Andrea Ljekaj.
Room for imagination.
Andrea Ljekaj on Kajdanka, the imperfections he keeps and the freedom he gives other artists.
Andrea Ljekaj
In music lessons, he preferred drawing in his music notebook to writing down notes. Andrea Ljekaj turned that childhood habit into the starting point for his second solo album. In five answers, he discusses sounds he doesn’t want to fix too much, titles that stay connected to the moment a track was made, and a design that leaves space for the story to continue.
Andrea Ljekaj is a Zagreb-based musician, producer and DJ, and the founder of ATJE. For SCENE:ID, he discusses his album Kajdanka. He sent us his answers and photographs on 5 November 2026.
Back to the music notebook
What does the word Kajdanka mean to you, and how did it become the album title?
I drew the inspiration for the album title and the whole concept from childhood and music lessons, when I preferred drawing in my music notebook to writing down notes. I found it interesting to turn that childhood habit into an album concept. In a way, Kajdanka is a return to that carefree approach, where you don’t worry too much about rules, but simply explore and let your imagination run free.
Imperfections with character
The album description mentions keyboards, raw drums, drum machines and guitars. How do you decide which imperfections in the sound you want to keep?
If something bothers me, I try to fix it. But if it surprises me or sounds interesting, I often decide to leave it exactly as it is. Sometimes elements that are a little out of time, unexpected sounds or excessive processing give a track a character I might not have found if I had tried to “fix” everything.
In a way, Kajdanka is a return to that carefree approach.
A title as a connection
The album is almost entirely instrumental, yet titles such as “Dnevnik Pokvarene Mašine” already suggest a story. How do you choose how much to reveal through a title?
I don’t think too much about it. What matters to me is that a track’s title has some connection to the music, or to the time or place in which it was made. Sometimes it comes spontaneously while I’m working on the track, and sometimes only later.
Staves from another angle
You are responsible for both the music production and the design of Kajdanka. How did its visual identity take shape?
The album’s visual design came about when I took the staves from a music notebook, turned them through ninety degrees and started playing with lines, texture, colours and fonts. Alongside the information on the back of the album, the number 001 is there for a reason. It symbolises the beginning of a story and leaves room for it to continue.
Freedom for other artists
You mentioned that remixes of the album are coming soon. What are you most curious to hear when other artists take on your tracks?
I definitely want them to surprise me and give themselves creative freedom. I find it interesting to see how someone else hears my music and what they draw out of it, especially if they take it in a different direction. We have brought together some wonderful Croatian producers for this release, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with the rest of the scene!
Andrea Ljekaj
Interview by email · Editorial and image art direction: SCENE:ID. M. Jesovnik · I. Menencanin · H. Belobrk