Author: macha

Latvian bands’ “Once Upon” song “A Letter to My Agony ” has been nominated for the 15th annual Independent Music Award in the category “Best Metal / Hardcore single of 2016”, and is recognized as one of the most prominent independent music recordings of 2016.

After a fierce competition this song is amongst the five which are eligible for the prize. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony that will take place on November 12th, in New York, USA.

This is the 15th year “IMA” giving away awards, emphasizing innovative musicians who records their music themselves, as well as independent record label artists.

The winning projects will be selected by blue-ribbon panels of top recording artists and influential press and talent buyers from the Americas, Europe and Pacific Rim that include Amy Lee („Evanescence”), „Slayer” , „Shinedown” , „Sepultura” , Warren Haynes („The Allman Brothers Band ”, „Les Claypool”, „Coheed and Cambria”) , industriju – Benji Rogers („PledgeMusic”) , Fred Beteille („Music Business Association”) , Anthony DeCurtis („Rolling Stone”).

Alternative / modern metal band “Once Upon” formed in autumn of 2012 consists of  Artūrs Ročāns (vocals), Edgars Meijers (guitars), Artūrs Krasts (drums), Jānis Brolišs (guitars) un Edgars Poika (bass).

In April 2014, “Once Upon” participated in “Metal 2 The Masses” and after the jury and fans decision they were chosen to represent Latvia in UK’s largest independent heavy metal festival “BLOODSTOCK 2014”.

Classical music hooligans, the band DAGAMBA, has issued the unique live performance video for the composition “Summer – Storm”, which is the group’s version of Antonio Vivaldi’s violin concert “Summer” from the cycle “Four Seasons “.

The video was filmed on the picturesque Cape Kolka at the end of this summer. “This video is very peculiar, because nothing in it has been recorded in a sound recording studio. Only live sounds are heard in the video – cello, piano, daf, drum and nature,”- says Valters Puce, the member of the band.

Video was created in co-operation with “Marana Productions”. “The most special thanks is to be expressed to the video’s director Dace Puce, who converted our crazy idea into a reality, and to the sound producer Andris Uze, as well as to all the production unit that  managed to overcome natural obstacles and to let everyone look and sound just beautiful,”- says Valters.

The video of this composition is considered as a forerunner of the band’s DAGAMBA upcoming album “Seasons”. Its presentation concert, which also will be the gala venue of the Latvian tour “Vivaldi Rocks”, will take place in Riga, at the Palladium concert venue on 12 November.

“The LP” shares new song called “Apocalyptic intimacy” which is included in their last album “LP” and goes on tour visiting Latvia, Netherlands and Germany.

In the end of October band hits the road playing 12 concerts in Latvia, Netherlands and Germany. For details check The LP’s homepage or follow the band in social network.

The LP is together since 2006. Band has played in all the biggest music festivals in Baltics and countless venues and events. Band has also played concerts in Poland, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Estonia.

Latvian indie pop band “Franco Franco” unveils the second single and lyric video “Up” from the EP “Moon + Light” which is set to be released on November 2. The producer of the single and the EP is Reinis Sejans (Instrumenti); the recordings have been made in “TRU Music Studio”, Riga.

The band’s lead singer Elizabete Vētra reveals that “Up” is a confirmation of the old saying “Whatever happens, happens for the best”. This feeling has also been captured by the makers of the lyric video — Jurgis Rudmiezis (KIDDIN Aerial Works), Anete Ruke and Janis Vīksna. The band has already collaborated with them while making the video for the song “Frank Killed Lee”. A parallel, magic world has been discovered in the flight, making everyday concerns and greyness unimportant.

The song is already available on Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, as well as on the online music store iTunes and other online streaming channels.

The EP “Moon + Light” which is set to be released on November 2, will feature the song “Up” as well as “By the Lake” (unveiled in May) and other original songs.

“Franco Franco” has been active since 2010. In 2013 the band released its debut EP “Color me” and this year it has returned to active performing, giving concerts in festivals, for example, “Playground Festival”, “Fono Cesis”, “Piens Fest”.

Latvian indie rock band “Carnival Youth” have begun second part of their European tour, which is devoted to the presentation of their latest album “Propeller”.

The up-and-coming indie rockers are going to play more than 10 shows in Germany, Luxembourg, England, Scotland and Belgium during October, November and December. In addition to those concerts abroad, Carnival Youth will play seven shows in the biggest cities of their homeland – Latvia.

In September they had their first shows in New York, USA. For the next year “Carnival Youth” have made plans to play more concerts in Eastern-Europe, Scandinavia and some festivals around rest of Europe.

Their latest album Propeller was released in April 2016, yet their new single “Seagulls On Bicycles” – along with a video – was presented in September.

Latvian indie rock band Carnival Youth have released the new single “Seagulls On Bicycles” from their latest album “Propeller” along with a new video.

The charismatic four-piece is one of the most successful acts from their region – the Baltic States. Their new single sets off the second part of “Propeller’s” tour. Throughout autumn they will visit USA, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Scandinavia, the Baltic States and other countries. The first part of their tour took place this spring and covered Central and Eastern Europe. In New York carnival Youth is playing  first showcase festival in USA – Mondo.NYC. The participation has been done in cooperation with Music Export Latvia, supported by Ministry of Culture and VKKF.

The chorus line of the song “To get through the day with no seagulls on bicycles, leading the way – seagulls on bicycles” is adopted from the painting by American artist Marc John. The video is based on the work of Spanish photographer AnaHell – she’s also the Art director of the video, while the rest of the crew is made up from local talent – director of the clip is Jurgstulajstus, camera operator – Jānis Eglītis, editor – Juris Matuzelis.  Video was shot at the city Sigulda in Latvia.

Carnival Youth were presented with the European Border Breakers award earlier this year. Their previous album found favour with critics and listeners alike, in their home country and abroad. The band was formed in 2012 and since then has released two studio albums.

Latvian pop sensation Aminata releases title track from her sophomore album Red Moon that is available in all music streaming and digital distribution services. Song has been written by Aminata herself and is produced by Kaspars Ansons.

Red Moon is the third single from her upcoming album with the same name. It will be released shortly before Aminata’s biggest solo show yet that will take place in Palladium Riga on 13th of October.

“To me this is a very symbolic song that represents the saying that still waters run deep. Of course, Red Moon is about love and being in love. Love inspires and sets us free, even the coldest and meanest person gets emotional when he falls in love. The same thing could be said about the moon – to most it’s cold and distant, but to me – red, warm and tendr,” author herself reveals.

In cooperation with producer Kaspars Ansons, drummer Rūdolfs Dankfelds, guitarist Jānis Ruņģis, bass player Reinis Ozoliņš and keyboardist Matīss Repsis, Aminata is working hard on her Red Moon concert in Palladium Riga. It’s also worth noting that there will be special guests present at the show who will perform alongside Aminata, but their names have yet to be revealed.

Tickets to Red Moon concert are available in all Biļešu Serviss marketplaces and on the internet. Album Red Moon will be released shortly before the show and will be available in all music streaming services and in digital distribution marketplaces.

On November 9 with appearance in Arena Riga heavy metal band “Relicseed” will start the 4th chapter of their Serial Surgery Tour.

In 2017 Relicseed will release an EP “Ideology” which will be the first material in Latvian since their debut album in 2010.

Relicseed`s journey begun back in 2004 when four Latvian musicians started experimenting with different playing and singing styles. The debut album “60 minutes of a dream” was released only in 2010 (Relicseed). The album was the start of defining the band`s character which is brightly represented in their second studio release “Slaughterhouse”. Constantly remaining the only original member Edgars Rakovskis (guitars, vocals) has led Relicseed across his native Latvia`s borders entering various alternative music markets around the world and created the new international form of musicianship together with the great Nathan Mercado (drums).

Latvian singer-songwriter Alise Joste is announcing forthcoming concerts by releasing a live video version of her single „Mirrors”.

The intimate video performance, featuring Karlis Josts and Janis Sipkevics, offers a glimpse of what to expect from Alise’s two October shows  in her hometown Riga at a spectacular manor house „K.K. fon Stricka villa” where all three musicians will be on stage.

Alises Joste’s autumn tour starts already this weekend with three performances in Vilnius, Lithuania, at Loftas Fest.

In November Alise Joste embarks on German solo tour and will be visiting Munich, Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and other cities.

Alise Joste debuted on Latvian singer-songwriters’ scene in 2008 and released her first album in 2011. It took several years for Alise to complete the next studio recording but it was well worth waiting. The album „Hardships are Ships” (2015) received two most prominent music prizes in Latvia – „Austra Award” for the best album of 2015 and „Golden Michrophone” in singer-songwriter category.

In the past few years Alise Joste has performed in the Baltics, Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other European countries,  including showcase festivals Tallinn Music Week, Lost in Music, Waves Vienna/Bratislava and The Great Escape.

Members of the band RYGA are in continued incomprehension on what is going on in the world and in their own houses. Is this really what people would like place under the Christmas tree these Christmas?

The band is offering their option – to live in peace, share love and not to destroy this world. “If children are usually told that they will get coal for Christmas, then what makes the world’s mighty ones, politicians and managers of large concerns better?” – ask members of the band. This does not appear to be a secret that there are demographical problems in Latvia and lots of people choose to emigrate abroad. Maybe the reasons thereof are to be looked for in the attitude to work assigned?  Incomprehensible purchase of the SRS building with the overpayment of quite a few millions, corruption involving officials etc. Unfortunately the services of the Panama offshores are chosen by politicians and significant business people as well and this has a direct impact to Latvia and tax collection, as well as many other problems pictured in the video.  

The band RYGA picture improvised workshop of Santa Claus in their new video, where Santa Claus hears out the wishes of many countries and organizations on what they would like to get these Christmas. And it turns out that no one needs the presents prepared by dwarfs (renewable energy, homes, love and mutual patience). Upon hearing these mad wishes, Santa Claus and the team of dwarfs with Snow White fail to resist the pressure and cast off.  Santa Claus and Snow White get to the improvement of demography, but in order to do it, the system in the shape of SRS building must be destroyed.

Nowadays it has become very common to simplify the image of woman down to the sex object and lots of women are gladly fine with that. Is this the standard of this era?!  Are the minds

With this provocative video the band RYGA is not afraid to show, what is actually continuing to go on in this world and they promise not to go away from hard and uncomfortable subjects in the debut album of the band RYGA, coming spring next year.

Two songs of the band RYGA (Candyman and Summerfest) have gone into the voting of first selection of Grammy awards and are still fighting for the nomination. At the same time the song of the band Candyman is played on playlists of quite a few radio stations in Germany is getting to be known in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In order to introduce listeners to the material of the new album, the band is planning to go on European concert tour in the middle of April.