Founded in 2021 by internationally acclaimed club DJ Manfredas and sound artist Kotryna Briedytė, community radio station Radio Vilnius has aimed to fill a vital void in the cultural landscape of Lithuania since its inception. With a population similar to that of Chicago, the nation’s capital is home to a rich and vibrant underbelly of enthralling and experimental electronic music. The community station’s modus operandi has been to provide this community of creatives with a platform from which to showcase their art. Focussing on looking not further afield, but within - the station is now home to a wide array of home-grown talent, all woven together in the fabric of the capital’s sonic tapestry, helping carve out the cities musical identity and broadcast it to the world. Manfredas explains: “I still feel new Lithuanian music is still coming of age and, to its true identity, that’s happening very much through understanding its strength in collaborating and doing things together.”
After being established as an important pillar of Vilnius’s cultural community, the next step was obvious. Now partnering with The state51 Conspiracy, the newly fledged label offers its first musical release to the world. On this partnership Kotryna Briedytė says: “The state51 Conspiracy have released records by our beloved and radio related artists : Valentina Magaletti, Waclaw Zimpel, Nik Colk Void,. They also happen to have one of their offices in Vilnius. Just like the radio, the label is here to amplify and document new, diverse voices and sounds from Vilnius and beyond. Also go deep into the musical archives of Lithuanian music, a territory still very unexplored to most.”
What better way to launch this freshly-forged imprint, than with an EP from Santaka, the collaborative project between Manfredas & cross genre drummer / producer Marijus Aleksa. Pronounced San-t-ka & meaning 'confluence' in Lithuanian, the duo inhabit a space between their respective musical practices, Manfredas’ club-oriented output and Marijus’ jazz background, which has been bolstered by the recruitment of several free jazz and avant musicians from Vilnius who join them on both of their releases. Their previous self-titled EP on Sähkö recordings & debut ‘No Rivers Here’ (via Byrd Out) gained support from BBC tastemakers Benji B & Gilles Peterson, introducing listeners the twisting sounds and percussive textures of the duo’s beguiling music. Marijus Aleksa explains ‘Radio Vilnius and Santaka are interconnected, both having started around the small community of local subcultures. Most people involved in making our records are also part of the radio community so this is just an extension of an already ongoing mission.’ The state51 Conspiracy added: “Vilnius has always been an important location for state51 and we're constantly inspired by the creative community there. We're honoured to be launching a new record label in collaboration with Radio Vilnius and excited to create a platform for artists to continue to thrive in this vibrant scene.”
‘XRAM’ is their fourth release. The original version is one of the first tracks the duo created, before their partnership became a reality. It is built around vocal recordings from sessions with Vilnius resident Saulius Petreikis, a virtuoso of wind instruments. The EP also features two other musicians featured on previous releases - Mindaugas Vadoklis & Andrei Rusu of Khidja. The Record opens with a swirling array of particles, it exudes a potent disorientating and intriguing aura, pushing the listener deeper into the void. This is followed by a hypnotic & stripped back remix by Marco Shuttle, an artist of singular techno aesthetics. ‘Crescent’ sets pace with a frantic, scattered synth programming - colliding with sliding dreamscape tones. ‘XDRUM’ follows a ritualistic rhythm section, punctuated by syncopated samples and eerie vocal notes ringing out in the darkness.
Tracklisting
12" VINYL EP (RV001)
- Santaka, Manfredas, Marijus Aleksa - Xram
- Santaka, Manfredas, Marijus Aleksa - Xram (Marco Shuttle Remix)
- Santaka, Manfredas, Marijus Aleksa - Crescent
- Santaka, Manfredas, Marijus Aleksa - Xdrum