“SKD debuts on Monolith Records with „Nemiera Gars” (The Spirit Of Unrest), an eclectic EP providing 3 original cuts crafted by the Latvian producer and a remix by Zaliva-D, whoʼve been creating progressive and personal dark electronics for more than a decade, based in Beijing, China. „Nemiera Gars” is adventurous and psychedelic in nature, blending dark downtempo techno, rhythmic noise and tribal delusions as a state-of-the-art sound collage, the peculiar sonic incests of „Deepfake Mirrorscape” and „Debris Dance” are the outcome.
The abstract yet sentimental turmoil of „Translucent Dimension Drift” provides the last gasp of sonic hallucinations before reaching the melting point of the EP with the pounding rework of „Deepfake Mirrorscape” provided by the dark oriental electronica master Zaliva-D.”
This juicy blend of ear pleasing sounds and a fluent jammy flow looks on the classic boom bap through a fresh lens. The glitchy, unpredictable beat arrangement of Rick Feds keeps you locked in guessing what’s going to happen next and is followed by simple, clean rhyme schemes of an 18 year old rap prodigy March. Definitely displaying also great video talent of the 23 year old visual artist Mark Landman. The music video has been filmed using the green screen and so the two leading characters travel through different environments creating positive energy and almost a humerus feel at times. The funky, vibrant selection of colours sync well with the music and leaves you with a good summery vibe.
Rick Feds is considered to be one of the greatest finger-drummers in the world today, but if you ever catch him live it will be something that you’ve never experienced before. The former jazz drums and classical piano background makes a key difference in Rick’s playing abilities on the sample pad and allows him to perform all elements of beat arrangement live in a way that’s never been done before. And it goes on.. All of his pads are synced to visuals and lights matching the sounds and telling the visual story alongside music. Basically he is playing God controlling your entire reality with his fingertips. In Rick’s eyes he is an ambassador of a new art form and striving to do his part extending future technology dimensions that a man can use to express impulsive emotions.
Rick has opened shows for James Arthur, Jungle and AraabMuzik.
He has done solo shows at venues like The Cutting Room (NYC), SXSW (Austin) and has been included in Ableton’s TOP 5 performers list for two years in turn. Also included in SCENES Media ”7 musicians to watch in 2019”. But don’t get too drawn away only by the performance side. His production/sound design skills are like ear vitamins that are easy to be consumed while listening to his tracks.
The unstoppable Latvian band Very Cool People has produced a new video for a music piece that is already the fourth single of the upcoming group’s new album, “50 Years of Influence + 30 Years of Cool Equals 13 Years of Music Hooliganism”, expected in October.
When “Very Cool People” goes to play concerts to Liepāja and drives through Biksti, the band members have a tradition of poking each other (‘bikstīt’ in Latvian means ‘to poke’, so the town ‘Biksti’ would be ‘Poketown’ in English), thereby waking up those who sleep and annoy those with weaker nerves.
“Tradition needs to be respected,” say the group’s spiritual leader and guitarist, Elvijs Grafcovs, confidently. “When going back to Riga after playing a concert or the next day after the after-party, we all poke each other while passing through Biksti.”
In “Alone in Biksti”, the video portrays a musician who has ended up alone in Biksti and has no one to poke. The song’s sweet-hearted subject, therefore, is about the harsh reality, when you are already completely alone, and then it turns out to be in Biksti. However, the encouraging end of the piece makes it possible to realise that nothing is over yet, and it gives hope that the protagonist will return to Biksti with his friends whom he can poke.
“According to an old Latvian belief, if you walk in Liepāja on Riga street or if you walk in Riga on Liepāja street and a crow poops on you, you’ll be crossing Biksti alone for the next two years…”, Elvijs summarizes the idealistic analysis of the new composition.
The video version of the single has been created by the group’s trumpetist and kebab business magnate, Oskars Ozoliņš, and Elvijs Grafcovs who is also the author of the new tune and has provided his help adding a spaghetti western twist to it. “This composition is like a mix of different musical influences of my own — Ennio Morricone mixed with Dire Straits & some Gypsy jazz with Too Many Zooz on top. It is an instrumental song which would be perfect for a Tarantino movie & mixes a variety of musical genres, crossing all imaginable borders.” – says Elvijs.
Written & arranged by Elvijs Grafcovs; Mixed by Andris Buiķis at Ciemupes Production, Ogre, Latvia; Mastered by Dave McNair at Dave McNair Mastering, NC, USA; Released by SIA VERY COOL PEOPLE.
The new music also continues to include all the “coolest”musicians: Oskars Ozoliņš – trumpet, Māris Jēkabsons – tenor saxophone, Laura Rozenberga – trombone, Kristaps Lubovs – baritone saxophone, Elvijs Grafcovs – guitar, Māris Vitkus – keyboard, Jānis Olekšs – bass, Andris Buiķis – drums and percussion.
Following his recent release on Tom & Collins’ Terms & Conditions label, rising producer now returns to Wh0’s Wh0 Plays imprint for new single Heading South.
Swiftly making waves with his grooving house flavours, Makree is the latest talent to rise from the Baltic scene with tracks like his breakthrough single Never Been In Love with Secondcity on Danny Howard’s Nothing Else Matters imprint that surpassed over 3M streams.
Sending him soaring, Makree has now garnered support from BBC Radio 1, Annie Mac, Disclosure, Claptone and more whilst landing his own solo originals on the likes of Eton Messy, Too Many Rules, Let There Be House, Brook Gee Records, Terms & Conditions and of course Wh0 Plays.
Speaking on the release Makree shares: “When I first heard the sample I knew I had to flip it. After testing out first versions of it live, I knew this track had good energy and needed to be released ASAP. Feels great to have another release coming on Wh0 Plays Records with a banging remix from DIAL9 added to the package.”
Making for an uplifting acid-tinged dancefloor sizzler with tribal tones plus a hefty remix from DIAL9 on the flip side, Makree’s Heading South is destined to propel the one to watch to skyrocketing new heights.
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”) 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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
The song is a reminder that no one is a superhuman, and it’s totally okay that from time to time, we find ourselves on a day when there is a whole list of work that needs to be done, but somehow nothing goes according to the plan. There are countless excuses, other less important or even not important things are done first.
The singer says: “From my experience, I can say that unproductive days will come from time to time, it should be considered, but there is no point in feeling infinitely bad about it. We just have to assume that it is perfectly normal to go one day without feeling guilty, that absolutely nothing has been done, because you know internally that there will be a new day and new possibilities tomorrow, but a break is needed today!” The song is in English, and it is available on various music streaming platforms. (Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music, Amazon Music, iTunes, Pandora, Tidal etc.)
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