry today. Nowadays it is pretty hard to surprise the fastidious public, which we present with an image of ourselves. We desire more, we ask for more amazement and entertaining positivism in the enormous world of sounds as well as cute attraction points in every song we hear, which makes us if not scream along in euphoria then at least make a little finger-play on a wooden bar-table producing 'echo-effect' along with the original drum beats of the song.

To be an artist is a hard work to do which nevertheless is mixed with feeling of enjoyment. It's harder than before to shine among numerous underground amateurs trying to fulfill their dream to be heard. It's life of a poet as you never know what you will get, but you never stop creating. You never stop searching for the reflections of your rich imaginary world and making them appealing to the rest of the world. You just never stop.

So what's going on here in Struga in terms of musical talents? I can tell it's a town full of very talented kids [surprisingly they stand out with an ability to play more than one musical instrument] that grew up with the sounds of The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Depeche Mode and Metallica. Metallica more than other bands for sure, as you can hear them [these very talented kids] quite often trying to repeat and master the magnificence of Metallica's solos on their electric guitars.

Bitola's Shine

So what is there to enjoy from these full-time young orchestras performing? When we speak of performing their own songs then I must say you don't hear them a lot. If you do then they're mostly made in pop-rock genre with a gentle touch of ska. However, when going for a concert of a local band playing in one of the town's numerous pubs what you can hear very often are revivals of old, well-known hits of the last decades of 20th century or the hits of nowadays, which is a bit disappointing. Maybe a factor that plays a huge difference here is a public demand for this type of content. Macedonians are a very open-hearted nation that enjoys spending a lot of time socializing in public places like bars, pubs, cafes [also during the day]. It explains a little bit the logic behind the question of why performing popular songs in pubs is a quite typical practice in Macedonia. Accordingly, it might take a while before your own song by luck or hard work becomes popular, which was the case of Struga's DuoSlide whose song 'Neobičen Krug' recently became famous countrywide. During their performance they also played their own songs, however the public got excited only in the moments when their famous song was played again and again, and the public could sing along. After their performance, the next band on the stage was Shine from Bitola, who entertained the public by performing well-known hits and sadly enough the public seemed more entertained. Anyhow, if you forget about the fact that someone else already performed a song and gained the rewards for it and just enjoy the new sounding of it, then you'll probably find yourself singing along with the crowd too... 'Sweet Child of Mine', 'Fly Away' or 'Cocaine'. All in all it's not that bad. Beside hearing the well-known hits I could sense a search for new ways to express the well-known songs in different, more individual or uniquer ways. It was catchy for the ear to hear pop or electronic music hits in various rock versions. For example, Lady Gaga's pieces performed in male voice and with some added rough interlude sounded pretty awesome. However, I hope there are more unique artists to be discovered on the Young Macedonian music scene than just plain cover-bands that fulfill demands of the public, though that is one tough road to go.

Ljube - The Child of Nature

The jeans jacket borrowed from friends, 'The Beatles' and sparkling flames of ardour coming from young generation wishing to change this world - that was in the 70-ties. Times are changing and passing by. But the sparkling flames have remained together with gained life experience. And the jeans jacket - that's his own property now, like the sparkling flames that are left now for other young generations.

He's wearing glasses in style of Dandies. He's smoking and making gestures, while telling the witty shortcuts of life stories, which unconsciously make the whole impression of the person he is now. He's telling that English wasn't sufficient to know in his youth, but clothing in 'manner of capitalism' was just a weird way to show the protest against existing dogmas of socialism, expanding horizons, not just seeing everything as a red square or green triangular (it depends how you perceive the conditions of proposed way of living in every political regime).

He's been attracted to art since childhood. He remembers himself drawing everything that was in his daily outlook. And this daily view was pleasant for a young artist to explore his talent and passion for art. The art of nature. The love of nature. The nature that saves and that kills. The nature that is saved and is killed. In many ways. This is his message to society - to save the environment! And show the exact problem through the flowing moves of a paintbrush.

He's blusterous, calling himself 'Narcissist' and why not? He has all rights to do that, as this story is only about his version of this world: through art, inside art and in crossroads of it. Nevertheless, the art is winning this game, even if everything is against it.

His activities can't be described in a few words, it's just like a feeling that can be only understood or not, like art itself. Beside our topic of Graffiti, which is also one of the expression fields of Ljube he makes art workshops (since 1993 in Art Association ZUM93, now ZUM 2002) around Macedonia, with this action letting the society know that nature is dying because of our own non-sense. Maybe painting the dead fish and polluted forests in an impressionistic way is not really helping nature directly, but people buy the paintings, people see the exhibitions and the true feelings of artists and the story every painting keeps inside. Beside the activating art in non-governmental way and saving the nature, he is Professor of Arts, working in a school in Struga and helping young talents to find themselves in the world of creating, despite the fact that art still remains an amateur profession ruled mostly by enthusiasts. 

The true child of nature. Maybe he will continue with Ljubeism as kind of new religion, which will take masses to follow him and create the beauty, leaving the messages to the world... 'You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one...' [John Lennon 'Imagine']

The Oxygen.

Starting with the rhythm of hip-hop and a skin-head guy rapping on the radio microphone. Talking hard. The composition number one says the title: 'The Oxygen'.

The Oxygen - the dance of lungs. And the story goes on... about a girl from the big city and the boy from the provinces both called Sasha. Their love starts as usual sentimentally and suddenly noticing that lungs are dancing, the oxygen comes in bigger doses. Love in this case is compared to Oxygen - at least somebody made an alternative phrase of describing 'Butterflies in Stomach'. And butterflies appear either in a few significant moments of the movie. 

But the plot is more complicated than just love among two youngsters likely smoking weed in front of big monuments. The problem goes deeper, and for comparison the lack or either loads of 'Oxygen' can cause all the biggest mistakes made by mankind. And examples are given in the next compositions of the movie. Full track contains 10 of them, covered in simple and easy discussion on present day topics skillfully using the elements that create the modern culture of the youth. Talking about Islamic countries, 11th September 2001, which was all made in name of big 'love' (shown in videos of war and named as 'LOVE PARADE'), and youth dependent on drugs, suffering either from big love or lack of it. The next composition called 'Amnesia' tries to provide a solution - 'Organize your brain clinical amnesia. Organize - I don't remember anything, anything, anything...'.

Movie is precisely describing the youth of the world, portraying the life of Russian example. The mixture of scenes similar to ideology and performance presented in  'Pump Up the Volume', 'Trainspotting' and 'Run Lola Run' appear in the flow of pictures, taking the best part of it. Outstanding thinking, hippies running naked in the field of weed, rebels and all those who are in search for understanding in this world. Ironic, containing delicious comparisons, excellent game of words, which touch, take over and settle down in memory. The above mentioned 'Dance of Lungs', 'Provincial Fur and Fleas of Big City', 'Heart in a Shape of a Big Double-Bed' and many others made by this hard talk of storytellers, alternating with visualization containing scenes of decelerated reality and as well impressive surrealism [e.g., girl walking on the moon in black gumboots decorated with colorful flowers, break-dance mixing with sound of broken glass]. The movie speaks to you and your conscience.

Organize your brain Amnesia and add some Oxygen!

Un Coeur, S'il Vous Plaît.

© Marta Podniece

The experts from the French corner of the world are saying that only musicians with licences are allowed to play music in Paris Underground, which they get by fairly winning an official competition for that matter. The musical fight for the legal being in an eternal draft! [Amazing.] The source of income and the main challenge in life wrapped in one candy. I guess the true meaning of this 'being' is far more deeper than the eternal wind on the stairs. It's all about Love-thing, I think.

City of Paris. The morning [Bonjour!] Kisses on both cheeks. The smell of newly-baked croissants, lyrically drizzling rain, small parks and miniature streets, and people in them. Those who never hurry but are always on time. The sentimental keepers of old stuff. Those listening to music on vinyl plates and sharing memories. Talking a lot. Giving flowers to their heart-ladies and arguing about politics. Tasting life like newly-baked croissants. [Slow down. Pleasure up.]

Wax Tailor featuring Charlotte Savary 'Seize the Day' is sharing a pleasant melancholy with me and my contemplation. The delicious music piece from 'Paris' movie. About those - sentimental yet punctual, designing life as a molecular equation and dreaming out future plans, playing modern harlots and being immigrants. About those, who are young again and in love, and those, who live their last days while being young. About colorful games of destiny.

Imaginary Paris. [More to love...]

Forever Young. Forever Drunk. [Вечно молодой, вечно пьяный]

© Alexander Drozdov/AFP/Getty Images

While I'm checking the daily dose of emails confirming or rejecting the hostel bookings on an ordinary working day and hoping to proceed with fighting my BA thesis when a spare moment arrives, two backpackers come in to check-in their pre-booked hostel beds. 

Olga and Irina. They came to celebrate. It's yet another year and another birthday. This is a special one despite the fact that Riga greets them with snow, so white and so unbearable.

They say they never buy a return ticket, just in case if the city's charm gets them too far and the desire to enjoy the beauty of the place is so vigorous that there's no chance to resist it.

They come from the city of lions and bridges. The city that is all covered up in historical fairy-tales and beauty, having both features in a great amount. [St. Petersbourg]

They speak about the famous white nights and the bridges that tend to split and merge back time to time. That's all about the weirdly astounded bridge thing, as they say. If you stay on the wrong side of the bridge after a great party it just means that you had a great party. Indeed! Now you need to use your creativity to figure out where you're going to spend the rest of the night. The tourists even if just innocently watching this phenomenal bridge splitting activity might get themselves into a trouble for the same reason for being on the wrong side of the bridge.

The economic tendencies are uniquely precise and appropriately portraying the global stability crash, also in Russia. The workforce is experiencing massive dismissals from full-time and part-time positions. Same goes for pubs that are decreasing in space and numbers, as they say.

They consider themselves workaholics. For already 3 years they're earning money by writing BA and Master thesis and reports for lazy students. They work together and they succeed. One of them states that if the spring season was very productive by doing this stuff, they can afford a pretty easy living afterwards that includes expanding of horizons away from home city walls, like now. Seems like it's worth it. However, the present economic tendencies have also influenced their unique method of earning income, since the nation's financial capacity has become less impressive than it used to be.

They passionately approach the subject of existing subcultures in their city, when I ask, excited to describe the curious features of subcultures that they are also part of. The Roofers is one of them. Roofers are those living on the roofs or at least enjoying some late night beers there once in a while. However, even roofers are experiencing hard times, since the owners of houses that apparently have roofs have started to close more and more doors to those numerous Roofers' paradises. That's a shame! Maybe those house owners want to keep the king-size happiness of being on the roof for themselves? Nevertheless, there are still some unlocked roofs left and if needed you can always get directions how to get there.

Meanwhile they continue to celebrate. To celebrate their silent moments of happiness of being in a big city, drinking beer hidden in gloves, smiling and telling jokes, inviting to come for a visit, to visit the city of lions, pretty bridges and just great people. I'm smiling along [for those... forever young and forever drunk].

The Son of a Flower Lady

© Marta Podniece

He came to the big city of opportunities from the countryside. He was easy-going, warm and open-minded [Hello, world! I'm Yours!] and he was shining. He was shining whenever she smiled, laughed or looked his way. 

But they were just friends and there were certain circumstances. Recently she was left by someone, she was heart-broken. He haven't yet even started the complicated game called 'relationship'. That was it. It between them, and there were flowers.

They always met after school. They went wandering the well-known streets of the neighborhood for hours, passing familiar places like the crappy little shops where you can buy cheap beer and cigarettes, even if you're under age of 18 [and they were], fast-growing supermarkets and the public green zones filled with mines of frozen dog shit. It was winter 2004. It was a cold winter. But they met anyway. Always on the same meeting spot, with always the same flowers. Roses. They were both looking for the meaning of life or what makes sense. They both were dreamers. They both were lovers of beauty. Both somewhat out-casted. The king and queen of the out-casted teens. 

The day of high-school graduation came. She could hardly speak when he appeared to greet her with the biggest rose she ever saw in her out-casted life. It was a bit wilted and seared but so white like his feelings for her - a bit seared yet sincere and untouched.

Years passed by. They met again in a different city. They both were students now. They both were so brave and so passionate about this life with no regrets. They partied a lot. They had a great amount of boyfriends and girlfriends. They did crazy things and did not plan much ahead. They went on night walks and danced on small charming bridges of small charming towns with sounds of imaginary music and plentiful amount of emptied bottles of cheap wine. Meanwhile the wind was blowing heart-shaped clouds under the painted sky. They shared big plans to change the world and make it a better place. Bob Sinclair and Junior Jack together. It's all about the love generation in a stupid disco. Flowers remained. Silent and untouched.

His dream was to become a DJ, to wear the big headphones and hear the scratch of vinyl plates while mixing Summer Jam with the blues of the 60-ties... and seeing happy people. The dancing people... whole night long. People dancing on small charming bridges of imaginary towns and real-time dance floors. He did it. Despite the global economic crisis and depressing prognosis he enjoyed the imaginary Bed of Roses in new colors, and he still does.