Category: News

“In the middle of the August darkness at approximately 3AM you take your boat and row out into the mist that’s hanging on top of the lake. You don’t know where to go, but you can hear a faint sound somewhere in the distance. You row closer and closer to the strange sounds. Like in a dream a floating stage appears somewhere in the middle of the lake. The wind is chilly so you lay down in your boat. The stars up above are slowly fading with the first rays of the Sun as you drift away in a light sleep somewhere between dreaming and being awoken…” The Bad Tones

Ezera skaņas” is The Bad Tones second full-length album. It was recorded on lake Kāla (Kāla ezers) as a part of the festival “Sounds from the Lake” (“Ezera Skaņas”). In collaboration with the Finnish saxophonist Ukko Heinonen and the Latvian percussionist Dzintars Viksna (Dzintars Vīksna), during a 1 week long creative camp The Bad Tones have written a 1.5-hour dedication to the festival, which consists of 8 fragments included in the album. The main theme “I’m Not Afraid of The Wolf” reflects the growth of a child, where “Wolf” is an inner adult, but “I” is an inner child. It’s this transformation battle that takes place in the early teens and thus the musical material is split between these themes of security and vulnerability, where you don’t feel yet an adult and can’t act like a child anymore.

The Bad Tones is a nature-inspired quartet from Latvia, which represents various genres and a fusion of them. The band is formed by Edvards Broders (guitar, keys, vocals), Alberts Levics (bass guitar, vocals), Rudolfs Ozols (guitar, keys, backing vocals) and Kalvis Slezis (drums, backing vocals).

Unlike the first minialbum „SOAP” which was recorded in the guitarists Roberts Gromovs bedroom in late 2018, „Happy” is recorded in „Hodila Records” by Ģirts Laumanis. This slight change also marks the progressive advance that can be heard in the new songs. The punk genre tendencies have been complimented with atmospheric, one could say even melancholic, melodies.

The first single „Happy Once a Year” of the „Purple negative” mini album has been published in late August this year.

„Purple Negative” which consists of Elīza Daine (vocals/rhythm guitar), Roberts Gromovs (lead guitar), Kārlis Pūķis (bass), Emīls Lapiņš (drums) came together in 2017. During the three years that the band has been active, they have found their sound by mixing elements of alternative music and indie rock. The line-up has played concerts in Rīga and beyond. The band has gained recognition with singles like „Your Ignorance” and „Fluorescent Lights”.

With the release of the mini album „Happy” the band invites all listeners and their friends to a free album presentation concert. It will take place on the 19th of September in Riga at „Kaņepes Kultūras centrs”.

Latvian producer MT$ releases his debut album “HOMEMADE”, containing nine electronic and lo-fi hip-hop tracks.

The musician, who announced himself this October with the single “Venera”, has just released a full-length album called “HOMEMADE”. It includes nine atmospherically rhythmic compositions, most of which are instrumental – the musician has combined various samples and supplemented them with guitar, bass and synthesizers, creating a unique mix of “live” and “artificial” sounds.

MT$ describes his album as follows: “Ever since I have gotten into recording, I’ve tried to understand different styles of music, and it has been difficult for me to fit into only one genre. While working on this record, I tried to turn this trait into a trump card. On this album, I’ve used samples in tandem with “live” instruments, and I think that the result is, in my opinion, some pretty interesting and unique music.”

The album “HOMEMADE” in a very unusual physical format – in the form of hot sauces. Three different flavors of sauce with a unique album download code are available in limited quantities – they can be purchased in the musician’s Bandcamp profile.

“Because the album was made entirely in my home, it seemed that the idea of homemade hot sauce was well-suited to the whole concept of the album itself. For me, my debut album is an exceptional event, and I wanted to pass it on to my listeners in a way to make them feel special as well. After all, what could be even more special than something you’ve created with your hands, ” says MT.

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Rihards Lībietis Orchestra has just released the first single “Night Follow Me” from the upcoming studio album “Willful Blindness”. The composition was written by Rihards Libietis in collaboration with the rest of the band. The director of the music video is Marija Migliniece.

““Night Follow Me” was inspired by the feelings of uncertainty and unknown, during the strange self-isolation time this spring. All this definitely taught me to appreciate more the things we often take for granted – family, friends, nature, music. Hopefully, the listener will feel the calming sense of love and gratitude of this composition.” says Rihards Lībietis.

The upcoming album “Willful Blindness” is due in spring 2021, and it will be the fourth album of the band. Its main themes will be individual human responsibility in attaining the balance between one’s inner light and dark sides. It will feature Rihards Libietis Orchestra original compositions in instrumental world music genre, influenced by West-African music, Jazz, Blues and even Electronic music.

“Night Follow Me” was recorded in  “AMFO Music Studio” Riga, with the support of LaIPA. Recording and mix/master was done by Toms Lisments. Video was shot in the beautiful Abgunstes muiža, it’s director is Marija Migliniece, directors of script – Marija Migliniece, Stefānija Toma, DOP – Raitis Lapāns. Costumes for the men are from “Mans Drēbju Skapis” shop.

Single “Night Follow Me” is available on Spotify and other music streaming platforms.

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 “Reflection 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).

At the end of this challenging year the ethno music group “Tautumeitas” presents their latest single “Spodrē manu augumiņu” encouraging people to leave all the dark and negative in the past and look for the light within themselves. Music video will soon reach the audience in wich “Tautumeitas” will appear in unusual characters.

The song “Spodrē manu augumiņu” tells how darkness and all the bad things that have happened to us during the year are left behind. People become brighter and stronger through rituals and things that inspire them and in the ancient Latvian traditions, this internal transformation took place through masking. Respecting the old traditions, singers of the ethno music group “Tautumeitas” will appear in unusual images in the music video of the song – special masks are created by the interaction of several artists and the technological solutions offered by LMT. The music video will be presented in mid-December.

“The most challenging and darkest time of the year has come, which in the context of the current situation in the world can turn into a test for each of us,” says the song’s author Asnate Rancāne. “I hope that this song will serve as an inspiration to find our inner strength and open up the huge creative potential that lives in us. We can be as bright and gorgeous as we feel in ourselves. It’s especially important for everyone to find that inner light within themselves.”

The single “Spodrē manu augumiņu” was made in collaboration with LMT and arranged by Reinis Sējāns, with whom the group “Tautumeitas” has successfully collaborated before. Musicians Stanislavs Judins, Mārtiņš Miļevskis and Elvis Lintiņš took part in the recording.

iTunes

The song “Spodrē manu augumiņu” is available on iTunes from today and will be available on Spotify, Deezer, etc. in the coming days.

The names Markus Riva and Samanta Tīna speak for themselves – both are winners of various international competitions and have a huge fan base outside Latvia, they are loud, ambitious, much discussed and both have a refined style. What happens when you put the two together? A new equation in Latvian music – Markus Riva x Samanta Tīna!

“Man nesanāk” (I Can’t Succeed) is a fresh release – a new single from Riva’s upcoming album and his first collaboration with Samanta. Just like the previous tracks, this piece has a nostalgic vibe that will have a strong presence in the musician’s album, set to come out in November.

Duets and collaborations are nothing new to Markus – he has previously recorded music with Aminata and Dināra Rudāne. His collaboration with Dināra placed high in “Muzikālā Banka” (Musical Bank), and Markus then joked that it was time for a duet with Samanta. And he has kept his word.

“I very much enjoy musical collaborations, and I love being in the studio with other musicians – witnessing the transformation of a song when another musician brings their personality to it is a fascinating experience. This year, I had not recorded a new duet, so the idea to perform one with Samanta was born. Luckily, she agreed, and this has been a productive and very exciting and fun adventure,” says Markus.

Samanta Tīna: ”I haven’t released a duet in Latvian for quite some time. The audience will remember my last collaboration with Rassell – “Esi man klāt” (Be with Me) – from 2012. The song by Markus and Dināra was simply wonderful, so when Markus invited me to team up I agreed instantly, and I am very happy with the result.”

The production of „Man nesanāk” was supported by the grant of the Latvian Performers’ and Producers’ Association (LaIPA) – the grant competition as a support mechanism for musicians was announced in the summer, and the allocated funding helped 53 new compositions come to life. The song was recorded at “Factory Sounds Studio” and produced by Gints Stankevičs with whom Riva has worked extensively. A Russian version of the song is to follow soon.

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Itunes

Indie rock band “audrú” announces their debut EP “the lighthouse trilogy” and, along with it, a single – “underworld”.

“audrú” is a bunch of friends who share a taste for alternative music – besides the rock music influences their work contains characteristics of folk and pop music as well. The debut EP “the lighthouse trilogy” includes a three-part story – a journey into the waters of the subconscious, where memorable, sonic lines of melody wind through different forms of music. The recording was done in “Hodila Records” studio. Along with the album, the single “underworld” begins its journey to radio stations, the sound of which includes intrigue and unexpected melodic turns.

The EP’s “the lighthouse trilogy” will be released in a special DIY way to honor the nostalgia for early 2000’s, when the band members were gaining their first musical experience and people were still actively listening to music on CDs. The idea came to life through a “Zero Waste” campaign in which they invited people to donate blank CD covers. The limited edition CDs were printed professionally, but afterwards signed with a permanent marker, as it used to be done in the early 2000’s. The band has also given their merchandise – second hand t-shirts and sweaters – a chance to live another life by screen-printing them with special “audrú” designs.

“audrú” has been playing together since 2017. So far, they have performed in several Latvian cities, participated in festivals – “Bildes”, “Vegan Festival”, “VegFest Lt”, “Give & Get” and more. Their music can be heard on several radio stations around Latvia. Previously, “audrú” has recorded and released 4 songs with music videos. All songs are available to listeners both on the video platform “Youtube” and on all the most popular streaming sites.

Working with London-based producer Kristofer Harris (Bears Den, Belle and Sebastian, Ghostpoet etc.), Chris Noah delivers big choruses, vaporwave influenced synths, thrilling falsettos and fine melodic hooks. The single, accompanied by an official music video, comes out on 23rd October. It’s part of an upcoming EP Distance Deluxe, coming out on 6th November.

This Is The Night is inspired by an observation of a paradox that is somewhat common these days – when one person in a relationship is too career-focused and both know that because of this, the relationship is destined to failure. Yet the relationship is maintained artificially, as it’s easier to stay together than to say goodbye.

With a huge chorus, gripping melodies and Noah’s authentic voice, This Is The Night might be his most all-out-pop track to date. As he puts it: “Although I’m not trying to be tied down to one specific genre, especially in the writing process, it did take some convincing from Kristofer to take the track in this direction rather than in a more alternative/indie one. I truly think that we got the best out of the song.” The song was written at the RIGaLIVE songwriting camp and is released via “Made in Baltics”/”Sony Music Entertainment”.

In the bridge, Noah takes listeners through a different sonic scenery, flexing his falsetto where momentarily you can even hear a Bon Iver influence, before it comes back to the big chorus, repeating the phrase that will remain stuck in your head long after.

Listen to “This Is The Night”

Chris Noah first gained attention with self-released singles River and Fall Through – receiving praise for his distinctive vocals, relatable lyrics and 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.

On 6th December, despite the ongoing situation in the world, Chris Noah is playing two shows in one of the most beautiful cinemas in Latvia – Splendid Palace – showcasing his talent to his rapidly growing fanbase in his homeland, whilst taking all the necessary precautions to stay safe.

London-based singer ELIZZA releases her third single this year called “London Eyes”. Edgy pop beats, poetic, honest lyrics, and soaring vocals fused to create something that’s “not just pop and not just R&B.

Her latest single and music video for “London Eyes”, is out now, released on 23rd October 2020. Listen to it now on all streaming platforms and watch the video on YouTube.

Singer-songwriter ELIZZA, is saying her goodbyes to the summer of 2020 with her new single “London Eyes”. Co-written by Mars Today, an LA-based producer with whom ELIZZA met and collaborated with in 2019. No boundaries, no rules, no frames, unpredictable – is how she describes her music and the new single.

To many, it might sound like a romantic story based on ELIZZA’s personal experiences, such as her previous releases – “Habit”, “Want to Keep” and “Can’t Quit”, but this time “London Eyes” is a love letter to all the memories, the experiences she has had in this city, the place that she calls home – London!

“The story is about my love and “sometimes” hate relationship with London. Since I moved here, I have been falling deeply in love with it but also find myself struggling to accept all that is London. “London Eyes” talks about how I feel the city is “keeping eyes” on me and not letting me go.

In one way, I like this constant pull, but I also realize that there are so many times I find it tough. It can be expensive but also presents opportunities, it’s been a lot of years of working very hard to enjoy the best of this city. And then London has all the temptations you can imagine and more, you get addicted. It’s fast-paced, so “luxurious” but so “hood” at the same time. At the end of the day, it’s home and I love it,” says ELIZZA.

The singer’s versatility has already been shown in previous releases but “London Eyes” is introducing a new, unheard-of twist on pop music that ELIZZA is delivering with her new single.

Her process of songwriting is usually “spontaneous” but it goes deep and holds a meaning – both in lyrics that are more poetry and in melodies that ELIZZA chooses to vocalize.

Speaking about the creative process of writing “London Eyes” she says: It was my second trip to Los Angeles and I had a session arranged with Mars Today. I definitely didn’t think I will walk outside the studio that day, with a song like this. Mars Today wanted to challenge me and I took it on, and when we were talking about our musical influences and what’s happening in my life at that time, somehow the conversation was getting deeper about London as I was sharing with him more about me and who I am.
All this conversation and jamming, led us to writing this song in which London represents a “person” and how my personal experiences, my relationships, my ups and downs over the past 10 years in this city and with this city, have shaped my life.

ELIZZA’s first love and medium is music and we can clearly see her dedication and authenticity with every single she is releasing, breaking boundaries and growing her international fanbase. There is a new-found self-assuredness we are hearing and how it’s propelling ELIZZA to pull on big dreams in her career.