Category: News

Indie pop band “Franco Franco” unveils its second EP “Moon + Light”, recorded in cooperation with producer Reinis Sējāns (Instrumenti). The album’s presentation concert will take place on November 5th at K.K. fon Stricka villa.

“The album and its title “Moon + Light” reflect our own diverse nature. If at one point we are serious, then at another the melancholy is gone and we can laugh sincerely — this is human nature, where the dark side always plays with the bright one,” the band’s lead singer and author of lyrics Elizabete Vētra reveals.

The album contains 5 songs: the ones with dancing beats “By the Lake” and “Up”, the lyrical “Home”, the dramatic “Shaking Hands” and the cinematographic album’s title song “Moonlight” with post-rock features.

The audience will be able to experience the concert version of the album’s “Moon + Light” programme on November 5th at K.K.fon Stricka villa. It will be an enjoyment of sound and light with the participation of singer Līva Komarovska, and DJ Kārlis Ķilkuts will take care of the dance beats after the concert. The presentation tour of the album in Latvia and neighbouring countries is set to take place at the beginning of next year.

The album is available in CD, as well as on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud and other digital streaming channels:

Latvian indie pop band “Franco Franco” unveils the second single and lyric video “Up” from the EP “Moon + Light” which is set to be released on November 2. The producer of the single and the EP is Reinis Sejans (Instrumenti); the recordings have been made in “TRU Music Studio”, Riga.

The band’s lead singer Elizabete Vētra reveals that “Up” is a confirmation of the old saying “Whatever happens, happens for the best”. This feeling has also been captured by the makers of the lyric video — Jurgis Rudmiezis (KIDDIN Aerial Works), Anete Ruke and Janis Vīksna. The band has already collaborated with them while making the video for the song “Frank Killed Lee”. A parallel, magic world has been discovered in the flight, making everyday concerns and greyness unimportant.

The song is already available on Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, as well as on the online music store iTunes and other online streaming channels.

The EP “Moon + Light” which is set to be released on November 2, will feature the song “Up” as well as “By the Lake” (unveiled in May) and other original songs.

“Franco Franco” has been active since 2010. In 2013 the band released its debut EP “Color me” and this year it has returned to active performing, giving concerts in festivals, for example, “Playground Festival”, “Fono Cesis”, “Piens Fest”.

Latvian indie rock band “Carnival Youth” have begun second part of their European tour, which is devoted to the presentation of their latest album “Propeller”.

The up-and-coming indie rockers are going to play more than 10 shows in Germany, Luxembourg, England, Scotland and Belgium during October, November and December. In addition to those concerts abroad, Carnival Youth will play seven shows in the biggest cities of their homeland – Latvia.

In September they had their first shows in New York, USA. For the next year “Carnival Youth” have made plans to play more concerts in Eastern-Europe, Scandinavia and some festivals around rest of Europe.

Their latest album Propeller was released in April 2016, yet their new single “Seagulls On Bicycles” – along with a video – was presented in September.

Latvian indie rock band Carnival Youth have released the new single “Seagulls On Bicycles” from their latest album “Propeller” along with a new video.

The charismatic four-piece is one of the most successful acts from their region – the Baltic States. Their new single sets off the second part of “Propeller’s” tour. Throughout autumn they will visit USA, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Scandinavia, the Baltic States and other countries. The first part of their tour took place this spring and covered Central and Eastern Europe. In New York carnival Youth is playing  first showcase festival in USA – Mondo.NYC. The participation has been done in cooperation with Music Export Latvia, supported by Ministry of Culture and VKKF.

The chorus line of the song “To get through the day with no seagulls on bicycles, leading the way – seagulls on bicycles” is adopted from the painting by American artist Marc John. The video is based on the work of Spanish photographer AnaHell – she’s also the Art director of the video, while the rest of the crew is made up from local talent – director of the clip is Jurgstulajstus, camera operator – Jānis Eglītis, editor – Juris Matuzelis.  Video was shot at the city Sigulda in Latvia.

Carnival Youth were presented with the European Border Breakers award earlier this year. Their previous album found favour with critics and listeners alike, in their home country and abroad. The band was formed in 2012 and since then has released two studio albums.

Latvian pop sensation Aminata releases title track from her sophomore album Red Moon that is available in all music streaming and digital distribution services. Song has been written by Aminata herself and is produced by Kaspars Ansons.

Red Moon is the third single from her upcoming album with the same name. It will be released shortly before Aminata’s biggest solo show yet that will take place in Palladium Riga on 13th of October.

“To me this is a very symbolic song that represents the saying that still waters run deep. Of course, Red Moon is about love and being in love. Love inspires and sets us free, even the coldest and meanest person gets emotional when he falls in love. The same thing could be said about the moon – to most it’s cold and distant, but to me – red, warm and tendr,” author herself reveals.

In cooperation with producer Kaspars Ansons, drummer Rūdolfs Dankfelds, guitarist Jānis Ruņģis, bass player Reinis Ozoliņš and keyboardist Matīss Repsis, Aminata is working hard on her Red Moon concert in Palladium Riga. It’s also worth noting that there will be special guests present at the show who will perform alongside Aminata, but their names have yet to be revealed.

Tickets to Red Moon concert are available in all Biļešu Serviss marketplaces and on the internet. Album Red Moon will be released shortly before the show and will be available in all music streaming services and in digital distribution marketplaces.

On November 9 with appearance in Arena Riga heavy metal band “Relicseed” will start the 4th chapter of their Serial Surgery Tour.

In 2017 Relicseed will release an EP “Ideology” which will be the first material in Latvian since their debut album in 2010.

Relicseed`s journey begun back in 2004 when four Latvian musicians started experimenting with different playing and singing styles. The debut album “60 minutes of a dream” was released only in 2010 (Relicseed). The album was the start of defining the band`s character which is brightly represented in their second studio release “Slaughterhouse”. Constantly remaining the only original member Edgars Rakovskis (guitars, vocals) has led Relicseed across his native Latvia`s borders entering various alternative music markets around the world and created the new international form of musicianship together with the great Nathan Mercado (drums).

Latvian singer-songwriter Alise Joste is announcing forthcoming concerts by releasing a live video version of her single „Mirrors”.

The intimate video performance, featuring Karlis Josts and Janis Sipkevics, offers a glimpse of what to expect from Alise’s two October shows  in her hometown Riga at a spectacular manor house „K.K. fon Stricka villa” where all three musicians will be on stage.

Alises Joste’s autumn tour starts already this weekend with three performances in Vilnius, Lithuania, at Loftas Fest.

In November Alise Joste embarks on German solo tour and will be visiting Munich, Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and other cities.

Alise Joste debuted on Latvian singer-songwriters’ scene in 2008 and released her first album in 2011. It took several years for Alise to complete the next studio recording but it was well worth waiting. The album „Hardships are Ships” (2015) received two most prominent music prizes in Latvia – „Austra Award” for the best album of 2015 and „Golden Michrophone” in singer-songwriter category.

In the past few years Alise Joste has performed in the Baltics, Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other European countries,  including showcase festivals Tallinn Music Week, Lost in Music, Waves Vienna/Bratislava and The Great Escape.

Members of the band RYGA are in continued incomprehension on what is going on in the world and in their own houses. Is this really what people would like place under the Christmas tree these Christmas?

The band is offering their option – to live in peace, share love and not to destroy this world. “If children are usually told that they will get coal for Christmas, then what makes the world’s mighty ones, politicians and managers of large concerns better?” – ask members of the band. This does not appear to be a secret that there are demographical problems in Latvia and lots of people choose to emigrate abroad. Maybe the reasons thereof are to be looked for in the attitude to work assigned?  Incomprehensible purchase of the SRS building with the overpayment of quite a few millions, corruption involving officials etc. Unfortunately the services of the Panama offshores are chosen by politicians and significant business people as well and this has a direct impact to Latvia and tax collection, as well as many other problems pictured in the video.  

The band RYGA picture improvised workshop of Santa Claus in their new video, where Santa Claus hears out the wishes of many countries and organizations on what they would like to get these Christmas. And it turns out that no one needs the presents prepared by dwarfs (renewable energy, homes, love and mutual patience). Upon hearing these mad wishes, Santa Claus and the team of dwarfs with Snow White fail to resist the pressure and cast off.  Santa Claus and Snow White get to the improvement of demography, but in order to do it, the system in the shape of SRS building must be destroyed.

Nowadays it has become very common to simplify the image of woman down to the sex object and lots of women are gladly fine with that. Is this the standard of this era?!  Are the minds

With this provocative video the band RYGA is not afraid to show, what is actually continuing to go on in this world and they promise not to go away from hard and uncomfortable subjects in the debut album of the band RYGA, coming spring next year.

Two songs of the band RYGA (Candyman and Summerfest) have gone into the voting of first selection of Grammy awards and are still fighting for the nomination. At the same time the song of the band Candyman is played on playlists of quite a few radio stations in Germany is getting to be known in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In order to introduce listeners to the material of the new album, the band is planning to go on European concert tour in the middle of April.

Latvian delegation has just returned from Poland, where from 24th to 27th of November they took part at the conference ”6. Europejskie Targi Muzyczne Co Jest Grane 24 2016”, bringing home new impressions and contacts. The trade mission organized by Latvian Music Export Latvia (Latvijas Mūzikas attīstības biedrība / Latvijas Mūzikas eksports) was implemented with the support of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA).

In cooperation with their Polish colleagues Latvian music industry professionals were offered a rich and saturated program: insight in the specifics of media and the nature of concert organisation in Poland, meetings with journalists, publishing and PR agency representatives, a tour around Warsaw music clubs, as well as a panel discussion on Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish cooperation so far and in the future.

The participants of the event concluded that all the parties are keen to establish stronger ties in the field of music business with good music as the main prerequisite, followed by the ability to perform it at high-quality concerts and the desire to discover their talents anew across our national borders.

After the Conference, the delegates had the chance to get a fresh glimpse of new Polish music and introduce the shows of their own artists as part of several concerts. This time the choice of the event organisers fell upon Alise Joste, who performed at Sunday night showcase program. 

At the conference, Latvia was represented by Agnese Cimuška – head of Latvian Music Evolution Society / Latvian Music Export, Ieva Liepa – Brainstorm Management representative, Dace Volfa from the I Love You Records label, Dita Ābola – head of Biedrība HI (representing Manta, Sigma and other acts), Jeļena Rantiņa (DaGamba project manager) and Jeļena Smelova (MOO / Music Observation Organization).

The song’s lyrical self speaks about how sad and pitiful their life was and how that all changed after meeting their significant other. “Can You Hear Me Now?” is one of the more serious and heavy tracks from Double Faced Eels’ upcoming album and the band feel that it, to some measure, captures the way many people feel right now.