Category: News

The second single from the upcoming album is recorded in Latvian language. So far, VCP has released song in latvian just once in 2008, which makes it easy to calculate the regularity of the group’s “Latvian” singles – once every ten years.

The first single “We Should Dance” from upcoming new album, was released in the in summer 2019 and was a success in local radio stations. Kristina Prauliņa also was participated in this song. VCP is not at all alien to regular collaborations with other musicians, so more guest artists will be heard in the upcoming album. Including Evilena Protectore, Ralfs Eilands and Maija Sējāne.

Participants in the single “Pa Apli”: Elvijs Grafcovs (guitar), Maris Jekabsons (tenor sax), Kristaps Lubovs (baritone sax), Laura Rozenberga (trombone), Oskars Ozolins (trumpet), Maris Vitkus (keyboard), Andris Kaulins (Moog Synthesizer), Valter Sprūdžs (bass) and Andris Buiķis (drums).

Single recorded by Ivars Ozols and Edgars Skraģis, mix and master by Janis Kalve. Video by Valdis Krumins. Photo by Mārcis Baltskars.

At the end of this summer Madara (Múr) introduced everyone with a nostalgic preview of the album – first single “Confirmations”, but today Múr is releasing a song with a completely different vibe – “One weak breath away”.

Both songs let listeners understand that the upcoming album “Under allure”, which is coming out soon, is filled with different sounds and emotions. 

A bit more than one year has passed since the moment Renars Kaupers (“BrainStorm”) and Evert Sundja (“Ewert and the Two Dragons”) locked themselves in Renars’ home kitchen and started to work on a new song. By now, seven co-authors have joined the two “kitchen members” and as a result of this, a collaboration between the two bands has born – “Ewert and The Two Dragons” and “BrainStorm”  – present a new, sunny song “We wait for the light”.

Once the demo was ready, the first recordings of the song took place in Tallinn, where the song got new melodic lines, but after the work with the song got stock for a while. Swedish friends of “BrainStorm” –  Povel Olsson and David Larson, came to the rescue and gave the song its final touches.

Ewert himself comments on the collaboration: “A little more than a year ago I got a call from an unidentified number.  Well, it turned out to be Renars Kaupers from “Brainstorm” who had a plan. And the plan was to write a song together. So that was exactly what we did, got together and started jamming. The result is here now – nice upbeat, kind of easygoing pop song with a summer-vibe.”

“We wait for the light” has been made with the power of three countries – Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. And with great happiness, we are sharing the song with you!

Every year „Reeperbahn” – one of the biggest showcase festivals in Europe – selects from the strongest and brightest new musicians who will be given a chance to perform in Hamburg at the end of September. This year this opportunity is given to two Latvian musicians – Elizabete Balčus and Chris Noah. They will be enjoying the exclusive attention of the world music industry.

„I’m very happy to be part of a festival where it’s possible to behold the newest and most interesting in the world of music and art. I’ll be taking part in the festival with my electro-acoustic performance where I synthesize electronic and academic music. An important role is given to free-jazz flute improvisations and soniferous vegetables which I use as a synthesizer. This spring I had a chance to perform at „The Great Escape” festival in Brighton that brought forth a lot of new turning points and useful contacts for my future creative work. I hope to show myself from the best side in the „Reeperbahn” festival, widen my audience and find new opportunities and contacts,” – Elizabete Balčus shared her thoughts.

Chris Noah also feels honoured: „I’m glad I can be part of this festival and share the stage with musicians that I highly appreciate because of their music. I wish to prove myself outside of Latvia and I’m especially happy that one of my first foreign stage performances happens to be the „Reeperbahn” festival.”

The festival will be held for the 12th time and will offer 800 various experiences: new musicians, musical shows, newest films and literature, presentations and conferences.

Latvian Music Development Association / Latvian Music Export Office with collaboration with their Lithuanian colleagues are organising a presentation event of both countries „Meet Music Latvia and Lithuania” that will take place on the 22nd of September in the club „Nochtwashe”. On the 21st of September Latvian Music Development Association / Latvian Music Export Office will collaborate with colleagues from Hungary, Check Republic, Russia and Lithuania to organise a Central-Eastern Europe music industry event „CEEntral Party” that will take place at „The Mad Hatter”.

The band RYGA, which recently released its debut album “Catch Her Groove”, as well as took part in festivals “Saldus saule”, “Laba daba” and “LĪVIfest” and has already become known for its confrontational videos, is now releasing a new and thought-provoking video of the record “Give Me Your Love”.

The song is included in the soundtrack of the Daile Theatre performance directed by Dž. Dž. Džilindžers “The death of Banny Manro” (“Bannija Manro nāve”). The performance will return to the stage in late September. This year, the band leader Mārcis Judzis was nominated for this record in the annual theatre award “Spēlmaņu nakts” and received outstanding reviews and critical acclaim of music professionals. Actors of the Daile Theatre Ģirts Ķesteris, Ieva Segliņa and Kaspars Zāle (the Devil) take part in this video.

Mārcis Judzis: “The protagonist of the story is the Devil. He is exceptional in what he does, and now he has chosen two candidates. The evil one, in fact, has a good sense of humour and can dance very well, which is probably why the “clients” are easily caught on his prongs. He also has his magic potions that cause hallucinations so intense that even giraffes start to prance. This is not one of those love stories that end with a white dove set free in a wedding ceremony, but rather with a guitar solo on devil’s prongs as performed by the devil himself, because he is pleased with his achievements and, feeling satisfied, he moves on to new, vulnerable, weak, tired, self-depleted, burnt-out candidates, who have been spat on by oligarchs, because they are the easy targets. Perhaps he is, in fact, a purifier who does not allow the seed of tired and tortured men spread any further?”

The author of the video is Artis Dzērve, who also created the previous video of the band RYGA for the record “Bunny Munro Waltz”, which only recently was broadcast by the German TV channel 3sat. And it was not by accident. At the end of the year, in co-operation with the company “Rough Trade”, the album of the band will be released and distributed also in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Negotiations are under way regarding a tour of the band in clubs of Germany at the time the album is released.

The up-and-coming Latvian psychedelic rock quartet “The Bad Tones” have released a new single called “Just A Boy” along with a music video. The clip is made using VHS recordings from their childhood.

Most of the used footage is more than 15 years old and filmed by their fathers – Dedzis Andrejs Broders, Juris Levics un Uldis Ozols. Editing has been done by Pēteris Vīksna.

On 26th of August “The Bad Tones” performed in the city of Sigulda as a warm up act for “Carnival Youth”.

“The Bad Tones” was previously known as “The Pink Elepahnt” – their catalogue consists of two albums. Currently the members of the band – Edvards Broders (guitar, vocals), Rūdolfs Ozols (guitar), Alberts Levics (bass) and Kalvis Sležis (drums) – are studying music in the Netherlands. They are working on their next record that will be released early next year.

Latvian musician and host of TV show X-Factor – Markus Riva just released new music video for his composition "This Time". Markus is also participating with this song at SUPERNOVA 2018 which is a National Selection for Eurovision Song Contest.

“This Time” was released in…

Controlling water fountains, fireworks, 3D visualisations, light animations and all the music with the Ableton Push sample pad is not just a futuristic vision about binding contemporary music with visual design, but instead those are the opportunities of modern technology, which are demonstrated by Rick Feds.

The main drives towards new challenges for the multi-instrumentalist is creation, control and excellence. Breaking boundaries for the musically creative minds and urge for innovative artistic expressions. This year’s tour to USA is one of such challenges.

On February of this year, the virtuoso artist is going to the U.S. where he will carry out audiovisual performances in New York, Washington and Philadelphia. Rick Feds, who is rated in the top 5 finger-drummers in the world today, describes his upcoming performances as a combination of the analogue and digital world, which will consist of creative sound design and energetic show. The musical saturation will be also complemented by his drumming, which is musician’s former specialty.

His shows will fascinate not only lovers of electronic music and interactive art forms but anyone who appreciates world-class mastery on a music instrument.

Shortly before Latvian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest “Supernova 2018” semi-finals, which will take place on February 3, Katrina Gupalo & the Black Birds releases a naughty video for their song “Intoxicating Caramel”.

As Katrina Gupalo explains the song is about the madness of falling in love, when just one kiss feels like a flaming comet litting up the nigh sky and suddenly the mind becomes misty, and your sweetheart’s words melt in your ears like caramels. It seems that Gupalo’s desire to create the greatest feeling of falling in love has materialized. The atmosphere in the video was not artificially created but is a pure effect of the song. “Girls shooting in the video were unstoppable, the heat was rising by every time we hit the repeat button” told Gupalo’s representative. Although many shots have been cut out leaving space for imagination, it is still very hot video.

Katrīna Gupalo – vocal, piano, Gatis Gorkuša –  trumpet, Miķelis Vanags – guitar, Kristiāns Kosītis – bass guitar, Elvijs Endelis – drums & percussions, Endijs Endelis – back vocal

Video director – Jānis Romanovskis, sound director – Artūrs Sedriks Sinkevičs choreography – Gabija Bīriņa, make-up & hair – Anita Intaite.

The annual music festival and showcase “Eurosonic Noorderslag” will take place from the 17th till the 20th of January in Groningen, The Netherlands, and two Latvian artists – Elizabete Balcus and Makree are going to present Latvia this year.

“Eurosonic Noorderslag” is the biggest showcase in Europe, gathering approximately 300 bands and musicians, 4000 industry professionals and more than 40 000 listeners overall each year.

Elizabete Balcus is a musician and performance artist who creates neo-psychedelic dream pop that is simultaneously melodic and experimental. Her extraordinary records and visually impressive live performances have put Balcus in the spotlight, and her act in Groningen will be a stop in-between a two-week tour in Luxembourg, France, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Serbia and Romania.

Makree is an electronic music producer and DJ, he appeared on the music scene in 2014 with his track Clouds, released with Swedish record label Metron Music. His music has been acclaimed by labels, radio stations and colleagues across Europe and a little while ago he produced a track together with chart topping artist Secondcity. Their track is set to be released next year with Sony’ sub-labels; the legendary Ministry of Sound and Danny Howard’s label Nothing Else Matters.

10 delegates from several Latvian music companies will also participate in the “Eurosonic” conference this year. On 19th of January “Music Export Latvia” together with colleagues from Hungary, Slovakia, Austria the representatives of Latvia will host an event called ““Ceentral Party” Oost Dance and  Noghtclub”, where Balcus is set to perform.