Antanas Jasenka makes noise abroad

In Lithuania Antanas Jasenka is known chiefly for his chamber, vocal and symphonic works. Yet, abroad he is well-known as one of the most original and venturous authors of experimental music from Lithuania. In the recent years, Antanas Jasenka worked hard to realize, publish and disseminate his works worldwide. Some of his contributions to the international projects of experimental music are not to be missed.

The first item in the row is 'Tulpas' - a set of 5 CDs released by Selektion Records (Germany) in 1997. In this large and precisely arranged project all participating composers and sound artists had to follow the request of the producer of this project, Ralf Wehowsky to sample, recycle or otherwise use his music or to apply his compositional techniques in their compositions. Many of the most prolific authors of new experimental music appeared here, among them Frans de Waard (Kapotte Muziek), Akifuma Nakajima (Aube), Jerome Noetinger (Metamkine), Jim O'rourke, Masami Akita (Merzbow), Lionel Marchetti, John Duncan, Steve Roden. Antanas Jasenka contributed with the composition entitled Room Music lasting half an hour and being the longest in this compilation. Here the composer makes the creative application of Wehowsky's 'cut-off' technique but doesn't use any samples or any other direct methods of quotation. In 1996, Room Music was performed live at the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre during the international Festival of Musical Action. It is worth noting that Room Music represents the aesthetics of noise music.

Another project is called '500 RRR Lock Grooves by Artists', a unique recording released by RRR Records (USA) in 1998. Invited by the producer of this project, Ron Lessard, Antanas Jasenka was among five authors who represented Lithuanian experimental music together with Raimundas Eimontas, Darius Čiuta (NAJ), Ramūnas Jaras, and Robertas Kundrotas. The compilation was realized in the LP format with 500 closed grooves - one groove for each of the participating artist. Thus each of the 'tracks' (be it Derek Bailey, Terry Riley, Sonic Youth or the Lithuanian authors) is approximately of 2.5 sec. duration, though it well may last to the infinity: it's up to the listener to decide, which composition will be played and how long it will continue.

In the end of 2000, yet another compilation was released by Electroshock Records (Russia), featuring Jorge Antunes, Pete Stollery, Francesco Galante, and, of course, Antanas Jasenka. The producer of this project was the famous author of electronic music Artemy Artemyev (the son of Eduard Artemyev). The composition by Antanas Jasenka, entitled h3ORaj, is dedicated to Andrew McKenzie (The Hafler Trio) who has repeatedly appeared in Vilnius in past few years. It is not only the personal acquaintance but also certain affinity of creative interests and approaches that relate these two authors. In h3ORaj, Antanas Jasenka makes use of some McKenzie's samples thus interspecing ambiental soundscape with the outbursts of harsh noise. After completing this project, Antanas Jasenka was invited to release his own CD of electronic/experimental music at Electroshock Records which will appear by the end of 2001.

Lithuanian Music Link No. 2