Category: News

Contemporary psychedelic blues rock band So Lucid Electric Feel has released its second album Social Mindscream.

As the title of the new longplayer suggests, the album conjures up scenes in which a mind hungry for love and society manifests itself in different ways and characteristics.

“The album includes both sides – fantasy and reality, without giving up the opportunity to create your own artistic signature,” says the band’s vocalist and guitarist Uvis Gailis. “The story of the pieces winds through the labyrinths of motivation and routine, yet it is able to reproduce several emotions. Our songs give free rein to everyone’s imagination and provide the opportunity to find multiple identities.”

The album was made in Siguldas Skaņu Studija in cooperation with Latvian Blues Band bassist Mārcis Kalniņš, who is also the sound engineer of the new musical material, as well as the creator of the final mix and master version.

So Lucid Electric Feel is a trio founded in Sigulda, Latvia, in 2015, in which vocalist and guitarist Uvis Gailis, bassist Kristaps Sproģis and drummer Raitis Kalniņš have combined their musical skills. A couple of years ago, the band released their debut album We’re All Connected.

The new album Social Mindscream can be heard on major music streaming platforms.

Album in YouTube

The annual Latvian music record award “Zelta Mikrofons’ 23” take place on February 18, 2023 at the Ķīpsala International Exhibition Center, Rīga. The winner of each category receives two prizes – physical statuette and digital NFT, designed by world known Latvian artist KIWIE.

“Zelta Mikrofons” is one of the oldest and most important awards of Latvian music industry, summing up the excellence of Latvian music industry for 27 years. The past years the ceremony was broadcasted in TV channel TV3. For the first time at “Zelta Mikrofons’ 23” the audience will have a chance to celebrate with the musicians and enjoy the red carpet event. A limited number of tickets are available to the ceremony.

Latvian artist KIWIE is best known for the colorful street art, design and his secret, witty “grand dad” identity. KIWIE gained international recognition for his “Fat Monster” graffities. He comments on the collaboration with “Zelta Mikrofons”: “The time is changing and so does “Zelta Mikrofons ”. It might be the first time in Europe and even the world when a music award will gratify the winners with two prizes. One is the traditional physical statuette the other one – NFT that certifies the ownership of the microphone by the particular prize winner. Each nomination’s NFT will look slightly different, based on the specific style of the nomination. ”

“Zelta Mikrofons 23 ” will open a nomination for the most streamed Latvian recording in 2022. The data collection will be provided by “Ranger computers” (UK) and supported by Association of Latvian Sound Recording Producers, Publishers and Distributors (LaMPA), Association of Latvian Performers and Producers (LaIPA). The nomination will be represented by the brand Elektrum.

More information: http://www.zeltamikrofons.lv/

MAASA or Paula Kristiana Pētersone, releases her new song “Vilcienos”, which is the first single from the artist’s upcoming EP.

“Riga – Melluži is a train route that I have traveled countless times. In winters, summers, mornings and evenings. And, both at the age of ten and in adulthood, whatever the circumstances and weather, I was always greeted at the end by the lights of my grandfather’s car. Until last October, when the lights went out. I put this pain and bittersweet feeling into the song and together with producer Edvards Broders we added more audial layers to it. I hope that the song will be like a warm and nostalgic hug in these times when there is so much sadness and beauty in this world at the same time”, says MAASA.

The recording and post-production of the song was done in cooperation with producer and sound engineer Edvards Broders. Drummer Artūrs Strautmanis also participated in the song recording.

The video of the song was filmed in the yard of the singer’s grandparents’ house in Melluži. “Vilcienos” is available on all major music streaming platforms.

Paula Pētersone works as a creative copywriter, and also participates in various creative projects, last year making her debut as a director of the music video for the song “Getting Dark” by the group “The Coco’nuts”.

Keitija Bārbale have just released her first single ‘Čau, kakao’ and it is available on all streaming platforms, opening her debut album, which is going to be released September 2022.

20 year old singer-songwriter Keitija Bārbale is an upcoming artist from Latvia, surprising listeners with her depth of lyrics and unique songwriting style. A mix between modern music, grunge and pop, her music attracts a variety of listeners while maintaining her Latvian identity and sound. Powerful live performances and stage presence, strong values and a sense of justice – Keitija Bārbale’s straight-forward attitude, personality and songs leave no one indifferent.

Announcing her first single, the singer-songwriter, who doesn’t want to be pretentious, adds cryptically: “Romance never dies, just like bad pick-up lines…”

The upcoming debut album will present several songs composed by Keitija, the performance of which has been chosen in a seemingly minimalistic, but most accurately reflecting the essence of the work style containing only guitar and voice. The acoustically intimate debut recording was made in Liepāja, in the “Wiktorija” culture house, where the songs were recorded live and then mastered by producer Mārtiņš Krastiņš. The album release process is managed by the agency MOO/music observation organization.

he song came to me after a festival. I had a panic attack there and a Ukrainian model was trying to calm me down. A week later, I went to a salon for a massage and had flashbacks from that festival, which led to me thinking that the therapist was carrying out some kind of exorcism or mummification ritual on me.

I wanted the song to be a reliving of the experience I had so I invited Ukrainian model Olya Yakusheva who was with me at the time to add vocals to the track. I mostly work with electronics but on this occasion I wanted some live drums in there as there’s a wild feel to the song. So I asked James Acaster, a comedian from the U.K., who happily agreed.

– Elizabete Balčus

From September 8, the newest album “Lines and Miniatures” by guitarist and composer Rihards Lībietis is available on vinyl. To celebrate this event, a new music video directed by cinema and video-art director Elizabete Gricmane has been made for “Pattern of Life”, a composition from the album.

Rihards Lībietis reveals: ““Lines and Miniatures” was conceived as a vinyl album right from the very beginning. Mostly because a vinyl album historically associates with a special aura, and instrumental music of such dynamic should be enjoyed with the highest possible sound quality. Also, this is my first work concise enough for one LP vinyl, so that’s an important reason as well.”

Vinyl has been released in a very limited edition – 150 copies are available in total. Vinyl can be ordered either on Rihards Lībietis bandcamp page (https://rihardslibietis.bandcamp.com/album/l-nijas-un-miniat-ras-lines-and-miniatures) or in Vinylla.lv. 50% of all income will be donated in support of Ukraine.

Together with the vinyl release, a music video for a new single from the album “Pattern of life” has been published. This composition deals with the search for inner strength and the inevitable conclusion about connectivity of all life. Concentrating on the composition’s subtle dynamic, director Elizabete Gricmane has made a video using ink and milk to illustrate the changing nature of the world.

Elizabete Gricmane tells: “The title “Lines and Miniatures” gave a very clear direction regarding visualization of this music. Line as an entity that grows from time and a symbol of fate to our own biological figures where capillaries and layers of skin in our bodies create a thick and intricate network of lines – not unlike lines in nature from a bird’s eye point of view. Also the currents in water mix without any boundaries – just like human feelings.”

Guitars, bass, synth and electronics in “Pattern of Life” were recorded by Rihards Lībietis, cello by Erna Daugaviete and violin by Olga Bučinska. Composition was recorded in “No Fuss Audio” studio in Tukums, it’s recording and mixing engineer is Valērijs Černejs.

“Lines and Miniatures” is the second original music album by Rihards Lībietis. It includes 10 compositions that thematically illustrate feelings of living during a pandemic – especially loneliness, isolation and uncertainty. At the same time, the album also provides an inspiring and invigorating energy boost. Although initially planned as a solo album, there are many guest artists playing in the album – Toms Kagainis (drums, percussion), Erna Daugaviete (cello), Olga Bučinska (violin), Ieva Rūtentāle (flute), Matīss Repsis (piano) and Beāte Zviedre (voice). Album was made with the support of the AKKA/LAA Author Scholarship. Album can be heard on all music streaming platforms: https://fanlink.to/lum.

A new alternative: music crafted by a full-time artist, with a method actor-like devotion to discovering new musical possibilities. Hotel Universe (September 16th, 2022 via Mothland) is the second album by multi-instrumentalist, singer and psychedelia artist Elizabete Balčus.

From layered flute solos and synthesizers, to baritone sax romps and biorhythms, the album offers immersion in a richly-imaginative parallel reality. It’s perhaps the emphasis on musical arrangement, and the ability to transfix the listener, through not knowing where the music is going to go next, that sets Elizabete Balčus apart.

The artist’s ear is one of Latvia’s great treasures. After spending years training in classical and jazz music, she turned away from a traditional approach, instead assembling a self-styled future, where performing live with fruits and vegetables as a synthesizer and wearing surreal DIY costumes, with nods to the avant-garde, would become the norm.

Despite being predominantly a one-woman powerhouse – producing everything herself  – the few moments of collaboration on her second album do stand out. “Narcissism Purgatory” features an inspired percussive contribution from English comedian James Acaster. While, Simonas Šipavičius from Sheep Got Waxed plays sax on “Get Naked” and “Asparagus or Brussel Sprouts?” – resulting in one of the Baltic States’ most potent coming together of woodwind instrumentalists in an age.

Yet to focus solely on virtuosity and innovation musically would be a disservice. As alluded to in the introduction, she is a psychedelic artist and Hotel Universe is crafted in a way that offers access to her worldview – one which posits collective consciousness over the idea of the individu.

The most popular Latvian jazz-funk group “Very Cool People” will celebrate Baltic Unity Day with a concert in Vilnius. It will take place on September 22 at the legendary music club “Tamsta”, where the group will offer its Lithuanian fans a new concert program together with the charming singer Paula Saija.

For almost five years, the Latvian band “Very Cool People” has been a frequent guest in Lithuania, regularly performing at various festivals, such as “Vilnius Mama Jazz”, “Klaipedos pilies jazz festival”, “Šiauliai Jazz”, “Big Band Festival Šiauliai”, “Taurage Jazz ”, “What’s Next in Music?” and in others. Also this year, the group performed at several Lithuanian festivals, as well as performed at concerts together with the attractive Lithuanian group “Antikvariniai Kašpirovskio dantys”

“Since I studied in Vilnius in 2004, Lithuania is always close to me,” says the leader of the band “Very Cool People”, guitarist Elvijs Graftsovs. “I feel there as with real brothers, I speak to the audience in Lithuanian as well. It is often not very grammatically correct, applying Latvian inflections to Lithuanian words, but the listeners understand and sometimes corect me!”

No less important fact for the group is that it is not only the Baltic Unity Day, but also Maris celebrates their name day. For “Very Cool People”, this means a three-fold celebration – Baltic Unit Day, the premiere of the new concert program in Lithuania and the worldwide celebration of Māris Day, as the group is proud have two Māris in their collective.

“I also feel at home at concerts in Vilnius, because this will be the third time I will be on the stage of the Tamsta club together with Very Cool People,” says singer Paula Saija. “But this time will be very special for me, because we will play a concert program of original music created together.”

The new program has just been polished to shine in several concerts in the Czech Republic and Germany, from where the Latvian group will come to their brothers in Lithuania. During the summer, “Very Cool People” actively gave concerts both in Latvia and Lithuania, playing around 50 concerts in total.

Very Cool People:  Paula Saija – vocal;  Elvijs Grafcovs – guitar;  Māris Jēkabsons – tenor sax; Kristaps Lubovs – bariton sax;  Laura Rozenberga – trombone, vocal;  Oskars Ozoliņš – Trumpet;  Māris Vitkus – keyboards;  Jānis Olekšs – bass;  Andris Buiķis – drums.

Tickets

We met “Taurud” with songs like “I Keep Loving You”, “I’ve Been Carrying My Past Lives With Me” and “Night Sky”. After a creative break, the artist is back with a new track “Without Your Light”. It is available today on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and all major streaming services.

This time the overall sound is a little different, folkier, and seemingly more positive. Nevertheless, the dreamy feel and heartfelt vocal delivery are still there. The song is about the feeling of drifting apart, bittersweet sadness, and yet true togetherness, love, and care. “Taurud” is working with talented musicians from Manchester, and an up-and-coming producer Sean Rogan (Spotify Sean Rogan). This collaboration is set to continue to record an EP and later a whole album. The song is written by “Taurud”.

Artist says that the last year has been a road of discovery of who he really is, why he is on the current path, and now is ready for a creative leap forward. “I was hiding for quite some time. I still wrote songs and met people I wanted to collaborate with but wasn’t going out there to show any of my work to anyone. I needed to redefine what my purpose in music was. Now I simply want to do it to give something beautiful to everyone and to make this world a better place. No attachments to money, success, attention, or anything like that. Just pure creativity. This song is about my love for every human on the earth.”

The musicians plans to release another single in spring, followed by an EP, album, and concerts in Riga and Jurmala. “Taurud” is actively participating in Manchester’s music scene. He’s hoping to return to his home country in spring with a new song and video.

Latvian singer-songwriter Chris Noah releases his new single, ‘Only Yours’ via Sony Music Finland & Baltics. It is the second offering from Chris’ sophomore EP ‘Red Light’ set for release on November 4th. ‘Only Yours’ follows the success of Noah’s first single under the label – ‘Sunboy’ – which peaked at #21 in radio airplay charts in his home country, Latvia. Along with some blistering post-lockdown live performances, the release sees Noah reconnecting with a dedicated fanbase.

The new single ‘Only Yours’, produced by Kristofer Harris (Bears Den, Belle and Sebastian, etc), is an up-tempo and immediate indie-pop track laced with bubbling guitars and synth textures, neatly arranged to showcase Chris Noah’s assertive vocals.

“I think all of us have gone through a phase in our life where we realise that we have to leave someone or something behind in order to start over. There’s a lot to say goodbye to, a lot of good, therefore we tend to romanticise the past,” Chris says. “We can get delusional, which can lead to us questioning our own decisions, harbouring feelings of jealousy or fostering discontent” tells Chris about the single.

Chris Noah has been described as one of the most exciting newcomers from Latvia. Coming from a musical family Chris wasn’t that into music until at the age of 17, when he re-discovered his interest in music and started making his own material together with his brother. His first single ‘Had It All’ became a huge hit in Latvia and a year later his sophomore single ‘You’ received an award from the Latvian Authors’ Association for one of the most played radio songs of 2017. Ever since Chris has been gaining attention for his distinctive vocals, relatable lyrics, and strong sense of melody. With his next self-released singles ‘River’ and ‘Fall Through’ in 2018, Chris received praise from a variety of blogs including Indie Air, AlexRainBirdMusic, Uranium Waves, Comeherefloyd, Aofd3, Mystic Sons, York Calling, Wolf in a Suit and many others. In 2020 Chris released his debut EP ‘Distance’, which received a nomination for the best debut at the Latvian Music Awards in 2021.