*300 copies limited edition* First Radio Vilnius label release. Pressed in Vilnius on heavyweight (180g) black vinyl, packaged in golden yellow gloss finish outer sleeve. If you look at the artwork long enough, some might say you could get a tan. Santaka is collaborative project of multi-instrumentalist Marijus Aleksa, DJ/Producer Manfredas Bajelis and their friends from Vilnius and beyond.
‘Xram’ EP is their fourth release. 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. EP also features two other musicians featured on previous releases - Mindaugas Vadoklis & Andrei Rusu of Khidja.
Record is opening 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.