The end is the beginning (Smoke XII – Late night thoughts)

“The end is the beginning” – with this motto S M O K E XII (Emīls Jānis Dūmiņš) begins his creative path releasing a new single “Late Night Thoughts”. That is one of the most expressive S M O K E XII’s compositions at the moment, which was made in a professional studio and in the creation also participated Gints Stankevics, a well-known producer in Europe and Latvia.

The single also has a video version of the lyrics, created in collaboration with Lihtorovich. S M O K E XII (a pseudonym derived from the surname Dūmiņš) is typical of the Z generation(Gen Z). As you know, they are recognized as the most iconic of all time, the most flexible, politically motivated, avant-garde and opened generation. That everything also characterizes S M O K E XII. He started music at the age of 10,  learning drums and guitar. Until now, hip-hop culture has been the only one in Latvia marginal current of popular music, so S M O K E XII’s musical taste has developed under the influence of world hip-hop experience and idols, which does not leave indifferent peers either. Quickly mastering music processing technologies, the first compositions are created in the home studio, which are published on the website “Soundcloud”.

The number of plays are currently around 20,000. The author of songs and lyrics for his compositions is himself S M O K E XII. The songs are based on current issues in life and young people’s vision for them, as well as efforts to seek answers to questions that are not always meant to be answered. S M O K E XII tries harshly but truly to express his point of view and explain their attitudes towards global challenges as well as people’s internal, personal and often very intimate issues such as love and the emotions it creates. The artist expresses his opinion about the everyday relationship problems, existential issues, as well as the very topical issues about drug use among young people. Frequently mentioned death in S M O K E XII’s vision is like the end here, the end of our physical bodies, but the continuation in a further, larger event, or path. Currently, S M O K E XII is actively developing his vocal skills at the best Latvian teachers and creatively collaborates with several artists from Latvia, Lithuania and the USA. The most famous artist with which he have collaborated is K!DDXO

Mixed choir ANIMA presenting new album followed by the concert film “Overwhelmed on the Shore” having its premiere night

On November 8, the digital album of the choral music opus “Overwhelmed on the Shore” by Kristaps Krievkalns and Kārlis Kazāks is made available for the audience on the Spotify and other most popular streaming platforms. In addition, on November 10 the concert film “Overwhelmed on the Shore” is going to be released, including parts of the live performance that took place this summer on Saulkrasti beach along with some artistic intermedia. The film will be broadcasted on LMT smart TV, app LMT Straume, as well as on the webpage straume.lmt.lv.

“This is a contemporary addition to the Latvian choral music tradition, where in one opus consisting of 13 parts, the traditional a cappella singing is combined with some powerful pieces of music with its roots in the popular and world music; it is written for mixed choir, instrumental group and electronics. We spent almost two years working on this album”, tells Laura Leontjeva, the artistic director and conductor of the choir ANIMA.

It is a first-ever original choral music composition created by the composer Kristaps Krievkalns, while writing the lyrics for this choral music opus was, as Kārlis Kazāks admits himself, a completely new experience.

The main musical component of the film is the audio-visual concert “Overwhelmed on the Shore” which had its premiere night on Saulkrasti beach on July 9 this year. It is a journey from a total tranquillity to energetically loaded experience, looking for and finding some answers to the great mysteries of life. Running away from the city lights and finding oneself on the seashore, it leads the listener into a daydream revealing the love in all kind of shades – the ones taking you up to the sky, as well as the deeply transformative ones.

The director of the concert film “Overwhelmed on the Shore” is Valters Mirkšs, who is a Latvian living and working in the United States and was visiting Latvia during the production of the film.

“This film was a great challenge for me demanding switching from making short films and regular films to a new genre – a concert film. I wanted to integrate some elements from the classical filmmaking thus the idea of short, artistic intermedia bringing together all parts of the musical opus”, explains Valters Mirkšs.

The concert film “Overwhelmed on the Shore” will premiere on November 10 on LMT smart TV and app LMT Straume thus leading into the festive week of the national celebrations and adding to the various cultural events provided for the broad audience by LMT.

“Being a Latvian can mean many different things. In this musical opus and the concert film we can witness the new generation of the latvianship – strong, creative and in close relationship with the nature, but at the same time is modern and strongly linked to the technological development and innovations. We believe that this premiere will make the Latvian Independence Day a very special event, unfolding something new to each and everyone. It will also remind us all, that we are wealthier than ever with the new creative ideas and technological possibilities supplementing the centuries of experience”, emphasizes Juris Binde, CEO of LMT.

The concert film “Overwhelmed on the Shore” is a musical piece where music, movement and art all come together. The singers from the mixed choir ANIMA are playing the leading parts along with the actor Gints Grāvelis and dancer Liene Stepena, while actor Andris Keišs is the voice behind the scenes.

The sound directors are Mārtiņš Porters and Armands Treilihs, the lighting artist is Pāvels Armanis. The visual identity of “Overwhelmed on the Shore” is an original artwork by Mareks Gureckis and it is presented in the costumes of the performers, all together creating a living canvas painting. Choreographer Inga Krasovska reveals through the movement the diversity of images and characters. The producer, conductor and artistic director of the “Overwhelmed on the Shore” is Laura Leontjeva.

The project was supported by the Council of Saulkrasti Municipality, SIA “Latvijas Mobilais Telefons” and the State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF).

The digital album “Overwhelmed on the Shore” was produced with the participation of Saulkrastu mixed choir ANIMA (conductor Matīss Tučs, vocal coach Elīna Ose), Kristaps Krievkalns (keyboards), Kristjāns Krievkalns (electronics), Miķelis Vīte (percussion), Armands Treilihs (bass guitar), Andis Klučnieks (flute and Irish pipes). The artistic director, conductor and producer – Laura Leontjeva, sound director – Kaspars Barbals, studio “Lauska”.

Vocal group Latvian Voices releases a new video of Imants Kalniņš song “Buramdziesmiņa”

A cappella vocal group “Latvian Voices” delights their listeners with a new video of Imants Kalniņš “Buramdziesmiņa”. The author of the arrangement is Laura Jēkabsone.

Although both the interpretation and message of the song might be translated in various ways, Latvian Voices consider the song to be not only a confession of friendship and faithfulness but also a magical and unreachable notion. At the same time, it can encompass the reality and the elusiveness of our world. The rock will grow forever, but the snails will never run… “Who would have thought that the day will come when a hug will become valuable and almost impossible. We thank Imants Kalniņš and Imants Ziedonis for their work of art that will unequivocally stay topical throughout the ages to come. We can’t belong to each other, but we can coexist in friendship and mutual respect. Simple as that!” says the leader of the group and author of the arrangement Laura Jēkabsone.

The shared vision of “Latvian Voices” for the video was a slow, unhurried, clean, laconic and maximally minimal environment. Even more so enhanced by choice of a ‘black and white’ concept. Essential in creating these feelings were the video artist Kaspars Teilāns and the choreographer of modern dance Katrīna Albuže.

The video of “Buramdziesmiņa” is not only a dedication to Latvian national memorial day and national holidays but also a bearer of peace, compassion and unity.

New EP and music video from the Latvian band “Cellar Cat”

 

On November 26, the Latvian alternative rock band Cellar Cat released their first EP “Broken Glass” with 6 songs, and their first music video this year.

Coming from an indie rock and britpop background, Cellar Cat have become considerably heavier for the EP. One can hear influences from artists like Foo Fighters, Bring Me The Horizon and Architects. At the same time, the music has not lost the band’s traditional melodiousness.

This is confirmed by the first music video for a song from the EP – “Drag Me Out”. The band wrote the song as a statement of justice, encouraging people to take their lives in their own hands and rely on trustworthy people only. Following a catchy guitar riff, the lyrics tell about a person’s disappointment and anger at the modern world order. The song questions whether the protagonist is the one who failed the world, or it is the rest of the world that failed them. Nothing feels real and honest anymore.

Cellar Cat frontman Alex talks about the EP and music video:

“We are amateur musicians who work at regular day jobs, so we rarely recorded new songs and filmed videos before. Now, being locked up at home during the pandemic, we decided it was time to release something more substantial. We started working on the EP in the beginning of the year, and the work was hampered by restrictions on meetings. We recorded and produced all of the music ourselves, so we often had to make video calls and help each other remotely.

The music video was filmed in August – in the gym of an abandoned factory. What’s interesting is that we had to stop filming at one point, as a tiny bird crawled into the gym through a gap and began smashing against the windows. So we all started running around trying to catch it to let it out from the building. In the end we rescued the bird, so we surely can say that the video was not filmed in vain:)”

Musician Patriks Peterson has released a new song

On Friday, 3 December, the young musician Patriks Peterson released a new, emotionally saturated song “Can’t Get You Outta My Head”, augmented with a music video. The artist reveals that together with the release of the new single he has fulfilled a long-standing dream.

The song “Can’t Get You Outta My Head” was written by Patriks Peterson himself and produced by Kaspars Ansons.

“For several years now, I have been dreaming of releasing one of the songs for which I have written both the music and the lyrics, and this dream has finally come true,” says Peterson. “The song was actually made at the beginning of this year, in a bright and delightful stage of life. Thus the song is positive – about finding yourself, falling in love, about the joy that the other person brings. I want to pass on these feelings and positive emotions, which I felt while writing the song, to every listener as well,” Patriks reveals.

The music video of the song was directed by Artūrs Streļuks, and the duties of the cinematographer and editor were entrusted to Elvis Lācis. The actress in the clip is Madara Martinkena-Igaune, and the style and make-up was done by Iluta Reinberga.

“Like many things in life, this clip should not be taken literally. Often a time comes in a relationship when one wants to end it, but they don’t know how to tell the other. Often in such moments we break each other and become cold. The feeling of “freedom” comes with the break up. Portrayed is a fictional story with a completely different subtext… This is a story about a young man who, unable to escape from a relationship and in suffering, comes up with the same solution every time – that he has to push it to the end himself,” explains Streļuks, the director of the video.

Chris Noah, Very Cool People, The Bad Tones and Kasetes will represent Latvia at the Lithuanian showcase festival “What’s Next in Music”

According to the Latvian Music Development Association / Latvian Music Export Office, the annual music showcase festival and conference “What’s Next in Music?” will take place in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius from September 9 to 11, organized by the Lithuanian Music Business Association. During the showcase festival, Latvia will be represented by Chris Noah, Very Cool People, The Bad Tones and Kasetes.

Chris Noah, best known for his guitar-driven sound, authentic voice and gripping melodies, is a Riga-based artist and songwriter gracefully combining indie rock with catchy pop. Noah’s first EP “What About Tomorrow?” received a nomination for the best debut at the Latvian Music Awards and his latest EP “Distance Deluxe” received a “Best Pop Album of The Year” nomination at the 2021 Latvian Music Awards.

With a solid backbone in jazz, funk and soul, incorporating influences from surf, klezmer, rock and hip-hop, Very Cool People have been putting jazz & funk back on the dancefloor since 2007. Hailing from Riga, the band has lit up clubs and festivals from Estonia to Romania, from Spain to South Korea.

The Bad Tones is nature and blues-driven psychedelic rock quartet from Riga characterised by dreamy guitars and wavy vocals. In their social presence and musical outcry, the band accentuates the problems of art consumerism in the modern age and concentrates on getting the audience involved in the music listening process as it was done in the early days of sound recordings.

Kasetes is a synthpop/indie pop band from Vaidava. Imagine the reminiscing sound of 80’s pop music with a modern twist, dreamy guitar riffs and the sound of synthesizers blasting through your car stereo as you drive into the night. The latest record “Dialogue” has been awarded with a Golden Microphone as the best Latvian electronic music album of 2020.

In the conference section of the event, representatives of the European music industry will take part in various discussions on topics such as the economic impact of the music industry, mental health and others. On September 10, alongside industry representatives from various European countries, Guna Zučika, the founder and head of the music management and consulting agency “Every Little Thing”, will participate in the panel discussion “Foreign Markets – What’s Next?”.

Latvian music industry participation in “What’s Next in Music?” is supported by the Latvian Ministry of Culture, LaIPA and Latvijas Balzams.

Music project “MUUD” releases a new song and video “Nedienas” (eng. “Bad days”)

Music project “MUUD” releases a new song and video “Nedienas” (eng. “Bad days”) to bring attention to socially relevant but yet highly ignored themes of suicide, addiction, and mental health issues. With this video, MUUD attempts to highlight the necessity to talk openly about mental health problems and suffering in order to be able to establish an effective dialogue and cultivate tolerance for those who go through such pain.According to the World Health Organization, Latvia is one of the leading countries in terms of the completed suicides per 100 thousand inhabitants, currently ranking 15th in the world and 2nd in the European Union. The song “Nedienas” is part of the third musical release of “MUUD”, the theme of which is mental health and factors that influence its complications. The creators of the project “MUUD” are the members of Latvia’s largest hip-hop association “Kreisais Krasts”  – artists Punkts uz I (Ingus Šusts), Cepums (Mārtiņš Mednis), Jānis Krūmiņš, as well as the cinematographer and director Toms Rings.

Rodion Gordin has recorded a summer song “Falling” with a British singer

After a one-year break, Riga DJ, songwriter and producer Rodion Gordin returns to music with his first single from 2021.  Previously known due to his musical collaboration with popular Latvian artists, as well as last year’s collaboration with Ukrainian superstar Max Barskih.

Rodion’s latest song “Falling” was recorded in collaboration with a singer Jana, who was born in Latvia, but at the age of 15 moved to England with her parents, where she now graduated with a Music degree.  Jana’s songs were also played on the well-known BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio. Jana wants to break the stereotypes in the music industry and represent more female producers and songwriters.

“We worked remotely, that is now relevant and even stylish.  I wrote the music and lyrics for this song several months ago, but I couldn’t figure out which of the Latvian artists it might suit.  Then, I was contacted on Instagram by Jana, who wanted me to listen to her new release.  We had never communicated before.  I immediately liked the timbre of her voice and I offered to record this song together, ”said Gordins.

The song was made in three countries:  “Jana added lyrics and recorded the vocals at home, in her home-studio in England, I entrusted the guitar solo to a friend in Moscow and then mixed and sampled everything in my studio in Latvia,” says Rodion.

The new song “Falling” is available on all major streaming platforms around the world.

https://fanlink.to/fallingstream

Singer-Songwriter Patrick Tabaks To Release Debut Album ‘Lost My Mind’ In September 17th

Patrick Tabaks is busy readying his debut album Lost My Mind for release in September. The 17-year-old singer-songwriter spent much of 2020 writing and recording the nine-song collection in studios in the U.K., Sweden, Canada, the United States as well as his native Latvia.

Lyrically, Lost My Mind finds the singer contemplating existential questions and exploring his own emotional psyche. “The album is really about what has been growing inside of me all my life,” Patrick explains. “It’s about what I’ve grown up to experience or what I’ve wondered about. So, a lot of the songs are kind of about, I wouldn’t like to say philosophical questions, but questions you don’t really want to think about daily. But those questions stay in your head. And the other half of the album is the romantic half. It’s about my emotions.”

Link to the album

The album’s first single “From Time to Time,” was inspired by the bittersweet nature of grief. “[It’s] a song about the people you’ve lost in your life. The song is about my grandma and my grandpa. I really didn’t get to spend that much time with them [growing up]. Now that I think back, I wish I could’ve spent more time with them. It’s a song that gives you the feeling of loss but at the same time the feeling of happiness that you had when you spent all those moments with those people.”

Another single, “Are You Even Real,” marks a left turn both sonically and in content. “[It’s] a little bit of an outlier,” Patrick says. “The music itself is a bit different than the rest of the songs. But I thought it was an interesting song with an interesting concept… “Are You Even Real” is [about] my fear of what happens after death. I just think that talking about your fears is just as important as talking about the rest of your emotions.”

While Lost My Mind has an undeniable pop sensibility, its influences range from jazz and flamenco to lo-fi rock. Such versatility is unsurprising for an artist who’s been a musician almost as long as he’s been alive.

“I started doing music when I was six years old,” Patrick says. “I remember my sister teaching me how to sing at our home piano. And I really started to enjoy it a lot. And when I was seven years old I started going to a music school where I got my inspiration from working with these teachers. All these people who were also into music…it gave [me] a sense of what it is to be a musician and what joy you can get out of it. I think that’s really where my inspiration came from.”

Under the tutelage of his teacher Valda Tracuma, Patrick began singing opera at the age of 11, performing at the Latvian National Opera and becoming known as “the boy with the golden voice.” Over the next four years, he performed duets with famous opera singers such as Sonora Vaice and Elina Shimkus and performed in productions of different operas both in Latvia and abroad.

Even with his own album complete, Patrick has no plans to slow down. He is currently cowriting and co- producing new songs with singer Elizabeth Luka, as well as collaborating with producer Tim Lars on an electronic pop single called “Countryside” that will be released in the fall. He has also started rehearsals for the leading role in a new musical written by Janis Lusens that will debut in November. Patrick will also be a part of the cast of Rent when the production resumes at the end of 2021.

Latvian indie dance project Bel Tempo return with a new single and their first live show

The past 18 months have been tough for many, and isolation took its toll on all of us. Our new song FREE is a supportive letter to a friend who struggles to find his place in a world that had gone slightly mad, more so for some than others.

Soundcloud: Bel Tempo – Free

Celebrating a slow return to normal and their new song FREE, the guys form Bel Tempo will be playing their first ever live show this Friday at AOK Circus Festival.