After two powerful releases on Josh Wink’s Ovum Recordings Taran & Lomov are back to their home label Amber Muse. They deliver a collaborative EP recorded with Latvian artist Agat, with a remix by techno producer Ksenia Kamikaza. The EP has a dark and abstract vibe that blends a dystopian atmosphere and raw percussion with analog synths.
“Lost Memories” is the first of the two originals, and it opens the release with stuttered vocals and a throbbing bassline that’s rich with sub-bass. Ksenia Kamikaza’s remix of “Lost Memories” is next on the release and it’s a brutal rework with heavy industrial percussion and tantalizing suspense. “Raum” is the second of the two originals, and it closes the EP with its blend of rattling percussion layered with spine-tingling synth pads.
Along with the album, a video for the title track has also been released. The album includes sixteen songs and five skits.
Rappers among the guest artists: Pionieris, ansis and Elfs. Music recording and mix/ master by Kaizers. Music for the album is produced by Latvian beatmakers: Kaizers, trakamelodija, udesbeats, SilinsBeats, dzii, Birch Please and Veiders.
On December 6, rock trio B OPTIMIST release their fifth studio album „Gaiteņi”. It features 11 original songs written over the past two years.
„Gaiteņi” is like a road with different twists and turns of life that everyone is roaming to get to their destination; it is a labyrinth of life – a place for new opportunities and turning points.
The musical core of the album was created at the beginning of 2020 in two creative sessions. This time, the band used more electronics, experimenting with synthesized sounds, but at the same time keeping the sound and attitude of rock music. The album was recorded in B OPTIMIST studio, mixed and mastered by Valters Levins, produced by B OPTIMIST, music and lyrics: B OPTIMIST, album cover photo: Gatis Levins. From December 6, the album is available on streaming platforms.
This year, three singles were released from the album “Gaiteņi” with music videos: “Akvareļos”, “Mēles” and “Tie būsim mēs”. Previously, the band has released four albums: their debut album “B OPTIMIST”, EP “Kopā”, “Visur skan”, as well as an acoustic album with Latvian folk song words “Turpinies!”.
B OPTIMIST play energetic and emotional rock music in Latvian since 2013. B OPTIMIST are: Valters Levins on vocals and guitar, Linards Liepa on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Roberts Levins on drums. Their music is available on Spotify, Bandcamp, iTunes, Youtube, etc.
Latvian musician and composer Aija Alsiņa has released a composition every month for the year 2022, featuring the wonderful photos of photographer and TV personality Kristīne Garklāva on the cover. On December 9th, the final track of this project “Lightness” is released, for which a music video clip was also made.
The idea for the project was created this January of this year, and while looking for owners of beautiful pictures with whom she could collaborate, Aija approached Kristine, who had already gotten to know Aija’s music beforehand and gladly agreed to participate in the project. Work on the series of compositions began in February, and starting from March, a piece was published every month. The track “Collecting Memories”, released in July, has been extremely successful and has been played more than a million times on Spotify.
On December 9th, 2022, the final piece of this project, “Lightness”, is released, recorded together with the string quartet NŌNA, with whom Aija has had a great collaboration before. A music video was also made for the piece. It was shot by the director Marcis Šeners and features the dancer Melania Linda Muskare. The video is released on the same day and can be viewed on Aija Alsiņa’s YouTube channel.
Patrol An Idea is the first single of the band Treeeye since 2021. The single will be available on all platforms on 10.12.2022.
The instrumental track begins with funk-rock resembling Red Hot Chili Peppers, which turns into punk, as if you are going on a carnival ride with a feeling of euphoric flight – breath-taking climbs and falls. Then, as if nothing happened, you continue on your way with mundane daily things, but suddenly you are caught by surprise – a dramatic guitar solo in noise-rock style results in culmination of the thrilling feelings. This madness ends with a slight feeling of tiredness and immersion into a dazed state in prog/psychedelic style of The Mars Volta or Deftones.
Without exaggeration, this track could easily become a soundtrack of a Guy Richie’s crime movie.
The song was recorded in 2020, during the first wave of Covid-19. This was the first band record with live drums. During the recording various non-standard percussion instruments were used and made from improvised tools, whatever was at hand.
Recording, mixing and mastering were done at the studio of Sergejs Laletins, the guitarist of the band.
Visual design was created by the photographer Arturs Dimenšteins (Arthur Dimenshtein).
Treeeye band was founded in 2011. The band has published a full album in 2016, and several singles.
The band combines various styles, such as ambient, post-rock, drum and bass, funk, prog punk, noise.
Shola Demo is thrilled to announce the release of his new single NO RĪGAS, available on all major digital stores from 20-12-2022.
NO RĪGAS is co-produced by Freezyfofo in Nigeria and Alexandra in Latvia, the song has a flavor of Amapiano a popular and trendy vibes from Africa and a touch of Latvian rhythm.
The song itself promotes the beauty of Latvia as a country and the cities in Latvia as it also connects with the African community in Latvia.
Languages: Latvian, English, Pidgin English and Yoruba
The song is now available on Spotify, YouTube, ITunes and many other platforms.
Quotes from artist: I got the inspiration for this song to let the world know about how welcoming most the people of Latvia are, contrary to the information I gathered before my arrival, most of the people are very welcoming and Latvia deserves a much better reputation
The best-known Latvian jazzfunk band Very Cool People released a live album Woodstock’s Renaissance dedicated to the heydays of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors. It was made together with Latvian pop singer Aija Andrejeva.
The concept of Woodstock’s Renaissance was born in 2020, when Very Cool People together with Aija Andrejeva performed at the international improvisation, jazz and global music festival Rīgas Ritmi. A concert program dedicated to Janis Joplin was presented there. It was later supplemented with songs by Jimi Hendrix and The Doors and became Woodstock’s Renaissance.
The new program was presented in April 2022 in the theater of Liepāja, a coastal town in Latvia. The recording of this album was also made there. The program has already been performed in many powerful concerts both in Latvia and abroad.
“Very Cool People are the real music hooligans with whom to realize a program like Woodstock’s Renaissance”, says singer Aija Andrejeva. “I feel like a fish in water with this band, because it is such a good hooliganism in combination with high professionalism, enormous work capacity and also unfathomable love for stage and studio work.”
Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison have made an indelible impact on 20th and 21st century music – rock, jazz, even contemporary music. Therefore, the new program is not only entertaining, but also educational. With its help, younger listeners are getting to know legendary compositions, but older ones – remembering youth and, yes, the sex revolution!
The band members Elvijs Grafcovs, Māris Jēkabsons and Andris Buiķis has created a contemporary and exciting arrangements of songs by Joplin, Hendrix and Morrison for their jazz-funk octet together with the singer Aija Andrejeva who also has a strong emotional connection with the performed songs.
“Janis Joplin was a prill, an absolute person of senses, wrong in everything she did, because she did it with her heart and against the system”, says Aija. “When I was a little girl, I started to listen to Janis and fell in love with her, her voice and her personality. Thanks to Janis, I realized how unimportant really external image is, because music and story speaks above all else.”
Very Cool People are: Oskars Ozoliņš – trumpet, Māris Jēkabsons – tenor saxophone, Laura Rozenberga – trombone, Kristaps Lubovs – baritone saxophone, Elvijs Grafcovs – guitar, Māris Vitkus – keyboards, Jānis Olekšs – bass, Andris Buiķis – drums.
In the Woodstock’s Renaissance concert program, the group’s trombonist Laura Rozenberga also presents herself as another solo vocalist, while additional vocals were sung by Zane Biķe and Antra Krūmiņa. The album’s bonus track Mercedes Benz was recorded at a concert in the Latvian town of Sigulda, and Roberts Martini played the tenor saxophone in this track.
The new album was produced by Elvijs Grafcovs, mixed by Artūrs Sedriks Sinkevičs and mastered by Jānis Kalve from Labo Ierakstu Studio. It can be heard on major music streaming services and is also released in CD format, designed by Mārtiņš Legzdiņš.
Rock trio B OPTIMIST is going on a series of concerts in support of their latest album „GAITEŅI”. These concerts will also mark their 10th anniversary as a band. In the current setlist, the group will offer energetic rock music, performing songs from the new album, as well as the best material released so far.
On February 4, B OPTIMIST will perform in Liepāja, at the Fontaine Palace club, on February 11, they will visit Limbaži, at Music Bar Limbizkvīts, and on February 18, the group will play in Riga, Tallinas kvartāla Angārs.
The band got together for the first rehearsals ten years ago, and after the first decade, they are grateful to everyone who follows and supports the group every step of the way.
On December 6, 2022, the rock trio published their fifth studio album “GAITEŅI”, which includes 11 original songs created in the last two years. From December 6, the album is available on the most popular streaming platforms.
In 2022, both the song “Akvareļos” and “Tie būsim mēs” were in third place on Radio NABA Latvia’s Top 10. “Akvareļos” was also included in Radio NABA’s top 100 most popular songs of 2022. The song “Nāku katru nakti” was on Kurzemes Radio 2020 top fifteen best Latvian songs. In the fall of 2020, the song “Kaut nedaudz kā tu” was in first place on Radio NABA Latvia’s Top 10.
B OPTIMIST play energetic and emotional rock music in Latvian since 2013. B OPTIMIST are Valters Levins on vocals and guitar, Linards Liepa on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Roberts Levins on drums. Their music is available on Spotify, Bandcamp, iTunes, Youtube, etc.
