About Us

Next to Silence, a jazz fusion group born out of Macedonia’s vibrant music scene, began in 2009 as an homage to the evocative artists of the German label ECM. Over the years, they have evolved from interpreters to innovators, crafting original material that resonates with audiences worldwide. With their first album released in 2020 under the esteemed SJF label (Skopje Jazz Festival’s subsidiary) and their 2024 follow-up, Ruh, they’ve established themselves as pioneers of introspective, boundary-pushing jazz.

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“Next to Silence is a fine band with a strong repertoire. Its debut is inspired by thoughts and emotions of the future and experiences of the past.”

All About Jazz

DISCOGRAPHY

Ruh (2024, SJF Records)

Kiril Kuzmanov – saxophone
Adi Imeri – electric guitar, electronics and voice
Filip Dimiškovski – piano, keyboards and background voice
Dragan Stojkovski – bass guitar
Goce Naumov – drums, percussion and background voice

Produced by Next to Silence and Ivica Jankulovski
Recorded and mixed by Ivica Jankulovski at Alshar Studio
Executive producer: Oliver Belopeta
Cover design: Nika Gavrovska
Photos: Goce Naumov

. . . (2020, SJF Records)

Aleksandar Nikolovski – trumpet & flugelhorn
Filip Dimiškovski – piano & keyboards
Dragan Stojkovski – bass guitar
Goce Naumov – drums

The name Next to Silence derives from an article in the Canadian Jazz Magazine ‘Coda’ that elaborates ‘the most beautiful sound next to silence’. But the music of Next to Silence is neither the most beautiful sound nor a silence. It is something in between. It is those three dots between two sentences that indicate something untold or something that is meant to continue; three dots that generate dynamism rather than announce a pause. These three dots can embody an endless narration or a small word and they could symbolize either omission of words or a myriad of sentences. In some way, the music on this album could be an invocation of a variety of stories or a soundscape deprived of meaning… an experience that can bring you next to silence…