Throughout his remarkable international career, Lithuanian drummer & producer Marijus Aleksa has established himself as a bonafide shaman of rhythm. From making his debut at the Vilnius Jazz Festival at the tender age of thirteen, he has grown into a stage partner of some of the world’s most celebrated stars (such as Keyon Harold, Grammy award winner Bill Laurance, Joe Armon Jones, Ashley Henry, Dennis Rollins, China Moses, Ben Marc, Anthony Joseph, Femi Temowo, Oscar Jerome) .
An ambitious drummer and percussionist, he relies on his technical prowess and visionary endeavours. Through his work as a heralded band leader, session musician and solo artist, his music is not unlike the works by the abstract expressionist painters: rich in colour, vivid, intuitive and hypnotising, traversing musical maps by blending the worlds of jazz, rock, world and electronic club music.
Marijus enriched his sonic experience by collaborating with other artists as a touring and recording drummer during a decade spent in London. Each artist he played with left an imprint on his own musical explorations. While living in London, Marijus became a significant part of the vibrant British jazz scene. In 2019 Aleksa was selected to represent the young jazz generation of British musicians as part of the NBLQ (New Band Leaders Quartet) at Blue Note At Sea, together with Nubya Garcia, Ashley Henry and David Mrakpor. He also drummed for Gilles Peterson’s All Star band for Gilles Peterson Presents: MV4 (Live from Maida Vale) recording in 2018. He recently collaborated with fellow countryman Manfredas under their ‘Santaka’ moniker, winning support from tastemakers such as Benji B, The Quietus & more.
Marijus is also programming Tamsta Jazz Weekend – a mini jazz festival in his hometown of Vilnius, Lithuania, at which he will be debuting the live performance of his new album on 17th March . (Also on the line up are Floating World Pictures / Dave Okumu with his new project & Church Andrews & Matt Davies. Fresh from performing a solo drum show at Paris Fashion Week for Mihara Yasuhiro’s new collection, Marijus now prepares to release his second full-length body of work ‘As They Are’, following on from his long-nurtured first solo album, ‘Maps’ (released via YAM Records in 2018).
With the concept of collage forming a central theme of the record, 23 people from different parts of the world (Lithuania / USA / UK /Cuba) each contributed to the creative flow of the musical creation, forming a rich sonic tapestry – formed of 3 years of recording and re-editing jam sessions, creating a spellbind final piece constructed from smaller pieces that in the first instance may have seemed incompatible. This sensibility was also applied to the track titles, which were created by segmenting common phrases and reforming them. The artwork was also created by Japanese collage artist Mt.Chills.
On the album’s creation, Marijus explains:
‘I played with all the musicians on the record previously in different bands and on different recordings throughout the years and they all influenced me in one way or another – hence you can also hear a crossover of different influences – jazz / avant garde / electronic /world. And when I was recording this album I picked these musicians because I love the way they play and I had a vision of how it could all sound in one room or one album.’
First single and LP title track ‘As They Are’ melds hypnotic polyrhythms with scattered drum patterns and distant waves of brass, setting an alluring tone. Before long, a deep seated and off-kilter groove takes strong hold, punctuated by grainy synth melodies and percussive motifs. Marijus breaks down the track’s genesis: ‘This track started spontaneously from me jamming on modular synths and then having a few friends coming by the studio recording balafon and trumpet through some pedals. Main influences on this track is the Ghanian rhythm of highlife that I learned while drumming for Femi Temowo and the love for Miles Davis’s cutting trumpet sound on his classic album “Sketches of Spain.”
Throughout the album’s twelve tracks, Marijus demonstrates his mastery of his craft, exploring new depths and territories unknown. With the help of a host of collaborators (including Cuban trumpeter Yelfris Valdés) complex jazz breaks are combined with tape saturated synth frequencies, contorted brass arpeggios and sub-rattling bass, the result is an intoxicating brew of forward thinking and expressive experimentation.
Marijus will release ‘As They Are’ via Music Information Centre Lithuania on the 17th March.