Interdisciplinary underground music journal offering dark mixes, in depth reviews and interviews with unique artists and notable label founders.
Interdisciplinary underground music journal offering dark mixes, in depth reviews and interviews with unique artists and notable label founders.
Secret Thirteen was established on March 13, 2010. We are a web journal focusing on exclusive mixes by artists, musicians, label owners, record collectors, and other crate diggers. Our vision is not determined by certain genres or trends, but rather adheres to the vivid map of sound with its overlaps and interrelations. Thus our mixes are heterogenous and eclectic creatures, usually dense in rotation, expressing the adventurous and diverse tastes of participating artists.
The number 13 symbolizes the death of the matter or of oneself and the birth of the spirit – it is the passage to a higher level of existence. In day-to-day life it is not easy to distance yourself from corporeality. And it’s even more challenging to find a way to fulfill one’s emotional needs and express one’s innermost feelings. Aldous Huxley once said: “After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” By analyzing the depths of sound ranging from academic composition to expressive electronic dance music, by suggesting a deeper and more emotional understanding of art and presenting both famous and lesser known artists, Secret Thirteen offers to accompany you on your journey in search of a passage into a higher level of existence.
Understanding change as the primary vital force, Secret Thirteen always leaves space for unpredictability.
The idea was conceived in the bleak surroundings of the Lithuanian post-industrial town of Panvėžys by Justinas Mikulskis. Later on, more like-minded souls joined. People were coming and going, relocated, changed cities, but the website remained. Now we are three : Justinas Mikulskis, Armando and Dijana (from Spain and Croatia respectively). We’re also always open to accepting more music-loving people, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’re interested!
With time, our scope of activities broadened. We started the Flatlines event series together with the Kablys venue in Vilnius as well as organized occasional DJ parties. We started a tape label with our first release by local noisemakers Tiese (coming out soon). Also we have our monthly radio show on Berlin’s Cashmere Radio. Secret Thirteen has also established some fruitful partnerships with festivals, such as Unsound, LEV Festival, Berlin Atonal, Up To Date, Skanu Mesz, Sūpynės, Braille Satellite as well as the innovative and ever-evolving SHAPE platform and Mixcloud.
We operate on a non-commercial DIY basis as there just few of us dedicating our time for the project.