Right in the middle of melancholic Lithuanian autumn Opium Club surprises us with an announcement of a new resident DJ they are going to host. As our eyes flash with excitement we learn that Lena Willikens is going to be a regular guest at the club and that she will be running fresh event series called Cryptic Corner. During the series Lena will be inviting DJs with whom she has made a special connection over the past years, presenting significant people in her DJ career she has played with.
The first fellow selector we are going to meet alongside Lena will be Alicia Carrera, a brilliant mind from Spain, who used to manage Hivern Discs label, works with graphic design, photography, creates collage art and much more. Allicia‘s sets are eclectic and rarely all the same, yet she keeps an authentic vibe of slow burning hypnotic rhythms mixed with wavy, mysterious and jazzy melodies.
Meet Lena Willikens and Alicia Carrera together with a local DJ Clicklounge on 18th October at Opium Club, but before that, learn more about the event and its first guest Alicia.
Hello Lena, we are excited to have you back in Vilnius and we are curious to learn more about your relationship with Opium club.
Years ago friends of mine already told me about Opium and I remember how excited I was when I got my first invitation in 2015 to play there. I could immediately tell that this is a special place where I would love to play regularly!
Your first guest will be a Spanish soul Alicia Carrera. Please, introduce her to us.
There is no other DJ from Barcelona, whom I played so many times on the same line up with. No matter if it was at Moog Club at Nitsa or at Razzmatazz, all those promoters who have chosen Alicia to play before me did so for a good reason. We instantly connected through music and it didn’t take long till we became good friends. Recently I invited her for my ongoing radio show on NTS „Lightning Conductor” and she made a wonderful two-hours-mix which you can check out here.
There are many ways to interpret the adjective Cryptic. What is the meaning behind the name of Cryptic Corner and what should we anticipate from the event series?
I came up with the name “Cryptic Corner”, because I wanted a name for the party which implies that there might be something happening which isn’t easy to decipher. Musically, I’m always more interested in intersections – music you can’t put in boxes – and in not playing only certain genres. When people ask me what style of music I play, I like to answer cryptic body music: CBM!
Before meeting you in Vilnius, could you give us a little insight about next guests you’ll be inviting, without revealing any actual names, and what each of them might bring to your hosted nights?
Most of my future guests will be DJs I discovered like I discovered Alicia – by playing with someone at the same party and feeling this strong connection and an open mind. DJs who share a certain attitude towards what it means to be a DJ and that it’s not about their egos but about sharing. DJs who are not functioning, ones, whose personality shines through when they play music.
