Singer Kristīne Prauliņa and her band “The Soulful Crew” release the single “Change of Perspective” and the music video for their first full-length album “Textures”, which will be released on 20 April.
“Change of Perspective” is the second single from the upcoming full-length studio album “Textures”, due on April 20th. “The song is about the days when it’s hard to see beauty and meaning, but it’s the pursuit of the good and the choice to view both ourselves and the world around us through faith and a sense of perspective that define us more than anything else. This is a very dear song to me, written on a hard day, with the sun shining”: says Kristīne Prauliņa about the new single.
The recording features original music by Kristīne Prauliņa’s band “The Soulful Crew”, which includes keyboardist Toms Mikāls, bassist Valters Sprūdžs, guitarist Jānis Kalniņš, drummer Kaspars Kurdeko and, of course, Kristīne herself.
A special video version of the single “Change of Perspective” has been created in collaboration with the creative team “Colortime”. The video was directed and produced by Reinis Janulis.
The single “Change of Perspective”, as well as the forthcoming album “Textures”, were recorded at “Mint Music Studio” in Riga and engineered and mixed by Toms Lisment, while the sound mastering was done by Zino Mikorey in Berlin. The album will include 10 original songs in English by singer Kristīne Prauliņa and bassist Valters Sprūdžs.
“Textrures” will be available on 20 April on all major streaming sites and will be premiered at a concert in Riga at the “K.K. fon Stricka Villa” on the day of the album’s release.
“The Soulful Crew performs original music in English and Latvian in soul, blues, R&B, gospel and singer/songwriter styles. The group’s sound ranges from intimately fragile singer-songwriter motifs to full-bodied, wide-ranging soul music expression, playing melodic, lyrical songs with less instrumentation, as well as full-bodied grooves.
Album is a reminder that feeling alone and alienated from the rest of the world can still be enjoyable. Meanwhile single “Zvaigžņu rati” (or Star chariot) is a romantic ballad that provides the feeling of a warm summer night.
On April 12th, indie rock musician Jannsi released the song “Atkrītot”, featuring elements of indie rock and rap with an authentic and inclusive message. “I believe that music has the power to change the world. Similar to other songs, in this composition, I encourage everyone to challenge their personal beliefs, not allowing prejudices or misunderstandings to create hatred, which is sometimes presented as love,” says Jannsi.
In the song “Atkrītot”, Jannsi, whose real name is Jānis Uplejs, talks about his experience in various conversations, internet comments, letters, and phone calls where someone expresses their opinion about Jānis’ religious life. As Jannsi identifies himself as a Christian while also expressing support for the LGBTQ+ community and egalitarianism – the belief that all genders are equal in friendship – these opinions are received quite often.
“These comments are quite diverse – from attempts to indoctrinate to efforts to persuade, to calling me a Satanist or a false teacher, but they all share the judgment that I have either never truly been a believer, or I have ‘fallen away’ from faith. This song is my story about this ‘falling away’ – a careful evaluation of my beliefs, not relying solely on what some teachers have said, who continue to echo only what they have been taught, without conducting deeper research,” continues Jannsi. “For example, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah describes horrific sexual violence, physical and numerical superiority used against the weaker, but is used against loving same-sex couples.”
The song “Atkrītot” is available on all popular music streaming platforms.
In the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest, Sudden Lights are releasing a series of remixes of the song “Aijā”, in collaboration with four different DJs. Makree, [Ex] da Bass, MarkMate and the acclaimed Lithuanian producer Leon Somov have given the song a new sound in the dance and house genres. All remixes are available on streaming services.
The first release is a remix by electronic music producer Makree (Mārtiņš Makreckis). “Makree is a very talented musician, his works are in our personal playlists. His music has an international character in the best sense of the word. We are delighted and grateful that he agreed to give our song a different sound!”
The well-known Latvian DJ [Ex] da Bass or Mareks Dainis has also renewed his tradition of remixing Eurovision songs. He says: “Although “Aijā” is a sad and rocky lullaby, I would like to believe that my remix has turned out to be very enjoyable, modern and in line with the expectations of club-goers. I wish Sudden Lights a successful start and great success at this year’s Eurovision!”
The remix series features Sudden Lights’ first international collaboration with one of the best-known Lithuanian producers and electronic music creators – Leon Somov. “It’s a great feeling to support our Latvian brothers not only with our voices, but also with a new version of their song. Of course, stylistically the remix and the original song are very different, now it’s a completely different genre… But when a song is good, it can sound great in different styles. When I was working on the song, I had complete creative freedom and I used elements that excited me, I expressed them in my own way,” explains Leon.
The series is concluded by the promising 19-year-old producer MarkMate (Marks Matisons), whose name has already been heard abroad and whose songs have received support from well-known DJs such as Don Diablo, Nicky Romero and others. “Sudden Lights is a soothing lullaby with a unique tempo. I thought that a remix with elements of house music and my own musical signature, as part of my MarkMate music project, would be something that could appeal to both a passionate fan of the band and someone who prefers dance music on a daily basis,” says Mark.
The fourth edition of the electronic music festival UNDER 2023 — May 19th and 20th in Riga (Latvia) — have announced the full lineup. With a star cast of 40 artists participating in the event, headliners include Tiga, Slam DJs, Alinka and Hard Ton who will be joined by Berlin artists Holger Zilske and Radical Softness, as well as Voicedrone, the co-founder of the hype club “Fold” in London. The line-up includes a host of Baltic DJs and live electronic artists.
The 19th of May opens the festival and is dedicated to all electronic live performances. The night will be opened by the “Golden Microphone” nominee — Waterflower, a visionary artist from Latvia who is at the forefront of the eco-futurist movement. Using plants and mushrooms as both instruments and MIDI generators, they create a unique blend of avant-pop, hyperpop, and digital hardcore.
Later that day, vocalist and producer Podruga will take centre stage; her music will invite listeners back to the sounds of 90’s electronica, and sci-fi sonics with elements of post-punk.
Produga will premiere a new electronic set at UNDER Festival, together with guitarist and producer Ričards Dauksts. The queer fashion extravaganza showcases the Italian duo Hard Ton (Permanent Vacation, International Deejay Gigolo), who plays a unique blend of Chicago house, disco-styled falsettos, crunchy acid basslines, and a pinch of Italo disco, all of this preceded by the artistic set of Queer On Acid from Riga. The stage will be closed by the electro-techno-live of Igor Vorobyov from Ventspils, who has been running the record label “Blind Allies” for the past six years.
On Saturday 20th May the festival will open its doors at 6 pm. The program will kick off on the Garden stage, where both experienced and younger Latvian DJs will play. You can expect vinyl sets from Nick Ustinov & Jazzy Marky, Waxid, Vakru, Ze Ivarzz, as well as performances by KAN, Aizvakardiena, Adroit, DIN, Esoniq, Ideology of Sound, Elvi Soulsystems and Cheh, who represents Lebanon and the UAE, but currently working out in Lithuania.
The UNDER Pressure and UNDER Control stages will open at 8 pm. The huge techno sounds on the UNDER Pressure stage will be presented by the Scottish legends of this genre — Slam DJs. Their record label, Soma Records, started in the early 1990s, introducing several of today’s big names to the world, their eponymous radio show has thousands of fans worldwide. The duo will be joined by Voicedrone, co-founder, curator, and resident of London club, Fold. The club is considered one of the most hyped underground spots in the British capital.
Fast techno will be played by the regular guest of the HÖR in Berlin — queer DJ Radical Softness. There are many female names on the line-up including Merimel, the first lady of Estonian techno who is active with releases on many high-profile labels and has her radio show on national radio, the founder of the UNDER festival Ksenia Kamikaza, DJ Orthodox from Liepāja, Laima Adelaide from Stuttgart, LE/RA. DJs E91, Ikss and HP-82 have their distinct style that will complement Saturday’s techno sound.
The stars of the UNDER Control stage – which is mainly for EBM, electro and acid – will be Tiga, the Canadian DJ, producer of many electronic anthems from his record label Turbo Recordings, Alinka, a Berlin-based Ukrainian-Chicago artist and resident of the Panorama bar, Berliner Holgers Zilske known in the electronic scene by the name of the techno project Smash TV, who currently works in the electro genre. The festival’s international program will be completed by Mountak, a resident of the Lithuanian club “Lizdas”. Latvia will be represented by the duo Taran & Lomov from Amber Muse, Lévi from Klik Klak, Crying Skies, mOZ & Herren Ivo, Veronika Keris & Grisha Nirgov, as well as the duo Laiva Maikule.
The industrial quarter on 9 Teraudlietuves Str. in Riga is the best place for the boldest sound of the festival. More information on all the artists, the venue and tickets can be found at underfestival.com.
Just as every living creature consumes sunlight, every human being runs on a certain amount of light in his life. When we learn how to live through this light, embrace its existence, and choose to treasure every little thing we’ve got, the world around us responds to our thoughts and actions and becomes brighter with every choice we make. This is why a Latvian poet Aleksandra Line wrote three poems in three different languages, English, Latvian and Russian, on the darkest nights of Latvian winter, and a prominent Latvian composer Uģis Prauliņš turned triptichum “through the light” into music for three vocalists, a piano and a vibraphone. The album is scheduled for release as a CD, as well as on major music streaming platforms, on April 24.
Tryptichum comes from Ancient Greek and means three layers. So this multilayered album not only consists of three languages and merges music styles, but there also are three different vocalists, each of whom sings lead vocals in one of the compositions (“cauri gaismai” is the solo of Rūta Dūduma Ķirse, “through the light” – Santa Šillere and “сквозь свет” – Evilena Protektore), Ēriks Miezis plays vibraphone and percussions, Edgars Cīrulis is on upright piano and effects. All five of the jazz musicians are improvisers and most of them write their own music, so the end result of “through the light” is mostly interpreted by each of them with their own musical character and arrangement added to the story.
The album was recorded in Riga at the end of 2022, with sound recording, mixing and mastering done by Pauls Dāvis Megi. Sound engineer’s assistant – Bruno Brauns, album release is supported by the State Culture capital foundation. Photography, behind the scenes story and cover art are done by Vadim Kozhin with Vinsents Krebs posing for the cover.
“I was attracted to the three different characters, moods, mentalities, and tried to compose the music so that the lyrics don’t lose their initial meaning. The poetry is very personal – in the center of it there always are inner feelings, wishes, ideals, doubts and searching for light. I was very interested while observing how Aleksandra’s peers interpret this concept, so I enjoyed meeting these professionals with their fresh energy to see how it all turns out”, – says a Latvian composer Uģis Prauliņš, whose contemporary musical works are performed throughout the continents and whose composition “The Nightingale” was twice nominated for a Grammy award.
Aleksandra Line is a music manager and poet, Latvian Music Academy lecturer and active music industry participant with more than 12 years of experience. She has been writing poetry in English, Latvian and Russian since her childhood – for many years it has been included in her own spoken word and jazz music project “klausies” with two albums released; besides, she also writes lyrics for various composers. “This triptichum is a dedication to myself and everyone who took part in its creation. Also each of our significant people, everyone who doesn’t ever quit searching for light and everyone who begins the searches within himself for a start”, – states the author.
Rapper Deniss (Deniss Stepanov) from the association “Kreisais Krasts” unites with the popular TikToker Bacha (Mareks Bahmanis) and Latvian singer Adriana Miglāne and releases the song “Notiesāts”, where he looks with sarcasm and humor at how he was accused and sentenced for a Covid certificate trade.
“ “Song about the district. A song about friends. No matter what difficulties or adventures we get into, the people we grew up with, even if they are far away and each in their own corner of the world, are still with us. And in the most necessary moments, whether in memories, in our hearts, or physically – it is with us. The district is in me. You can take the jack out of the district, but you can’t take the district out of the jack. That is also what this story is about. I grew up in Zasa, Zolitude, Ziepniekalns, drew graffiti, broke, rapped and lived the full life of the hip-hop district. This clip is a love letter to hip-hop. It was made in New York, which is the home of hip-hop,” says Reik about the new single.” “
Although the story of the song is about relationships, about the pain of separation, when everything seems to be lost and hands are down, the call not to say no can be applied to almost any everyday situation, it is relevant for all of us. A video was also made for the song, in which the story is danced by the couple.
After initiating our largest-ever artist showcase award programme last Spring, IMPALA’s 100 Artists to Watch in partnership with YouTube returns in 2023 with a bright selection of emerging talent from across the European independent music sector.
This pan-European initiative continues IMPALA`s efforts to put a spotlight on the diversity of the European independent music sector. Curated by IMPALA’s members and its broader network, 100 Artists to Watch is designed to highlight artists at different stages in their careers. Members are free to propose artists based on various factors such as diversity and innovation, as well as commercial success. These are the artists to watch in Europe today.
IMPALA’s Spring list includes artists from 30 different countries and features more than 35 music genres, from R&B to Drill, Folk to Electronic, Pop to Post-Punk… There are countless artists to listen to and copious amounts of independent record labels to discover; with a total 100 European independent artists to look out for this year. Hit play to embark on an amazing musical journey here and discover the complete list of artists below.
Helen Smith, Executive Chair, IMPALA commented: “The 100 Artists to Watch programme has already achieved great visibility for independent artists and record labels. We hope this encourages both cross-border circulation and official recognition for the creative and innovative work by the independent sector. We have a mix of artists that have just been recognised during award season and others who are literally just emerging now. We are delighted to be working with YouTube again to support artistic and audience development to boost diversity across the European music sector”.
Dan Chalmers, Director, YouTube Music, EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) added: “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with IMPALA’s 100 Artists to Watch programme to support emerging artists and independent record labels across Europe. YouTube provides independent artists with exposure, promotion, analytics, monetisation opportunities and collaboration possibilities to develop their talent and reach new audiences. The 100 Artists to Watch programme is an excellent showcase platform for independent artists to advance their careers and reach audiences across borders”.
100 Artists to Watch (by alphabetical order by artist/record label/country):
Ada Oda – 62TV Records – Belgium
Alfa – A1 ENTERTAINMENT SPA – Italy
Amna – IDJTunes – Bosnia and Hercegovina
Antoon – Dreamteam / Cloud 9 Recordings – The Netherlands
Antti Paalanen – Rockadillo Records – Finland
Astéréotypie – Air Rytmo – France
Batbait – Irascible Records – Switzerland
Batu akdeniz – Garaj – Turkey
Be Irving – Green L.F.ANT – Belgium
Bedford Falls – 1478437 Records DK – Georgia
Bēdu Brāļi – Frida Records – Latvia
Bipolar Feminin – Buback Tonträger – Austria
Black Sea Dahu – Mouthwatering Records – Switzerland
BOKKA – [PIAS] – Poland
Cala Vento – Cooperativa Montgrí SCCL – Spain
Citron Citron – Bongo Joe Records – Switzerland
Co Lee – Blunt Shelter Records – Hungary
Cyan Kicks – Ranka Kustannus – Finland
Danai Nielsen – United We Fly – Greece
Deki Alem – Deki Alem – Sweden
Dina Jashari – Dina Jashari – North Macedonia
Dream People – Dream People – Portugal
Edo Maajka – Dallas Records – Croatia
Emilie Zoé – Hummus Records – Switzerland
Fast Animals and Slow Kids – Woodworm Publishing Italia – Italy
FLEMMING – 8ball Music – The Netherlands
Frantic Amber – GMR Music Group – Sweden
Freakin’ Disco – Launching Gagarin Records and Management – Hungary
Garbanotas – Garbonotas – Lithuania
Gaye Su Akyol – Dunganga Records / Glitterbeat Records – Turkey
Ginebras – Vanana Records – Spain
Girls in Airports – Kaja Records – Denmark
Goldband – Goldband / LAB Music – The Netherlands
Guts – Heavenly Sweetness – France
Haiku Garden – Kapa Records – Slovenia
iamyank – Corner Art Records – Hungary
ISÁK – Little Big Music / Caroline International – Norway
YouTube partnering up with the independents
YouTube will work with IMPALA on its 100 Artists to Watch programme to help build awareness of the diverse European independent sector. YouTube will help the independent community by spotlighting talent from different markets and at different stages in their career. Promoting diversity is a priority for YouTube, encouraging music fans to discover artists they might never find otherwise. Further support will roll out during the year, watch this space.
More about IMPALA
IMPALA was established in 2000 and now represents nearly 6000 independent music companies. 99% of Europe’s music companies are small, micro and medium businesses and self-releasing artists. Known as the independents, they are world leaders in terms of innovation and discovering new music and artists – they produce more than 80% of all new releases and account for 80% of the sector’s jobs. IMPALA’s mission is to grow the independent music sector sustainably, return more value to artists, promote diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access, inspire change, and increase access to finance. IMPALA works on a range of key issues for its members, runs various award schemes and has a programme aimed at businesses who want to develop a strategic relationship with the independent sector – Friends of IMPALA.
More about “100 Artists to Watch”
The100 Artists to Watch award was launched in 2022 to promote diversity in the European independent music sector. The project puts the spotlight on a more diverse range of amazing artists through a list curated by our members all across Europe. It is a natural evolution of IMPALA’s album of the year award which ran for ten years.
More about YouTube
Launched in May 2005, YouTube’s mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. We believe that everyone deserves to have a voice, and that the world is a better place when we listen, share and build community through our stories. YouTube is a Google company. More here.
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