Armed With Techno, Vilnius DJs Are Taking On The Worlds Autocrats
This is one of the most left-wing publications of the year, but Voices of Freedom - an album of dictators' speeches - is a worthy stand against propaganda and censorship.
A community of independent electronic music producers and DJs from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania and the increasingly active electronic music scene Antidote, put together an album of electronic music and took action against the world's dictators.
Entitled Voices of Freedom , the report mixes sound bites from various authoritarian regimes with beats of techno music that has historically been used in protests against undemocratic regimes over the years.
The album is a testament to the community's changing culture and faith in electronic music in particular, said Edmunds Puchurius, Antibiotics project manager.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, electronic music and raves have been used as forms of protest and national unity, including the restoration of affected areas and the Independence Day cleanup in Vilnius.
“For the first time since 2004, there are more democracies than dictatorships in the world.
“In The Voice of Freedom, seven musicians combine their lyrics to send a message of hope and freedom right against these oppressors – a move that would have resulted in the album being banned during a dictatorship.
The album and its cover were exhibited this week at the Vilnius Open Gallery, a unique open-air art gallery in the city's New Town.
The work, titled The Ultimate Dictator , is a composite portrait of 40 dictators created using artificial intelligence.
the face of evil
“We wanted to bring out the face of evil. To do this, we ranked countries according to various indicators of freedom and democracy. The forty worst-performing countries were selected. As a visual aid, we have turned the faces of these dictators into one face. Absolute Dictator Do became the starting point for the creation of a work of art,” he said. Puhorius explains.
The work, written by Pijus Ikauskas, is projected onto a brick wall, evoking images similar to "Big Brother" from George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 .
These vague labels cover the image, showing how quickly the demonstrators must act to avoid being caught in footage that denigrates the regime's authority.
This outdoor gallery is featured as part of the latest edition of LoftusFest 22, featuring performances by various musicians and various art installations in a recycled factory and industrial area.
Loftus presents the largest street art exhibition in Vilnius, which constantly replenishes the work of world-famous muralists.
Sound of Freedom can be streamed on Soundcloud or Bandcamp.
Photo: Edmundus Pucorius
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