Electronic music producer MICKEEN (Miks Pinzulis), in collaboration with Saule (Krišjānis Suntažs) on May 4th, released the single “Feel Free”.
Saule about the song:“Message is pretty straightforward, but at the same time so true. When I wrote the lyrics, I was in a place in my life, where everything was changing, everything about my life was getting more and more serious and I felt like i’m losing my spark, my spontaneity, my inspiration to have fun. That’s what the song is about, an encouragement for people to not be shy, to do silly things and embrace life fully.”
MICKEEN about the song: “When working on this song I wanted to create happy but still emotional feelings with thought that adults sometimes should feel like kids and feel free. With Saule we already knew the motive of this song when we started.”
The single was released with a video about friendship, the feeling of being free and having a good time.
On the 24. March 20:00 after performing a livestream concert “Rihards Lībietis Orchestra” will begin a crowdfunding campaign for the upcoming album “Willful Blindness” that is set to release at the end of May. The campaign is being hosted by the crowdfunding site “Projektu banka”.
“This album has been in production for the majority of last year and was recorded in autumn of 2020. We have poured a lot of time, care and love into it. Coincidentally, the making of this album coincided with the epidemic and all of its consequences. Somehow this album has been constantly plagued by hardships and financial troubles. Musically, this album definitely has the most layers out of all the other albums which we have released so far. Contrasting themes and powerful soundscapes, this album is meant to touch on complicated themes. We believe that it is very important to finally finish this album so we can present it to our listeners and so we can move on.” Revealed the leader of the band and the author of the music Rihards Lībietis. “We decided to make the crowdfunding campaign on “Projektu banka” because it is a wonderful way to support good and creative ideas which need finances to achieve.”
The band’s cello player Erna Daugaviete also added: “It’s plain to see that in recent days many artists of different types deeply miss the opportunities to present their art to a wider audience. Especially musicians and dancers. During the last year we all have experienced a huge spectrum of emotions, that it’s hard not to express it through our art. We long for listeners we could tell at least a fraction of the stories that comes from the language of our souls. Through music one can say many things. Music has the power to heal both the player and the listener. Obviously, a livestream concert doesn’t have the same energy exchange as a live concert but for now this is the only way we can contact our listeners with our music. It’s also a great opportunity for us to have a heart to heart with our listeners.”
The livestream concert will feature songs from the upcoming album “Willful Blindness” some of which will be performed for the first time. The concert will be broadcasted on Rihards Lībiets YouTube channel:
The crowdfunding project will be available to supporters on “Projektu banka” platform for one month – until 22nd of April. More information about the album’s release and ways to support it can be found here: https://projektubanka.lv/projects/albums-willful-blindness. It is informatively supported by “Valmiermuižas” beer brewery and Rocket Bean Cafe.
The name of the album “Willful Blindness” refers to the desire of individuals refusing to acknowledge alarming things happening to oneself and everywhere else on the planet. The themes of the album are about each person’s responsibility to oneself, accepting one’s light and dark side, which creates a desire to learn and experience new things, strive to be responsible and believe in oneself.
The album will include 12 instrumental compositions the author of which is Rihards Lībietis and in collaboration with the other band members. Aside from Rihards Lībietis (acoustic and electric guitar), Erna Daugaviete (cello), Gints Smukais (acoustic guitar), Matīss Repsis (percussion) and Jānis Polis (bass) the album also features Mārtiņš Miļevskis (percussion), Laura Rozenberga (trombone), Valters Šmits (saxophone) and Reinis Klatenbergs (french horn). Album was recorded at “AMFO Music” studio in Rīga. Sound production was managed by Toms Lisments.
The two prior released singles from the album “Night Follow Me” and “Driftwood Island” are available on all streaming platforms including Spotify.
“Rihards Lībietis Orchestra” is a quintet performing dynamic instrumental world music. The band fuses together African, Middle-Eastern and Lavian folk music while taking inspiration from blues and jazz music.
On April 30, the local group “Dagamba” and the new singer Dārta Stepanova released a new collaboration – the song “I must go further”.
The title of the song is especially significant for Dārta Stepanova, as this is her debut in the world of Latvian popular music. The author of the single’s music is a member of “Dagamba”, cellist Valters Pūce, while the author of the words – singer Patrisha, the representatives of the musicians informed.
The EP was recorded in the second half of 2020, during the global pandemic as a reflection on the hardships of isolation and self re-discovery.
Kayro was founded in 2018 by guitarists Karlis and Ritvars. In 2019 they were joined by the lead singer Reinis and bassist Agnis, solidifying the band’s sonic footprint. The band’s influences range from pop to modern metal, melting together in an energetic and emotional performance.
Strangest Times was recorded and produced by Kayro themselves with Karlis as the main audio engineer. Right now Kayro are actively working on new songs for the next album and will probably release some singles at the end of the summer.
Local Latvian rock band Cacophonics presents their newest song We Did Not Use It All and an accompanying video.
The song’s author Ingus Sala comments: “Just like for many other bands, last year has been a big challenge for us. We greatly missed spending time together, rehearsing, also gigging and visiting shows of other musicians. At the same time, it has been a good opportunity to slow down and evaluate past events and decisions so as to more effectively use the chances that live presents and appreciate things that seemed self-evident in the past”.
The song was recorded at No Fuss Audio studio in Tukums, it was mixed by the drummer of Cacophonics Valērijs Černejs. The song’s music and lyrics were written by the band’s singer and guitar player Ingus Sala. The video for the song was filmed at Tukums city Culture Center, it was shot and edited by Gints Sprēdis in collaboration with the band’s bass player Aivars Daugavietis.
Cacophonics was formed in 2002 in Cēsis, up until now the band had released 1 full-length LP, 2 Eps and 7 singles, has played shows in all Baltic states, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Russia.
Two special live concerts by Latvian pianist Andrejs Osokins are coming soon. Listeners will be able to follow them not only in Latvia, but also elsewhere in the world.
Already this Saturday, March 27, at 19.00 (Riga time) Andrejs Osokins live piano concert “Parallels” will take place online. The concert is organised by the American Latvian Association (ALA) and is included in the ALA 70th anniversary event series. The pianist’s solo program will feature the surprising parallels between American and Latvian piano music in the 20th century.
After the concert, all spectators are invited to take part in a conversation with Andrejs Osokins, Director of ALA Office of Cultural Affairs Valda Grinberga and ALA Executive Director Marisa Gudrais, as well as Latvian composer Juris Karlsons. The discussion will be led by musicologist Liene Jakovļeva.
“In March last year, during the pandemic, our online concerts gained great popularity, gathering several thousand spectators in the United States and Canada. Spring awakens hope and love in our hearts, so I invite my compatriots in North America and across the ocean to put on a festive dress and enjoy this beautiful event,” says Valda Grinberga.
The live broadcast will be available on the Facebook pages of the American Latvian Association and Andrejs Osokins, as well as on the online platform “Zoom”, link here.
On April 19, at 18.00 Andrejs Osokins’ concert “Latvian piano music over the centuries” will be broadcast live from the Latvian Radio Studio 1. The concert and conversation with the pianist will be led by director of Latvian Radio 3 “Klasika” and musicologist Gunda Vaivode.
The concert will feature works by three outstanding Latvian composers – Pēteris Vasks’ “A Little Night Music”, Imants Zemzars’ “Warsaw Triptych” and a very special event – the premiere of Aivars Kalejs’ piano pieces “Songs Without Words”. Andrejs Osokins will perform these compositions as a gift to the music lovers of these composers – all of whom have significant anniversaries in April. The concert will also feature piano works by Jāzeps Vītols, Ādolfs Skulte, Jānis Mediņš, Juris Karlsons, Emīls and Wolfgangs Dārziņš.
The concert will be broadcast live on LR3 “Klasika” and shown on the website. The recording of the concert will also be available in the LR3 “Klasika” archive and on the Latvian Radio YouTube channel. The concert is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation.
“It is a great pleasure for me that Latvian Radio “Klasika” and the American Latvian Association in these difficult times give musicians the opportunity to play and listeners to hear excellent Latvian music. The programs of both concerts will be especially emotional, as I will play not only my favourite compositions but also brand-new piano works from my repertoire. I am very much looking forward to these concerts because such meetings are important for both – me and the audience. They give hope that the live concerts may return one day”, says Andrejs Osokins.
Both concerts will also feature Jāzeps Vītols’ Lullaby, performed by Andrejs Osokins.
Electronic music producers MICKEEN (Miks Pinzulis), and DESTRO (Voldemārs Pauls Dzenis), in collaboration with Jasmine Green Tea (Jasmīne Zavele) on march 26, release the single “We Lost Us”.
Jasmine Green Tea about the song: It’s hard to put the idea of the song to words, and just as hard to understand what the people around are dealing with emotionally. The words “We Lost Us” resemble a lot of things. Everyone has their own demons to deal with. They can be stored deep within, they can appear in the form of another person. We can’t grasp how simple it is to bestrange ourselves, while fighting mazes placed by others. That’s what the lyrics are all about – not losing yourself trying not to lose someone else.
MICKEEN about the song: I’ve been working together with DESTRO for over a year now, but just now are we actually showing the results to the listeners. As the first original collaboration we decided to release “We Lost Us”, because that’s one of the first songs we worked together on. There were many versions. At the end we decided to go with this one.
Last autumn, singer and pianist Katrina Gupalo released her version of Raimonds Pauls’ mega-hit “Par Pēdējo Lapu”. Now, a new and more danceable version of this song has been created in collaboration with Normunds Rutulis aka N’Works. It will be a perfect fit for the anticipation of spring, which this year is approaching us with extra hopes and promises.
“I was very surprised when I suddenly received a message from Normunds Rutulis. He is an artist with enormous amounts of charisma, and when we met in a photo shoot that took place before the stricter restrictions were announced, I was in awe. I felt very similar again when I unexpectedly received the new remix in my Facebook messenger’s inbox. In my original version, “Par Pēdējo Lapu” sounds quite painful and even melodramatic. However, Normunds had combined my voice with completely different – very positive and even playful – moods,” reveals Katrina Gupalo.
N’Works aka Normunds Rutulis: “It is always nice when the first draft of the remix instantly makes your body move and your soul fly. That is exactly what happened with this song – thus the result is melodic and quite rhythmical. I am very glad that the first collaboration with Katrina has been successful. I really hope that dance music lovers will like it as much as we do. In addition, the remix is available in both Latvian and Russian.”
Chris Noah releases lyric video for his single “Only Words”. The track is about how in many situations people can be selfish and do things that benefit them but present it like they’re doing it for the other person. “Words are only words – they can make people feel a wide range of feelings, however, they’re kind of useless if you can’t back them up with actions,” explains Chris. Noah’s 2nd EP “Distance”, which was released in 2020 and includes “Only Words”, is nominated for Latvian Music awards in the category “Best Pop Album”.
Regarding the writing process, Noah explains: “Usually the stories behind my songs are influenced by my own experiences, but “Only Words” is inspired by seeing one of my best friends go through a rough patch in his relationship. It’s interesting to observe this type of situations from the sidelines, it’s definitely easier to see the big picture.”
“Only Words” is produced in collaboration with London-based producer Kristofer Harris (Bears Den, Belle and Sebastian, Ghostpoet etc.) and the lyric video for the track is made by a Latvian graphic designer Didzis Bardo.
Chris Noah is a Riga-based recording artist who gracefully combines indie rock with catchy pop. Noah first gained attention with self-released singles “River” and “Fall Through” – receiving praise for his distinctive vocals, relatable lyrics and a strong sense of melody from a variety of blogs including Indie Air, AlexRainBirdMusic, Uranium Waves, Comeherefloyd, Aofd3, Mystic Sons, York Calling, Wolf in a Suit and many others.
The band “Rihards Libietis Orchestra” has published a new musical composition and music video from the upcoming album “Willful Blindness”, due to be released in late spring 2021. Author of the composition is Rihards Lībietis, and the idea for the music came last spring, during the first self-isolation period. “Driftwood Island” tells about movement and passage of time, but not in their obvious sense – more like driftwood on the shores, having experienced an unimaginable journey before ending up there.
“In this work I feel a very strong feeling of roots and introspection. Everything around us is in constant and unpredictable motion and it is unbelievably important to not lose your footing and self-reliance in all the unforeseen changes. Although it was not initially planned when working on this composition, the worrying events in the world can also be felt in there,” says Rihards Lībietis.
“Driftwood Island” was filmed at the seaside on a winter day and captures the powerful and moving emotions of the music. The video was filmed and directed by Laima Jaunā.
“With this video I tried to bring the viewer in the world of dreams and illusions: where surreal landscapes, mirroring sky and band members as dreamy characters lure the viewer in never-ending thought labyrinths with every frame,” the feeling of the video is described by its director Laima Jaunā.
“Driftwood Island” is the second single from the band’s upcoming fourth album “Willful Blindness”, set to release in late spring 2021. The album’s themes will be about self-responsibility and acceptance of personality’s shadow side. Composition was recorded in “Amfo Music Studio” Riga by Toms Lisments.
Rihards Libietis Orchestra is a quintet performing instrumental, dynamic world music, mixing influences from African, Middle Eastern and Latvian Folk Music with Blues and Jazz. The band was formed in 2015, and has released 3 albums, the newest “Reflections EP” came out in Fall of 2018. Rihards Libietis Orchestra regularly performs in the Baltic area. The band consists of Rihards Lībietis (guitars), Gints Smukais (guitars), Jānis Polis (bass), Erna Daugaviete (cello) and Matīss Repsis (percussion).
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