The soundscape was created by former Golden Parazyth band member Aurimas Vilkišius and electronic music composer and performer Karolis Drėma, better known by his stage name Shkema.
Listening to the sound of life
The sound landscape depicting life in Kaunas is an original artistic solution that reflects the rhythm of a person’s day through sound. Using binaural sound technology, the musical composition invites the listener to immerse themselves in the everyday life of a future resident of Nemunaičiai.
The landscape tells the story of a single day: from a morning shower and a cat purring nearby to a walk along the banks of the Nemunas River, work at the office, shopping, sports training and a quiet evening at home. All of this is intertwined with the works of M.K. Čiurlionis, which not only complement the soundscape but also create an emotional connection with the listener. Music creator and producer A. Vilkiškius: ‘This composition is best experienced when listened to with headphones, as this allows the full binaural recording effect to be transmitted. We want every listener to feel as if they are experiencing this day themselves’.
Creating the soundtrack was a meticulous and time-consuming process. All the sounds were recorded in Kaunas, including footsteps echoing in the streets, the flow of the river and children playing basketball on the court. The creators did not limit themselves to technical recording – they personally selected locations and sounds at various times of the day to achieve the most authentic soundscape possible.
The project’s co-author, music producer K. Drėma, explains the process:
‘At the beginning of the project, we created a detailed script and embarked on a kind of sound hunt – we walked around the city, recording the real, authentic sounds of everyday life. Later, we selected the material, edited it according to the script, and integrated the works of Čiurlionis’.
A. Vilkiškius adds that actors joined the project to imitate everyday sounds, movements and dialogues. According to him, one of the most challenging tasks was the length of the piece – the entire day’s audio experience had to be condensed into just a few minutes. ‘We had to find a balance between the realistic rhythm of the day and a clear, compelling narrative. Every sound has meaning, and the entire composition maintains a consistent emotional line’, he explains.
For the artists, this was the first project in which they used spatial sound. The project required not only technical knowledge but also meticulous creative planning. According to them, this experience became a kind of experiment that allowed them to look at life in the city from a completely different perspective – that of sound.
Motifs from M.K. Čiurlionis’s work are preserved
The music of M.K. Čiurlionis has not coincidentally become the creative starting point for the district’s soundscape. The names of the quarter’s stages are inspired by M.K. Čiurlionis’s work, subtly reflecting the cultural context – the nearby concert hall that will bear the composer’s name. The Nemunaičiai project will become a place where art, architecture and cultural life converge, endowing the quarter with a unique identity.
Andrius Mikalauskas is Head of Urban LIVE, the company developing Nemunaičiai. He explains what is behind this project:
‘We created this soundscape because the foundation of the quarter we are developing is the community. We strive for it to be born not only out of architecture but also through the synthesis of various arts. The opportunity to experience a real estate project not only through visualisations but also through music and painting is a new step in real estate development.’
The district is being developed on a 6-hectare site in the centre of Kaunas, on the left bank of the Nemunas River. Construction of the second-phase residential building – Pasaka – began in 2024, with the first residents expected to move in by 2026. Business centres, commercial spaces and a pedestrian promenade on the banks of the Nemunas River will be built next to the residential buildings. The development of the district is expected to continue until 2031, with a total investment of approximately EUR 250 million planned for the entire project.
It will also be brought to life through video
The soundscape portraying life in Kaunas is not the only artistic expression reflecting the life of Nemunaičiai. While listening to this etude, artist Andrius Zakarauskas created a picture that represents this musical experience:
‘When I heard the soundscape, I was captivated – I listened to it as a sonic adventure, a dynamic, vibrant and dreamlike experience. This impression was what I sought to convey with my brush as I constructed the image. I was particularly drawn to the sound of the strings blending into electronic tones after the birdsong – that was when I began to sense the rhythm of the city. Even the repetitive sounds of the computer keyboard became like brushstrokes, shaping my image on the canvas.’
A. Zakarauskas invites us to observe and experience the dynamic movement of colours and brushstrokes:
‘This is how I imagine the adventure of life in the city – or, more precisely, in Nemunaičiai. This image is intense both in terms of colour and the movement of brushstrokes across the surface. At the same time, in the construction of the image, I strive for a harmonious balance between calmness and intensity’.