The producer association YDJ has released a new song “Netālu no Esplanādes”, featuring musician Oskars Deigelis. The song was sung by Liene Greifāne. Two remixes have also been made for the song.
On 16 March, pianist Andrejs Osokins will launch his new concert programme “Osokins – to Liszt”, which will continue until the end of the year in various venues across Latvia. Alongside the concert programme, a new fundraising campaign for Ukraine has been announced.
The concert programme “Osokins – to Liszt” is a tribute to one of the most important piano composers and virtuosos of the 19th century – Franz Liszt – his creative work, personality, and life. Liszt – virtuoso, lover, philosopher, monk, priest, thinker, romantic and tragic hero – these are just some of the aspects of his personality that characterise the great composer’s complicated life of and permeate his music. Like Liszt’s life, which began in Hungary but took him to countless places in Europe, his work is interwoven by the theme of wandering, which is also one of the cornerstones of Andrejs Osokins concert programme. The pianist believes that the diversity of Liszt’s life resonates strongly with our times, when everything in the world is changing rapidly and everyone must be able to adapt to these changes.
The new concert programme will also feature Liszt’s Petrarch Sonnet No. 104 from the cycle “Years of Wandering”.
Currently, ten concerts of the “Osokins – to Liszt” concert programme have been announced:
Tickets for the concerts are available at the “Biļešu paradīze” box office and online at www.bilesuparadize.lv and www.ekase.lv (concert in Loja).
In cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia and the charity fund Ziedot.lv, a new fundraising campaign initiated by Andrejs Osokins, “Strength Dose for Victory!”, has been launched, during which people are invited to donate for the purchase of universal meal kits, which will be delivered to Ukrainian soldiers at the front in cooperation with the Confederation of Ukrainian Societies “Viche”. Andrejs Osokins has launched the campaign in preparation for his new concert tour, because it is important for him as a musician not only to inspire the audience with excellent compositions and convey a message of peace, unity and hope, but also to encourage everyone to continue helping Ukraine.
“The brutal war in Ukraine is now a year old, which seems absolutely unbelievable. Our support gives Ukrainians not only much-needed resources to continue their fight against evil, but also inspiration and reassurance that they are not alone in this madness. That is why it is extremely important to continue helping Ukraine and its army, because it is this army that is the main force saving Europe and Latvia from the threats and darkness that Putin’s Russian troops are bringing to the whole world. Together we can bring the victory of light closer and thus the peaceful future of Latvia,” says Andrejs Osokins on why he continues to carry out various support actions for Ukraine.
In the campaign “Strength dose for Victory!”, funds are raised for meal kits, which include a complete meal, a bag of reagent that heats up in response to 50 ml of cold water and makes it possible to heat up this meal in frontline conditions without electricity or fire, as well as chocolate and muesli bars, a nut and raisin mix, a portion of oatmeal, bread, candy, tea, coffee, chocolate drink, antibacterial and plain napkins, and a spoon.
You can donate for the meal kit purchase here: https://www.ziedot.lv/maltisu-komplekti-ukrainu-karaviriem-fronte-4479.
This campaign is a continuation of the “Hot Meals for Ukrainian Soldiers at the Front” campaign launched by Andrejs Osokins on Ziedot.lv last October, which is still ongoing and has already raised more than EUR 100 000, enabling 20 000 hot meal kits to be delivered to the front in Ukraine.
On February 25 of this year, the band “The Bad Tones” released three songs, or “tringles” with the name “i”. This is a precursor to three more such tracks that the group will release during 2023.
“Some time ago I started thinking about a concept where we try to encapsulate a time in which a song comes together. My theory is that working on something creative during winter or summer influences the result and what you get in the end is completely different, that’s why I suggested implementing this idea in an album format, respectively three songs in each season. Somehow it also resonated well with Alberts and Rūdolfs idea that it would be nice to release more singles, to work less on something big, which can be tiring and begins to restrict with too much freedom at the beginning and too much stress at the end.Without hiding behind any purist motives, we have already recorded a large part of the songs live last summer at the former festival “Zvērā” territory in the “prieka māja”, but the process in which we decide the direction of the particular song, we leave to the mood of each season.” tells one of the band members, Edvards.
The Bad Tones released an EP last year called “Back Together Forever” alongside all other albums of the group have been nominated for the “Zelta Mikrofons 2022” award.
The Bad Tones is a band inspired by nature and blues that was formed in 2012, but took the name “The Bad Tones” in 2017. It is represented by Edvards Broders (voice, guitar, keyboards), Rūdolfs Ozols (voice, guitar, keyboards), Alberts Levics (voice, bass guitar) and Kalvis Sležis-Zaļkalns (voice, drums). So far “The Bad Tones” have released an EP “Bad Tunes” (2018), studio album “Is It Good Enough?” (2019), the live album “Ezera Skaņas” (2020) and another EP “Back Together Forever” (2022).
“Angelic Mimetics” explores how different creations, before defined in more specific categories, have all merged in the infinite white light of the feed and become content. In this angelic light, there is no longer any observable border between craftsman, artist or master of other discipline, all are content creators, all are content consumers. What happens when content becomes so beautiful and perfect that it threatens the conditions of art themselves?
The video for “Angelic Mimetics” was filmed in a Riga dance club, “ONE ONE”, produced and directed by Alberts Levics and Alise Golovacka. The band would also like to say a massive thank you to Maksimilians Kotovičs, Harijs Aizups, Elza Krasta and Kristiāns Laizāns, all of whom participated in the making of the video.
The core of “Perestroika” is Leo Novus and Rūdolfs Ozols, who started their creative collaboration journey in 2020 in Amsterdam. In live shows, the duo is joined on stage by Aleksandrs Barons, Alise Golovacka and Dāvis Mazurenko. Although self-described as belonging to the art-rock genre, “Perestroika” refrains from limiting itself to the restrictions of any specific genre. In the creative process, the primary directive is the context/message of the song, while elements from different genres and styles are chosen to enhance it and to morph space accordingly.
The band’s first album “memorial server” was released on October 22 of last year and was nominated for the Latvian annual award for music recordings “Golden Microphone 2023” in categories “Best debut Album of the Year” and “Best Indie or Alternative Music Album”.
Music Export Latvia, Music Estonia and the Lithuanian Music Business Association are thrilled to present the full Baltic moMENT programme at the Slovenian new music discovery festival MENT Ljubljana, March 28th – 31st.
The programme features a dozen artists from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, along with a wide variety of Baltic industry players sharing dedicated insights into the region’s music markets and scenes – from its recording industry and the media landscape to its singing, rocking and dancing revolutions.
Estonian talent is represented by Ajukaja & Mart Avi, the duo of the longest-serving shaker of the Estonian underground and the country’s swiftest-moving avant-pop agent; as well as the moody new-gen RnB of manna; a pinch of surrealism and modern folklore by Puuluup; and the cross-generational fuzz rock attack of Zahir.
Latvia is proud to present Bel Tempo, an act with one foot firmly in dusty beat-making and the other in soft anthemic storytelling; Elizabete Balčus’ bedazzling dream pop collages and musical vegetables; queer RnB icon-in-waiting Eliza Legzdina; and skilfully sensuous post-rockers Nesen.
Making their way to Ljubljana from Lithuania are Jausmė with her urban lullabies and zither-harp kanklės; the transnational tropical anarchists Planeta Polar; the fearless Plié, ready to lure the crowd into cleansing headbanging; and Superkoloritas with their breezy beach pop and space-age nostalgia.
These 12 acts will be joining the MENT Ljubljana’s diverse line-up of 77 artists that include internationally renowned names like the UK’s hip-hop/post-punk alchemist Wu-Lu, French icons of glamorous psych-punk La Femme and Irish modern rockers Just Mustard.
The Opening Reception of Baltic moMENT takes place at Kino Šiška on Wednesday, 29th March, followed by a full-day series of presentations, panels and speed meetings at the MENT conference on Thursday, 30th March.
CEO of Music Export Latvia Agnese Cimuška-Rekke, Director of Music Estonia Ave Tölpt and Director of Lithuanian Music Business Association Vaidas Stackevičius will provide an overview of Baltic Music Markets – from each country’s key festivals, venues and promoters, to their labels, music media landscape and notable success stories.
Guna Zučika from the Latvian Every Little Thing agency, Roman Demchenko from Estonian Damn.Loud Agency and Victor Diawara from the Lithuanian art factory Loftas will share know-how for all those considering touring the Baltics. Those yearning to dig even deeper will get crash courses on the region’s niche scenes – from the revitalisation of the former Lukiskės Prison by Martynas Butkevičius, the head promoter at the Lithuanian agency 8 Days A Week; to the adventurous spirit of Latvian Skaņu Mežs festival by Lena Sme; and the Dancing Revolution of Estonia by Raul Saaremets, the king of the weird and wonderful leftfield of the northernmost Baltic state.
Tallinn Music Week’s Head of PR Ingrid Kohtla will host the Baltic Listening Session, letting the panel of distinguished international tastemakers analyze tracks by all acts from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. There will also be a special speed networking session to meet the region’s music professionals one-on-one.
MENT conference will also present an interview with Elena Natale, the founder of Tallinn’s “Berghain” HALL about the importance of nightlife in all its variety. Director of Tallinn Music Week Helen Sildna and founder of Latvian Positivus Festival Ģirts Majors will share their perspectives on the post-pandemic festival circuit. Kristine Kleina from Every Little Thing will moderate the roundtable on the challenges of managing new talent, whilst Tanya Korenika from the Estonian UCE agency hosts the discussion about the “Go West” prospects of Central and Eastern European artists.
The Baltic moMENT programme kicks off with Baltic music flicks screenings at Kino Šiška on the eve of MENT on Tuesday, 28th March.
Starring, among others, Estonian Baltic moMENT act Mart Avi, .u.Q. by director Ivar Murd is a hypnotic docudrama about musician Uku Kuut, his soul/jazz diva mother Maryn E. Coote and their manic search for the American Dream. Techno, Mama short directed by Saulius Baradinskas is a visual essay about two Lithuanian generations unable to find a way to love each other in a post-Soviet urban wasteland. Jelgava 94 by Latvian Janis Abele is a coming-of-age tale and a portrait of the cultural chaos that reigned in former socialist states during the 1990s.
The Baltic moMENT programme is supported by the Baltic Cultural Fund in partnership with the Estonian Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Embassy of Estonia in Prague, the Embassy of Latvia in Hungary and the Embassy of Lithuania in Austria
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Baltic moMENT timeline
Tue, 28th March
Baltic moMENT films
Kino Šiška
19:00 u.Q (EE)
21:00 Techno, Mama (LT) + Jelgava 94 (LV)
Wed, 29th March, 18:30
Baltic moMENT Opening Reception
Kino Šiška (upstairs)
All MENT’23 PRO delegates are welcome to join the Baltic moMENT’s kickoff to meet the region’s key players
Welcome speeches:
Agnese Cimuška-Rekke. CEO at Music Export Latvia
Ave Tölpt, Director of Music Estonia
Vaidas Stackevičius, Director of Lithuanian Music Business Association
H.E. Mrs Gita Kalmet, Estonian Ambassador to Slovenia
DJs
Raul Saaremets (Ajukaja, EE)
Andis Ansons (Bel Tempo, LV)
Giedrė Nalivaikaitė (Superkoloritas, LT)
Drinks, snacks, toasts
Thu, 30th March
Baltic moMENT Conference Focus
A full-day programme dedicated to the music scenes of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
10:00 – 11:00 Speed Networking: Baltic moMENT – M Hotel HJ
11:00 – 12:30 Presentation: Baltic Music Markets – M Hotel HJ
13:30 – 15:00 Baltic Listening Session – Komuna (Kino Šiška)
16:00 – 17:30 Ready to Tour the Baltics?- M Hotel AB
Other panels featuring Baltic speakers
Thu, 30th March
11:30 – 12:30 Listening Session – Komuna(Kino Šiška)
13:15 – 14:15 Agent’s Panel: Going East – M Hotel AB
Fri, 31st March
11:00 – 12:00 Speed networking – Meet the Festivals – Komuna (Kino Šiška)
11:00 – 12:00 Managers in Action: Skyrocketing the Emerging Artist – M Hotel HJ
12:45 – 13:45 The Unpredictable Future of Music Festivals – Komuna (Kino Šiška)
15:30 – 16:20 Interview: Elena Natale (HALL) – M Hotel HJ
For more info see Baltic moMENT panels, speed networking, speakers, schedule
Baltic moMENT Music Programme
Wed, 29th March
Puuluup (EE): 20:00 – 20:40, Kimo Šiška Katedrala
Nesen (LV): 20:40 – 21:20, Kino Šiška Komuna
Planeta Polar (LT): 22:00 – 22:40, Kino Šiška
Thu, 30th March
Elizabete Balčus (LV): 22:15 – 22: 55, Klub Gromka
Zahir (EE); 23:00 – 23:40, Memza Prikoritu
Superkoloritas (LT): 23:15 – 23:55, Klub Gromka
Plié (LT): 00:30 – 01:10, Gala Hala
Fri, 31st March
Jausmė (LT): 21:00 – 21:40, Stara Mestna Elektrarna
manna (EE): 23:15 – 23:55, Channel Zero
Eliza Legzdina (LV): 00:00 – 00:40, Zorica
Ajukaja & Mart Avi (EE): 00:30 – 01:10, Klub Gromka
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.
The story is about Christmas gone wrong. Maybe we can learn from the mistakes our story heroes have made… or maybe not.
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.
Krisy and well-known producer Tablis release their newest single “Love Is Underrated”