Category: News

Fiņķis and DoStudija presents their newly created band “FUND” and announces concert in December 8 in music club “One One”. Special guest Māris Mihelsons (DJ set), member of the Latvian pop/rock band “Brainstorm”.

In the beginning of september 2016 Fiņķis and DoStudija released their first studio album “Bāra ceļš. Akmens dārzs” (“Bar road. Stone garden”), which was presented during the modern culture forum “White Night 2016” in Riga.

Along with the concert disclosure, musicians release the video for the song “Music / Groove” from the new album. Operator Edgars Staune, dancers – Stella Upaciere un Francis Upaciers.

This week as an introduction to the upcoming Advent tour Little Christmas Melancholia the vocal group Latvian Voices releases their newest single Totari – a composition by one of the groups’ singers Laura Jekabsone. The mixing and postproduction of the single has been made in collaboration with Gustavs Erenpreiss.

“Latvian folk songs have always been a fundamental part of the repertoire of Latvian Voices and an inspiration for new discoveries in music. Also the composition Totari is inspired by Latvian folklore although the musical material is Lauras’ original work,” tells the participants of the group.

With this song Latvian Voices encourages not to forget ones ethnic identity during the time of Winter solstice, to straighten ones back and breath in the air of Latvia’s winter!

The first concert of the Latvian Voices tour Little Christmas Melancholia will take place on November 27th at Ogre St. Maynard Catholic church

The concert program Little Christmas Melancholia will introduce the listeners to new compositions made by the singers of the group (for example, Totari by Laura Jekabsone) as well as offer the opportunity to recognize traditional Christmas melodies intertwined with Latvian folk music and Winter solstice traditions. “During the eight years of groups’ existence we have gathered a lot to say in the lyrics of our songs and in our original music. This tour will be like a summary of our years together because this will be the first time the group tours in Latvia and not somewhere abroad during Advent and Christmas time. We have also included in the program ancient Advent melodies combined with our own musical ideas – a meeting of the traditional and modern. Of course also the texts from folklore with our melodies will be an essential part of the concerts.”

Also well known Christmas melodies will be sung to give the audience a light and elevated feeling when going out of the concert. Concerts will include songs like “What Child Is This?”, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, “Totari”, “Kalado”, “Little Sad Christmas”, “See Amid The Winter’s Snow”, etc. The producer of the new program is Paula Plavniece and the visual design is in the hands of Marcis Ziemins.

Latvian band The Coco’nuts recently released their new single called “Fading slowly” from the new material.

Right after having their first debut album “Amid opposites” in the beginning of this summer The Coco’nuts had a creative camp in Ēvele, where they already started working on new program. It has been presented in several wonderfull concerts during past three months. All new songs are made with completely new inspirations, that’s why they are quite different from usual sounds of The Coco’nuts. Compositions are flowing, they take listener in the world of reflections and toughts.

Band  releases song “Falling slowly” as the first because it tells about changes – just like new material – about new beginning, about new path in our lives, that changes are not always easy to realise in the moment, until at one point you lose control over everything so you just want to dissapear or fade out for a second until it all starts from the beginning and the unstoppable flow of life keeps going.

Live performance you’ll be able to hear on 16th of December in jazz bar “Trompete”. For more information you can follow band on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/thecoconuti/

Latvian trio Audience Killers are about to release their first full-length album Floating Islands today on May 20th. The band formed back in 2010 and features the soothing, almost whimsical vocals of Normunds Petrovs with Arletta Supe on keyboards and backing vocals and Edgars Oplucans on the drums. 

New album has been produced by lead singer Normunds Petrovs and the band itself. Recorded at their newly built Trii House studio in Riga. Engineered and Mixed by Reinis Kārkliņš (band Franco Franco), mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters, Los Angeles. Album artwork by Paulina Wyrt.

In their new video for Sounds Like You a fiercely independent kid sets out on a trek through the city and across serene mountainside landscapes in Newfoundland, Canada. She tramps across breathtaking landscapes of waterfalls, still seasides villages and spans of the sea, all the while with a glowing star slung over her shoulder. In the end, the child sets the star free, syncing up with the songs powerful crescendo. 

‘The lyrics of Sounds Like You seem to me like the words of someone in mourning, wether it be for a failed relationship, the passing of a loved one, or even the loss of oneself. The last words are ‘There is nothing I can do’. So I wanted the video to reply to that lyric and say ‘No, here is something you can do’. To me, the video is about rekindling lost hope. A fall, and a rebirth. Sometimes, we have to let go of something that brought beauty in our lives. ‘To move on’ can be difficult, but a necessary act for new hope to bloom. Everything has its time. Everything has its place. Live. Laugh. Be free again.’

The new remix saw its debut last night on the popular dance music channel TASTY NETWORK, and it has already been listened to more than 10,000 times!

In preparation of the 20-year anniversary concert in Arena Riga, which will take place already next Wednesday, the company “Mikrofona ieraksti” dug through its archives and found the track “Waterfall” recorded in 2001 by Brainstorm. This motivated the creation of a new remix of the song.

The first new remix was created by the group of producers “Boyza II” led by Lotars Lodziņš. They had already made a remix in 2001. Back then, a remix was also made by one of the most successful Latvian dance music producers of all time Ralfs Mākulis (BTH). This version was nominated for the Annual Latvian Music Records Award. In 2001, the single was released in several countries by labels of the English company “EMI Records”.

This year, however, when the new remix version by “Boyza II” had already been made and the band had listened to the results, the lead Renārs Kaupers decided to re-record the tracks. After the tracks were recorded anew, the idea emerged to invite other dance music producers to create a modern remix, and this time “MicRec” entrusted it to the young and talented producer Rūdolfs Elviss Zariņš A.K.A. “REZarin”, who this year has already helped the remix of the song by Justs “Heartbeat” recorded by “MicRec” to reach the English Music Week’s UK Upfront Club Top 40.

The tracks released by the producer “REZarin” have earned recognition by world famous deejays and producers. Last year, his track “About You” was played at the radio show of DJ Hardwell. This year the track “I Got That” and the remix of Justs’ “Heartbeat” were played at the popular Don Diablo radio show. Such world famous artists as Robin Schulz and Mike Williams have included tracks produced by “REZarin” in their DJ sets.

Latvian bands’ “Once Upon” song “A Letter to My Agony ” has been nominated for the 15th annual Independent Music Award in the category “Best Metal / Hardcore single of 2016”, and is recognized as one of the most prominent independent music recordings of 2016.

After a fierce competition this song is amongst the five which are eligible for the prize. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony that will take place on November 12th, in New York, USA.

This is the 15th year “IMA” giving away awards, emphasizing innovative musicians who records their music themselves, as well as independent record label artists.

The winning projects will be selected by blue-ribbon panels of top recording artists and influential press and talent buyers from the Americas, Europe and Pacific Rim that include Amy Lee („Evanescence”), „Slayer” , „Shinedown” , „Sepultura” , Warren Haynes („The Allman Brothers Band ”, „Les Claypool”, „Coheed and Cambria”) , industriju – Benji Rogers („PledgeMusic”) , Fred Beteille („Music Business Association”) , Anthony DeCurtis („Rolling Stone”).

Alternative / modern metal band “Once Upon” formed in autumn of 2012 consists of  Artūrs Ročāns (vocals), Edgars Meijers (guitars), Artūrs Krasts (drums), Jānis Brolišs (guitars) un Edgars Poika (bass).

In April 2014, “Once Upon” participated in “Metal 2 The Masses” and after the jury and fans decision they were chosen to represent Latvia in UK’s largest independent heavy metal festival “BLOODSTOCK 2014”.

Latvian band “The Coco’nuts” publishes their first official music video for “Love song” from first studio album “Amid Opposites” today.

The main idea of song and video is a classic story about neverending love. This story helps us remember to spend more time on good things and good feelings instead of putting them aside for later and concentrating on things that we think are more important at that moment.

Video was made in the end of this summer, in different locations close to Riga. Main roles were played by Inta Cikule and Vitauts Cikulis, grandparents of bands contrabass player Toms, and also, of course, “The Coco’nuts” themselves. Director – Elīza Eikerte, operator – Jānis Vīksne.

Last week there was a presentation event for the new material in art and culture space “3 Māsas”. Also yesterday along with “Love song” video it was presented in lovely “Dad cafe”. Nevertheless “The Coco’nuts” never stop developing and soon there might be more news connected with bands new musical view.

Classical music hooligans, the band DAGAMBA, has issued the unique live performance video for the composition “Summer – Storm”, which is the group’s version of Antonio Vivaldi’s violin concert “Summer” from the cycle “Four Seasons “.

The video was filmed on the picturesque Cape Kolka at the end of this summer. “This video is very peculiar, because nothing in it has been recorded in a sound recording studio. Only live sounds are heard in the video – cello, piano, daf, drum and nature,”- says Valters Puce, the member of the band.

Video was created in co-operation with “Marana Productions”. “The most special thanks is to be expressed to the video’s director Dace Puce, who converted our crazy idea into a reality, and to the sound producer Andris Uze, as well as to all the production unit that  managed to overcome natural obstacles and to let everyone look and sound just beautiful,”- says Valters.

The video of this composition is considered as a forerunner of the band’s DAGAMBA upcoming album “Seasons”. Its presentation concert, which also will be the gala venue of the Latvian tour “Vivaldi Rocks”, will take place in Riga, at the Palladium concert venue on 12 November.

Since Guntars Račs, the Repertoire Director of Microphone Records, became a member of The Recording Academy, Microphone Records has had the rights to submit recordings produced in Latvia and released in the USA for the prestigious Grammy Awards for the second consecutive year.

In preparation of the company’s big anniversary concert 20 Years in Latvian Music that will take place next Wednesday at Arena Riga, the company has received great news. We now know which of the recordings submitted for the Grammy Awards have made it through the screening process and qualified for the first-round ballots. The voting members of the Academy still have today and tomorrow to voice their opinion. Here is a list of this year’s MicRec recordings that have officially qualified for the first round. Each in its own category.

The members of the Latvian band The Briefing have lived and worked in London since 2010. The EP was released on 19 February this year. The album and its title song have received positive feedback on various music blogs, including American blogs. Available on all music streaming and downloading websites around the world.

Rodion Gordin’s recordings have been released by prestigious European dance music publishers such as Kingdom Kome Cuts and Kontor Records. He has successfully collaborated with the duet Dvīnes and the American singer Dustin Paul.

Edvards Grieze has previously collaborated with producers Rassell and DJ Makree. The song has been produced at the Labo ierakstu studija studio in cooperation with Jānis Kalvis.

The song has been produced by Mārcis himself in collaboration with the studio’s producer Jānis Kalvis (at Labo ierakstu studija). The song has been mastered at the Cutting Room studio in Sweden. The producer of the video is Mārcis himself in collaboration with Ritvars Bluks, who was responsible both for camerawork and the montage of the video. The video features actors Ģirts Ķesteris, Gints Grāvelis, Ieva Florence, Lauris Subatnieks, Vilnis Kuģinieks and dancers from the PRO-X dance studio under the guidance of choreographer Ieva Biteniece.

After a week, the song will appear on German radio stations, while the band’s complete album is scheduled for next March. In Germany, Switzerland and Austria, the song will be distributed by Rough Trade.

The song has been recorded in collaboration with the producer Gints Stankevičs, and it features the little singers of Dzeguzīte, the most well-known children’s pop group in Latvia, who found neither the unfamiliar genre nor the English lyrics a challenge.

This year, Microphone Records was responsible for creating a distributing the song Heartbeat by the Supernova winner Justs. This job was delegated to the company by the song’s author Aminata Savadogo. From the many remixes made, the one by producer REZarin was deemed the best, and it entered the UK Upfront Dance Chart soon after its release. The remix was included in radio playlists by the well-known deejay Don Diablo and many others.

Several of these recordings have still not gained recognition at their own home country and can’t be found on the playlists of many local radio stations. That, however, has not stopped these songs from being played outside of Latvia.  We’re eager to find out the results of the Grammy voting!

“The LP” shares new song called “Apocalyptic intimacy” which is included in their last album “LP” and goes on tour visiting Latvia, Netherlands and Germany.

In the end of October band hits the road playing 12 concerts in Latvia, Netherlands and Germany. For details check The LP’s homepage or follow the band in social network.

The LP is together since 2006. Band has played in all the biggest music festivals in Baltics and countless venues and events. Band has also played concerts in Poland, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Estonia.