Techno for freedom: fly over Vilnius’ socialist-era cityscape with a cathartic 1-hour industrial DJ set

Lithuanian techno pioneer Alex Krell has recorded a dark and heavy DJ set from the roof of Vilnius Press House for Antidote, a project that sees independent Lithuanian artists organise open air events across the country. Besides offering a vertiginous sunset view of Vilnius’s socialist-era housing, the Vilnius Press House is a significant landmark inextricably linked to the country’s independence.

In January, 1991, the Soviet army seized the Vilnius Press House, as well as other key buildings across the country, in order to put a halt to Lithuania’s independence movement. The atmosphere turned tense when crowds of tens of thousands spilled out on to the streets in a show of resistance to the Soviet military. Since then, the building has become “one of Lithuania’s most significant monuments, standing for self-determination, unity, and freedom,” the Antidote community made clear.

Beyond political meanings, Krell says the gig was “very special” to him, not least because the Press House rooftop looks over the socialist-era Vilnius district where he grew up.