Mesijus (MC Messiah) is a long-standing voice in electronic music and avant-garde rap. His concerts make palm trees grow better, wounds heal faster and the aging process slower.
Artist, writer and rap artist Mesijus (Žygimantas Kudirka) has been awarded with many talents. He is known on the Lithuanian music scene as one of the most original rappers (although his music can hardly only be classified as hip-hop). Surreal lyrics, bold breaking of rhyming rules, creating new words and eclectic musical experiments are the hallmarks of this artist.
Often called the avant-garde of rap, he made his debut on the scene in 2002, released the album Antimaterija four years later (which was recognised as the best work of the year at the Lithuanian Hip Hop Awards ceremony), and formed a large live band called Messiah Goes Mad Orchestra.
The wider audience heard about MC Messiah in 2013 when his environmental video "Don't Touch the Blue Globe" was presented online, which received almost 300,000 views and won the M.A.M.A. award in the Video of the Year category, and was presented not only in Lithuania, but also abroad (for example, it was selected for the renowned Oberhausen Short Film Festival in Germany). The track was included on Messiah's 2013 album, ironically titled "Last Rap Album" (it was named the best album of the year at the Lithuanian Hip Hop Awards).
In 2014, he excelled in another field, becoming the European champion of the spoken word genre "poetry slam".
In 2015, his musical biography was enriched by another remarkable work - a concept album "#uzgrotu", released with electronic music producer Münpauzn, which ironically analyses the various, often not very pleasant, twists and turns of human life, from birth to death. It was followed by the collaborative EP "Pomirtinis" (2016) - in the artists' words, the first esoteric rap album in Nothern Europe. And the duo marked the beginning of their collaboration with the release of the free online short album Piuré Futurè (2014).
Press quotes
One of the bravest experimenters and provocateurs on stage in Lithuania. Conceptual, sophisticated, witty, intelligent philologist is constantly looking for new possibilities in music.
lrt.lt
One of the most prominent and most original figures in the Lithuanian musical scene. He has recorded a number of avant-garde rap albums that were evaluated for a head-blowing imagination and innovation.
delfi.lt
Surreal lyrics, lines that don't necessarily rhyme, invented words, eclectic experiments – these are just some of the arrows in his quiver. From poetry events to music festivals, this extraordinary, distinctive performer stuns audiences anywhere he turns up.
mic.lt
Vilniaus Energija is a duo of avant-garde rap artist Žygimantas Kudirka (Mesijus) and experimental jazz and electronic musician Adas Gecevičius (Sheep got waxed).
Taking advantage of legal loopholes, the group officially registered the name of a famous Lithuanian energy corporation and is now using it for its creative purposes.
Throughout the past 8 years, the band has been actively recording in the studio, and performing in clubs, festivals and unexpected spaces.
They have also performed in artistic contexts, presenting albums at the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC), Ujazdowski Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, and the Rich Mix Cultural Centre in London.
The band has also made the soundtrack for Robertas Narkus and Jokūbs Čižikas' film Race, created a soundtrack for a painting during the exhibition Collecting Hits at the National Gallery of Art, worked on the soundtrack for the Alternative Reality Audio Guides created by the Žygimantas Kudirka during Rupert Alternative Education Programme and the soundtrack for the installation The Sexuality of Non- Beings presented at the Nida Art Colony.
They have been nominated and awarded in almost all Lithuanian music and music video awards for several years in a row.
Three albums have been released: DDVVIIGGUUBBAASS, Astrology of EU and Welcome to Lithuania.
To get a sense of musical direction, the initiator of the project Žygimantas Kudirka - Mesijus has already warmed up such music artists as ZEBRA KATZ, CITIES AVIV, ANGEL HAZE, XXYYXX, SAUL WILLIAMS, MOUSE ON MARS, DEAN BLUNT, MYKKI BLANCO, GHOSTPOET, FELICITA.
Expect a new breed of electronics with vocals in English and artificial languages accentuated by vivid visuals.
KDRK is Kudirka's latest project, a nocturnal Messiah, combining a fresh electro sound and unique loop-based vocals.
It all sounds like a digital energy drink or an avant-garde running soundtrack.
The music for this project is produced by DJ JM, released on Ever The Strong and Nervous Horizon labels, which have shaped London's alternative club music scene.
Here's the duo's soundtrack for runners:
https://paupiogidai.lt/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/4.-HIPER-KLAUSA.mp3
It is a hybrid performance that includes poetry, and video projections, and later turns into an electronic music performance.
It's like a showcase of all Kudirkas’ personalities on stage. This performance is usually in English and artificial languages because it is mostly performed abroad.
Psycho-active readings in UV light with sound FX is Zygimantas Kudirka's solo performance in English and artificial languages.
Zygimantas Kudirka switches off the lights in his readings but does not light up candles. Spectators are submerged in UV light and smoke, and the readings are not complemented by clarinets, but instead, sound effects are performed live via computer. During the show, you will hear interactive texts with physical effects, universal texts in artificial languages, collective mind written texts, human and artificial intelligence collaborations and almost illegal text remixes.
Not neo-romantic, but neo dadaist - this is the 21st century Kudirka.
Programme includes:
Beach sketch - a nod to the Lithuanian pavilion in Venice biennial
Interactive poem which has intoxicating effect on ones body
Linguistic techno: performing 8000 years of word transformations
Empathetic answers for scam and phishing emails
Glimpse into the most personal, intimate and sensual
It will be pretty dark. All tears will be discrete.
Roller coaster of emotions, sounds and glycerol fume.
Early versions and excerpts performed in:
Panke, Berlin, Germany
Freeword centre, London, UK
Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway
Kim?, Riga, Latvia
CAC, Vilnius, Lithuania
XIII Baltic Triennial, Vilnius, Lithuania
58th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
Brand new disorientating music video for a brand new music track.
Shot in billions of locations using 360 camera, drone and custom-made grips.
Psychedelic camera movements were programmed in post-production.
This piece got the award of the most inventive video in Lithuanian music video awards KlipVid.
Kudirka is the alter ego of Žygimantas Kudirka (Messiah/Vilniaus Energija) at the dj booth, sometimes appearing as Ziggi D'Agostino.
Focuses on weirder electronic music from different regions of the world, encompassing breaks, bass, electro genres, and often difficult to classify.
Has played on radio stations such as Cashmere radio in Berlin, Kiosk radio in Brussels, Start FM and Palanga street radio in Lithuania.
Hosts a monthly show KEISTA on Radio Vilnius.
Played dj sets at Sodas 2123, Draugų vardai, Gallery 1986, Love bar, O kodėl ne?, Godo, Lizdas, Post galerija, Lukiskių kalėjimas 2.0, Lelia's Factory, Autarkia, Amadeus, Opera social house, CAC, Tema, Paviljonas, Pamella, Sculpture and Stained Glass Centre, Summer Terrace, Sapiegas Palace, House of History, Platforma, Rāžė, xi20, 427 (Riga), Panke (Berlin) and others.
https://radiovilnius.live/category/shows/kudirka-shows/
Ziggi D’Agostino @ Muziejų naktis Istorijų namuose
Ziggi D’Agostino @ PALANGA STREET RADIO TAKEOVER (Recorded live 20 01 05)
Ziggi D’Agostino @ PALAIDUNAS, AUTARKIA (2019 12 25)
Titas Sūdžius, who has become the music video director of the year, Antanas Dubra, the artist of the video clip “Hands off the blue globe” and the post-production house Madstone who’ve been recently working on Gravity 2 film, joined forces to create the most luxurious music video for Vilniaus Energija to date.
The video depicts a futuristic vision of Vilnius, and the main actor of the clip is a self-driving car. The song tells a futuristic story about an autopilot car that kidnaps a hitchhiker. He panics at first, but then experiences a Stockholm syndrome—the phenomena of victim feeling attracted to the kidnapper. It all ends up with a pompous scene of human marrying a machine in which Žygimantas Kudirka plays the role of a priest. Protesters gather at the wedding ceremony carrying posters such as: “Family without a car!”, “Pedowheels!”, “Do what you want, but in your own garage!”—as a comment of conservative and homophobic society.
During the shooting:
two cars were bought
Loft was occupied
car ran over the stroller
the hologram of Gediminas Tower was activated
religious rites were performed in Naujoji Vilnia district
This audiovisual performance is a study of a present state of EU flying fast to unknown direction. Although there’s some critique of some aspects of EU, the whole performance is made with a pro-EU stance, that reflects the views of an artist. During 45 minute session listeners get to experience the very essence of Europe.
The show includes EU horoscope, Brexit tongue-twister, ID of European citizen, warning about far right populism and spell casting to raise the left wing from the dead, suggestion for GMT alternative, baltic rave, nato footwork, electronic emigrant love ballad.
To get a sense of musical direction, the initiator of the project Žygimantas Kudirka - Mesijus has already warmed up such music artists as ZEBRA KATZ, CITIES AVIV, ANGEL HAZE, XXYYXX, SAUL WILLIAMS, MOUSE ON MARS, DEAN BLUNT, MYKKI BLANCO, GHOSTPOET, FELICITA.
Expect new breed of electronics with vocals in English and artificial languages and striking visuals.
Already premiered in CAC Vilnius, Warsaw Contemporary Art Center Vyjezdovsky, Rich Mix London. Created during the residency in PAF (Performing Arts Forum), France.
Genre: post-ironic electronics.
This is a music track criticising materialism, the lyrics consist of a constant wordplay made of non-existing compound words. The chorus is quoting the 90’s advertising slogan of the infamous Lithuanian bank Sekunde which promised crazy interest for investments, collected the savings of basically the whole nation and then disappeared with all the cash.
The music video for the track features a money sucking vacuum cleaner.
The video was premiered in the electronics store (that also sells vacuum cleaners) during working hours.
The video was screened on 87 TV screens simultaneously.
Idea and vocals: Žygimantas Kudirka
Music: Pijus Meižis
Video production: Adomas Žudys
Wider recognition came with Nelieskit mėlynojo gaublio (Don’t Touch The Blue Globe), an innovative video that raised environmental awareness, won a Lithuanian music award M.A.M.A. (in the Best Music Video category) and was presented at several international festivals (including the prestigious Oberhausen Short Film Festival in Germany).
Stop-motion animation on bare skin and soviet slide projector were used to create this hand-made music video, which was all filmed in a box.
Team:
Žygimantas Kudirka
Ignas Meilūnas
Antanas Dubra
Artiom Brančel
Mykolas Piekuras
Screenings:
59th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
Oberhausen, Germany
05 02–07, 2013
Asiana International Short Film Festival
Seoul, South Korea
November 7–12, 2013
8th International Short Film Festival ŻUBROFFKA
Białystok, Poland
December 4–8, 2013
The 7th ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival
Berlin, Germany
October 16–19, 2014
Dotdotdot
Vienna, Austria
06.08.2015
Filmfestival Weiterstadt
Weiterstadt, Germany
15.08.2015
Lange Nacht der Filmfestivals
Berlin, Germany
29.08.15