S13

S13, short for Secret Thirteen, is one of a few Lithuanian acts that are pushing the boundaries of bass- and broken beat-based electronic music, prompting the music critics to invent vague new stylistic categories. S13’s distinctive sonic traits include slow but steady tempo, bleepy oldschool synth rhythms, and the marriage of deep menacing basslines with cold warped chords and atmospheric ambience. One would almost be tempted to mention the term “post-dubstep” here if it weren’t for the fairly ambiguous and provisional nature of most definitions with this handy prefix. The fact that S13 is a “product” of Lithuania’s relative periphery comes as another illustration of what can be seen as a recent tendency in the country’s electronic scene. It becomes increasingly evident that dedicated music production might require focus and even seclusion that is not always achievable in the busy centre. This doesn’t prevent “bedroom electronica” artists from reaching out way beyond the country’s borders, however – and S13’s success in the international electronic music community, aided by online music sharing and broadcasting tools, is a good example of that.

Jurij Dobriakov