Mardit B. Lleshi is a cellist and composer from Tirana, Albania, who previously released an album on Whitelabrecs in 2023 as part of a duo with Bledi Boraku for an album called Saggio. He has been immersed in music since the age of seven and his journey in composition began in 2006, leading him to explore a diverse range of sounds and styles. Over the years, he has released music on various international labels, including Interpretnull (Czech Republic) and PMG Record (North Macedonia). His approach to music is multifaceted, combining software, hardware, and both acoustic and electric instruments to create distinctive soundscapes. Lleshi’s influences are broad, spanning classical and contemporary music, minimalism, rock, and darkwave. He draws inspiration from legendary composers such as Mozart, Rachmaninov, John Tavener, Arvo Pärt, and Schnittke, as well as iconic artists such as Pink Floyd and Massive Attack. Known for his preference for live performance, Lleshi has been presenting his work under his real name since 2012, having previously recorded under a pseudonym. He has also composed music for several films including an album that was part of a VICE series documentary by Ben Anderson on the humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso.

In this album, entitled ‘Monumenta’ Mardit has created a deep and enveloping album, characterised by themes of deep, dark space, and melancholy. This project was shaped by a blend of software, hardware, and a variety of instruments, resulting in a rich and textured sonic landscape. The creation of the album was heavily influenced by the artist’s account of a natural disaster; the 2019 earthquake in North West Albania. These emotions are deeply embedded in the music and separately, his sister created the cover artwork to reflect upon the same events. Though this album is not structured as a traditional concept album, the profound events culminate into a combined audio-visual experience in which the painting and soundtrack convey something bigger than can be described into words. Something monumental.