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Music

'Producer in the Trunk' Is like Bangbus for Beats

All in the back of a Volvo.

Episode four of 'Producer in the Trunk', a Lithuanian web tv show, with Ticklish.

Studio rats rarely get out. For the gear-obsessed who tinker with toys, there is now a web show which takes beatmakers around town – Producer in the Trunk.

Based on the streets of Vilnius, the concept is simple: Put a producer in the trunk of a car and tape their set. Just like Bangbus for beats, a driver wheels around the producer while a cameraman captures a live set. Highlighting talent in the Baltic countries (mostly), it’s all about how the musicians maneuver their gear in a moving vehicle.

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Co-produced by Vaiper Despotin, Pijus & Vytenis, and video by Stoopid Katt productions, the team have produced four episodes so far. Fun to watch, you can’t help but giggle when a producer loses slight balance when the Volvo turns a corner. The music never stops. Despotin explains the philosophy, scaring the locals, and where this all came from. Anyway, enjoy the ride.

Fingalick on 'Producer in the Trunk.'

Noisey: How did Producer in the Trunk come about?
Vaiper Despotin: It was a result of evening kitchen chats at my friend Pijus' place and some straight up discussions about our local scene. And one of the ideas to move the local movement was a live performance series with our friends. Pijus just started working on some video cuts and shots with his pal Vytenis. We were excited about the idea of how fun it would be seeing musicians in a trunk. It sounded stupid but nice. The idea was simple.

What city are you driving around in?
Vilnius, the capital city of our cozy Baltic country, Lithuania. So everyone here is friends, family or neighbors.

How are the musicians chosen?
We thought would be nice to push the musicians a little further by changing their comfort zone. We do that by getting them to perform their own stuff live in a car. The musicians like Ticklish (Berlin) or Sander (Tallinn) have been invited by local promoters to perform in Vilnius, so we knew they were good and we liked them by our own standards of taste anyway.

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Episode three with Estonian beatmaker Sander Mölder.

Have you caused any commotion or upheaval from the neighbours?
Not yet, we have nothing but curiosity. We are still waiting for police attention on our "suspicious vehicle on the road," I hope that won’t happen soon. But it would be on camera anyway, right?

How much is it about the musician’s gear and how they maneuver it in a moving vehicle?
It’s all about gear, skillz, and character. There is a parallel between driving around and driving your equipment. Every musician drives his own style. Actually, you can build a whole philosophy around this topic.

What kind of car do you have there?
It’s a Volvo V70. I drove it few times while filming. We want to make a little tour through Europe and make some videos with the best producers on the road. Will see how it’ll work out. We haven’t tried a duo in the trunk yet, though. Or even some basketball players with producer skillz.

Who will you be showcasing next on Producer in the Trunk?
We will showcase more nice locations of Lithuania, including musicians like Firejose (Tallinn), Deep Shoq, and Rushkeys. We will try to bring Latvians on board as soon as possible. Hopefully, Darius Vaikas, 96wrld, and Brokenchord will join us, too. We didn’t make it with 813 from Moscow last time he was visiting us, but he's sick on those beats.

Have you ever thought about picking people up while driving around?
It’s almost impossible to fit anyone else sine half of the car is filled with the performer and their gear, the camera guy and a driver. But the crowd attention is priceless. We had an idea to film the outside of the car, too, but we'll see. It would be cool to pick up singers or dancers in the car. Maybe it will turn in a Shuttle Room or something. But don’t tell nobody.

NAPO, the first producer featured on 'Producer in the Trunk.'

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