EZIA, an up-an-coming Latvian singer from New York – on October 14th will release her new single “Head High”. The song will be available on all music platforms.
The sound of the song combines pop, trap and R&B characteristic sound with influences from 2000s pop songs creating a nostalgic and inspirational tune.
“”Head High” talks about never giving up and keeping on keeping on even when we don’t feel like it. It came to me very quickly and I feel like I had had these emotions and unconsciously wrote it to myself,” says EZIA.
EZIA, a Latvian born singer and songwriter, moved to New York in 2018 and has been traveling around for the past years. Her debut album “Cycles” which was released in the end of March 2022 gained very positive music critic reviews and was featured on music blogs such as Stereofox and more.
Aivo Oskis publishes his debut album called “Suvenīrs” along with the title single. Ten songs total on the album, including both romantic ballads and rhythmic pop tunes, to sing and dance along to. The song “Suvenīrs” is about treasured memories we will always hold close to our hearts. Several songwriters, including Kaspars Ansons, Liene Atvara, Oskars Deigelis, and Jānis Driksna, worked together to write this song.
Aivo has also released a music video for the single, which illustrates a romance between two people who are no longer together. The events and memories made, however, cannot be taken away. The focus is not on the pain and goodbyes, but rather on the necessity of learning how to obtain these mementos.
On October 20, rock trio B OPTIMIST release their third single „Tie būsim mēs”. It is a song from their upcoming fifth studio album which is planned to be released this late autumn. A music video for the song „Tie būsim mēs” is also out now – it is the 15th video in the band’s history.
The main idea of the song and video is the passage of time – about the way that life is rapidly passing before our eyes, and only by stopping for a moment and looking back, we can appreciate how much time, the world, and ourselves are changing. The video alternates between shots of the band members today and many years ago. The oldest shot used in this music video is from 2004. “Tie bijām mēs, tie būsim mēs” is another reminder to appreciate what we have and where we are going.
Music and lyrics: B OPTIMIST. Video: Valters Levins, Kristaps Bērziņš, Gatis Levins, Roberts Levins. Special thanks to Rihards Vecvagars. The song is available on music streaming platforms from October 20. The band is planning to play concerts at the beginning of next year, which will also coincide with the group’s 10th anniversary.
B OPTIMIST play energetic and emotional rock music in Latvian since 2013. So far B OPTIMIST have released two singles – “Akvareļos” and “Mēles” – from their upcoming fifth studio album. Before that the band released their album “Visur skan”, an acoustic album “Turpinies!” with Latvian folk song lyrics. The debut album “B OPTIMIST” was released seven years ago. It was then followed by the EP “KOPĀ”. B OPTIMIST is Valters Levins, Roberts Levins, Linards Liepa. Their music is available on Spotify, Bandcamp, iTunes, Youtube, etc.
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.
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.
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.
On August 16th, 2022, the classical and jazz-trained flautist and electronica artist unveils via Mothland a pop noir number titled: “Narcissism Purgatory“, which serves as a conduit to the furthest depths of the artist’s psyche.
The followup to title-track “Hotel Universe”, softly released last June, is laced with what seems to be infinite layers of polyrhythms, flutes, synthesizers, dichotomous pleads as well as samples from unknown origins.
Last but not least, the song also features an inspired percussive contribution from English comedian James Acaster, who provides a lift through intricate drumming.
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.
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.”
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, 2022via 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 microcosm/macrocosm analogy – where the human body is thought to contain all the entities and elements of the universe – is hugely influential to her.
Perhaps the most overt reference to this idea comes through the aforementioned biorhythms. Elizabete reached for a stethoscope and recorded her heart as part of the percussion as a way to laden in the cosmos. And, in turn, offering a portal to something deeper than we usually come across going about our day.
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