Audiovisual artist / electronic music composer from Tirana, Albania (born September 1984), active in the field of drone / abstract/ ambient music since 2012.
Lluka's works are surrealist depictions of everyday life moments, re-contextualized through psychological and emotional associations with memory
and its relation to the present, visualized in a dreamlike landscape. His technical approach primarily involves custom software tailored for each release,
combining field recordings, electronic sounds, and acoustic instruments (cello, double bass, piano, and electric guitar), often heavily distorted.
Ilir Lluka's art has been described as a "deep and atmospheric mental journey in undefined locations".
While his academic studies were developed outside of the arts (Bachelor's degree in "Political Sciences and International Relations" and a Master's degree in "History"),
Lluka studied on his own the techniques of sound design and audiovisual synthesis. He is also the author of software synthesizers and effects plugins , some of which are available for public use (check the "SOFTWARE" page).
Besides the albums/EPs, Ilir has also composed music for installations and experimental cinema, and has performed live in art galleries and cultural spaces in Tirana
such as in The National History Museum, The Pyramid, Ali Pasha Castle, etc, and also abroad such as:
"Poesia Carnosa Festival" (Rome),
"MainOFF Festival" (Palermo),
"Kinisi Festival" (Santorini),
"To Be Continued Festival" (2013, 2016, and 2018 editions),
"Niños Consentidos Wien Festival" at Spektakel Theater (Vienna)
"Fanfulla 5/A Circolo Arci" (Rome), etc.
His audiovisual works have been presented in international exhibitions such as:
“Remembering in Form” - audiovisual exhibition at Heike Strelow Gallery (Frankfurt, Germany, July/August 2016),
"Double Feature # 9" - audiovisual exhibition with Gabriele Rendina Catani at Tirana Art Lab – Center for Contemporary Art (Tirana, 21 April 2018),
"A FOR UNAPOLOGETIC" - NEXT BALKAN: ALBANIAN CONTEMPORARY ART - group exhibition at DOZA Gallery (Sofia, Bulgaria)
"Uncharted" - group audiovisual exhibition by Art Kontakt (08 August 2014 - 10 August 2014)
“MMXI. International Exhibition Muslim Mulliqi Prize 2016 ” - group exhibition at the National Gallery of Arts of Kosovo (Prishtina, July/August 2016),
"Mediterranea 18: Young Artists Biennale" - live audiovisual performance with Ervina Halili (Tirana, May 2017).
"Onufri XXII - Stranger Than Kindness" - audiovisual multiscreen installation at the National Gallery of Arts of Albania (Tirana, December 2016 - February 2017),
for which Ilir Lluka won the 1st prize.
[labels / netlabels]
Nostress Netlabel, Batenim, Audiotalaia, Selva Elettrica, Ozky E-sound, Petroglyph Records, Irregular Crates, IFAR Label, Unexplained Sounds Group, Sonospace,
Manyfeetunder, Midnight Radio, Music Numbers.
[influences]
Luc Ferrari, Eliane Radigue, Giacinto Scelsi, Morton Feldman, Iannis Xenakis, Krzysztof Penderecki, La Monte Young, Akira Rabelais, Thomas Köner, Stars of the Lid,
Kyle Bobby Dunn, etc.
[artist pages]