Lithuanian dub-techno and ambient producer Sraunus drops an atmospheric, emotive mix of blissfully bright and elegantly noirish music

[social_warfare]

Sraunus is the moniker of Paulius Markutis - a Lithuanian producer originating from the post-industrial town of Panevėžys and known for his deeply melancholic and dreamy dub techno. Sraunus has been actively releasing music since 2010, and has thus far emitted a handful of wonderful longplays like soft blankets of hypnotic, repetitive pulsations and melodies. He has released records on such notable local labels as Greyscale, operated by another dub-techno master, Grad_U, and the now defunct Blikmuzik, established by IDM/drill’n’bass producer IJO. His most recent release, Panavision, reminds the ephemeral and drifting washes of GAS, albeit inspired not by wandering through the woods near Cologne, but by a combination of concrete, looming industrial landscapes, and the sprawling green spaces of Panevezys. Sraunus escapes dub-techno clichés by placing his sound in strangely personal narratives that weave field recordings, delicate pop harmonies and darker emotional undertones. As he himself puts it: “More than music is silence, if she has some sound.”

Secret Thirteen Mix 251 captures the sensibilities of Sraunus’ sound and includes all of its key elements - the convincing mood and atmospheric layers ranging from blissful brightness to noirish haziness, lively field recordings and a cinematic sensibility enhanced by the on-point Twin Peaks samples. The inclusion of some delicate vaporwave from Nmesh or 1991 adds a futuristic touch to the mix. The overall dynamics constantly overlay the abstract and the personal - Vincent Gallo’s moving performance on Laura drifts through field recordings to a Fennesz/Sakamoto piano landscape, while Jefre Cantu Ledesma’s drone love song is preceded by the meditative explorations of Steve Roach. In the middle, a recording of a casual, but barely decipherable conversation emerges, creating the sense that this mix is a strange, beautiful and bright carousel of memories and dreams. The surreal combination of solemnity, tones of light and shade in Sven Johnson’s painting The Return nicely illustrate this mix where similar patterns are observed. Both Johnson’s painting and Sraunus’ mix combine static with playful dynamics and have a strong emotional charge.

Tracklisting

01. Kyle MacLachlan - The Killer In My Dream Was Named Bob... [Twin Peaks - 1991]
02. Vincent Gallo - Laura [Warp Records - 2001]
03. Field Recordings
04. Fennesz, Sakamoto - Mono [Touch - 2007]
05. Sraunus - Tyraja [Self Released - 2015]
06. Teamm Jordann - Hall of Fame [Orange Milk Records - 2012]
07. Hotel Neon - Dust And Drag [Self Released - 2013]
08. Pink floyd - Sheep (Grazing Mix) [New Directions - 1994]
09. Nmesh - 体熱 [Dream Catalogue - 2015]
10. Masayoshi Fujita & Jan Jelinek - Urub [Faitiche - 2016]
11. Field Recordings
12. Gustavo Santaolalla ft Benicio Del Toro - Shake Rattle And Roll [Varèse Sarabande - 2003]
13. Jade Statues - Phthalo Green [Dream Catalogue - 2015]
14. Conoco - Ventola [Sigma Editions - 1999]
15. Keiichi Suzuki - Satellite Serenade [WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings - 1992]
16. Shriekback - Evaporation [Y Records - 1983]
17. 1991 - High-Tech Low-Life [Opal Tapes - 2012]
18. Lord skywave - Severndroog [Astro:Dynamics - 2014]
19. Monte - ​Third Stage, Buoyant Manifold [Carpi Records - 2015]
20. The Ward Brothers - ​Madness Of It All ​[Siren - 1986]
21. Steve Roach - Core Meditation 2 [Timeroom Editions - 2001]
22. Jefre Cantu Ledesma - ​Songs Of Forgiveness I​ [Baro Records - 2014]
23. Fennesz | Ozmotic - ​LiquidMrkt [Interbang Records - 2015]
24. Huerco S. - Monks Mound (Arcology) [Software - 2013]
25. 1991 - High-Tech Love-Life [​Opal Tapes - 2012]

Download