What could a Soviet Union era Lithuanian child from a Lithuanian mother and Iraqi Kurdish father, raised in Baghdad, with an operatic voice and a Manchester-born, Berlin citizen have in common? The vision of a bleak future and a hand for good music.
Alanas Chosnau first met Mark Reeder at the Lithuanian International Film festival in 2015, where Mark was screening his documentary film about his life during the 80s in B-Movie (Lust & Sound in West Berlin). Alanas liked the movie and the sound of Marks's previous work and voiced his ambition to make an album in English. Having both an extended experience in the music-making, they decided to work together.
Mark, who moved from Manchester to West-Berlin in 1978 started working at Virgin Record shop in the 70s and never left the music business, adding interesting experiences throughout his 4 decades career.
Mark formed the punk band The Frantic Elevators together with Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) and Neil Moss in Manchester, early 1977. After deciding to leave Britain he became a Joy Division’s promoter, then Factory Records German representative. He also managed all-girl avant-garde group Malaria! and played in darkwave synth bands Die Unbekannten and Shark Vegas. In 1990, he started his record label MFS and launched the careers of many well-known artists and DJs, such as Paul van Dyk, Ellen Allien, Corvin Dalek, or Johnny Klimek (Effective Force). Today, Mark is a sought-after music producer and remixer.
Alanas became interested in music at an early age and, according to the band, the fall of the Soviet Union probably prevented him from spending his life slaving in a Fabrik and listening to Soviet pop songs. Alanas eventually managed to establish what would become one of the most successful Lithuanian pop group Naktinės Personos, together with Aras Vėberis in 1992, a musical project that lasted until 2001, after which he embarked upon a successful solo career.
Despite a celebrity status in Lithuania, Alanas felt the urge to push his own boundaries and try new grounds, the chance to work with Mark Reeder was a perfect opportunity to go take the desired step beyond.
Over the months, Mark and Alanas discussed the concept they wished to present with the new project. They decided to present a retro-modern sounding album, that evokes an illusion of a creative music era that was denied to so many Soviet citizens, while at the same time, presenting an album that would sound fresh for today’s listeners.
The Album, Children of Nature, is a reflection of their personal experiences and hopes for the future. The striking cover image, depicting two dystopian children, sends a subtle message of what the future could become if you don’t pay attention to what is happening and refuse to take action.
Their first video “All Alone”, a song “dedicated to all those who feel isolated at home”, with its haunting vocals asking “Does anybody feel the same way like me?” captures the weight of solitude in our physical and mental health.
From Kraftwerk to Joy Division to OMD, from darkwave textures to synthpop melodies, from 80’s arpeggios to nowadays concerns, Children of Nature is a well-balanced mix that will please post-punk electronic music fans of any generation.
“All Alone”, a song “dedicated to all those who feel isolated at home”, captures the weight of solitude in our physical and mental health.
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