Latvian Music News

The new “Light Variations EP” is out on July 30, gathering 4 solo variations of the band's songs.

Listen to “Light Variations EP” on all major streaming platforms

While the band is on a creative break for a while, 2021 has started with new ideas, perspectives and energy for Kristaps. While also working on brand new songs and a couple of collaborations, he has re-imagined some of the songs from the band's LP “Light Between Oceans” (2020) into new solo versions that all come together on the new “Light Variations EP”. The EP combines minimalistic beats, vibey guitar sounds and the essentials - stories and melodies. One of the 4 songs featured on the EP is “White Wanderer” and it was the initial push towards the idea of an EP.

“Playing around with samples and minimalistic beats suddenly opened up a whole new world to me. I had never done that before. It was a chance for me to explore new sounds, strip the songs down to their bare minimum and then build them up again from a new perspective. I had a lot of fun in the process,” says Kristaps.

Each of the 4 songs from “Light Variations EP” will be accompanied by a simple, one-shot video filmed at Kristaps' countryside house and its surroundings.

Playing together since 2016, the Latvian four-piece includes Rihards Libietis (guitar), Nauris Babris (drums), Toms Kursitis (bass) and Kristaps Bedritis (vocals, guitar, songwriting). Pacific K released their debut EP “Blue Fall” in 2017, followed by the full-length studio album “Light Between Oceans” in 2020, gaining praise from their listeners, as well as some industry professionals. The album was rich and colourful in sound, featuring some additional instruments (flute, piano, trumpet, Arabic oud, hang drum, percussions), as well as a couple of guest artists, including the world-renowned French jazz trumpeter Erik Truffaz on the song “Castaway”.

Pacific K have many live gigs under their belt, including major festivals in Latvia (Positivus, Laba Daba, Playground, Piens Fest), RIGaLIVE showcase, shows in the Baltics and a few appearances at the global live concert series Sofar Sounds. In 2017, they opened for one of their influences – the British band Fink. In 2019, they appeared at a local late-night show, played several concerts, including a couple of gigs with the British band Eyre Llew and had their music featured in the documentary short “Mind Your Step”, as well as a promo video for the brand “BEE IN”.

Latvian rapper ZEĻĢIS in collaboration with producer MCKN an rappers Ods and Goča release single “PUIKAS”.

‘’The song tells the story of an exciting and colorful path from the countryside to the city. All artists in this piece are from small towns hence the following topic seemed appropriate. To some small town have left bitter experience, while other have had the best years so far but now we all are in Riga where we try to fulfill or plans and go towards our dreams and doing what we love’’.

ZEĻĢIS is a rapper from Lēdmane and have started his activities less than two years ago he have released several singles, however has gained greater visibility through participation in “371 clique” project.

It’s worth mentioning that this is not the first collaboration with Ods and Goča, they have made rap group “mid”  and right at this moment are working on one of their first projects together.

ZEĻĢIS

Latvian electronic music producer Mickeen (Miks Pinzulis) in collaboration with Ods (Valters Grīnfogels) releases the track "Lights Off".

Ods about the song: Track lyrics are about all the negative things that one says to another even not knowing them personally. These words dishearten and ridicule a person so much that they don't even think they’re suitable for love. Later in the song the character finds someone who loves them voluntarily, despite the things which are said about them. I believe that all people, also those who do not express their feelings, will love with all their heart those who’ll see in them something more than complexes and defects which all people possess.

Song author is Mickeen and lyrics where made by Ods

This is the second track from Mickeen’s EP “Bad Habits” which comes out in late August. EP will contain artists such as Katrīna Kreile, Ods and Zeļģis.

Electronic music producer MICKEEN (Miks Pinzulis) in collaboration with Katrīna Kreile on july 17, released the single "Bad Habits".

Katrīna Kreile about the song: Wanting something that you can’t have is one of the most annoying feelings ever, but it’s not something that we purposely choose to do, it’s a pattern that we can’t break that easily. This song is about how we often unconsciously catch feelings for the ones we can’t have while friend-zoning everyone else no matter how good they might be. And each time that happens, our guardian angels probably get very disappointed in our choices. They send us some great people into our lives because they only want what’s best for us, but unfortunately we get attracted only to the ones who are emotionally or physically unavailable. Sorry, guardian angels, there’s nothing we can do about it, just like with any other bad habits.

This is first single of Mickeen’s upcoming EP “Bad Habits”.

Song author - MICKEEN. Lyrics by Katrīna Kreile.

The past 18 months have been tough for many, and isolation took its toll on all of us. Our new song FREE is a supportive letter to a friend who struggles to find his place in a world that had gone slightly mad, more so for some than others.

Soundcloud: Bel Tempo - Free

Celebrating a slow return to normal and their new song FREE, the guys form Bel Tempo will be playing their first ever live show this Friday at AOK Circus Festival.

After a one-year break, Riga DJ, songwriter and producer Rodion Gordin returns to music with his first single from 2021.  Previously known due to his musical collaboration with popular Latvian artists, as well as last year's collaboration with Ukrainian superstar Max Barskih.

Rodion's latest song "Falling" was recorded in collaboration with a singer Jana, who was born in Latvia, but at the age of 15 moved to England with her parents, where she now graduated with a Music degree.  Jana's songs were also played on the well-known BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio. Jana wants to break the stereotypes in the music industry and represent more female producers and songwriters.

Rodion and Jana first met on Instagram and haven’t yet had a chance to meet in real life.

 "We worked remotely, that is now relevant and even stylish.  I wrote the music and lyrics for this song several months ago, but I couldn't figure out which of the Latvian artists it might suit.  Then, I was contacted on Instagram by Jana, who wanted me to listen to her new release.  We had never communicated before.  I immediately liked the timbre of her voice and I offered to record this song together, ”said Gordins.

The song was made in three countries:  "Jana added lyrics and recorded the vocals at home, in her home-studio in England, I entrusted the guitar solo to a friend in Moscow and then mixed and sampled everything in my studio in Latvia," says Rodion.

The new song "Falling" is available on all major streaming platforms around the world.

https://fanlink.to/fallingstream

A new international project Loud Sounding Empty Pots have released a self-titled summer hit, which is their first single.

The project features several Latvians – rapper Idus Abra, keyboardist Andris Kauliņš and guitarist Elvijs Grafcovs. Rapper Rokas Jama Grajauskas represents Lithuania. Spain and Brazil are represented in the project by two musicians each: the basist Jaume Guerra Mene and the vocalist Jordi Palau, and the percussionists Rodrigo Manfrinatti and Rafael Nascimento Rocha. The Serbian Goran Milosevic plays the drums while another percussionist in the project is Miguel Hernandez Giraldi from Chile.

The idea for such a project came up last year, when the lives of musicians all over the world had almost stopped, but the same could not be said about mutual communication. One evening Goran Milosevic, a drummer of the Serbian group Nakedband Belgrade, was testing his newly bought mics and sent a drum track to the guitarist of Latvian band Very Cool People Elvijs Grafcovs who is known as the world’s friendliest Latvian. Elvijs came up with harmonies solution, played guitar parts and thought that it would be good to add some synthesizer sounds to this.

The recording was sent to the keyboardist Andris Kauliņš. The track was missing some groovie bass part so it was sent to an old friend and comrade-in-arms of Elvijs from Valencia – Jaume Guerra Meneu, who plays in the bands Obrint Pas, Orxata Sound System and Jim War Brou. Logically, the song also needed a text… The project participants thought they could tell the adventurous story of musicians during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two powerful freestyle hip-hop artists – Idus Abra from Latvia and Rokas Jama Grajauskas from Lithuania – were addressed. Knowing each other well, they thought to play with common proverbs used in both Latvia and Lithuania. It turned out that both Baltic nations had both “Shape iron while it's hot” and “Empty pots sounds loud and far away”, which then became the official name of this project.

Of course, there was no peace, so the idea to throw another language in the mix emerged, and Jaume Guerra Meneu recommended the Catalan singer Jordi Palau to sing the chorus of the song. It turned out that the proverbs of the Baltic nations also exist in Catalan, so he decided to use them in singing as well.

Brazilian musicians Rodrigo Manfrinatti and Rafael Nascimento Rocha, and percussionist from Chile – Miguel Hernandez Giraldi – took care of the feeling of a real Brazilian carnival in the bridge of the song. To make the result even more attractive, South American musicians also sang their vocal part in the song in Portuguese as they all three form Na-Lata Project.

The publisher of the new song is SIA Very Cool People, which is a publishing house and producer association established last year for various funk, jazz and soul music projects. This entry was made with the support of the LaIPA Creative Scholarship.

Latvian musician, leader of band "Street Conference" and the semifinalist of X Factor Latvia 3rd season Reinis Liepa, has released a new video for the acoustic song "Always Empty".

Although Reinis got only the 4th place on the show, he has not only released two EP's "Quarter to Eleven" and "Satan Is Coming To Town" both recorded with producer Kārlis Šteinmanis in Jelgava "KS Records", but also two singles in native language - "Lai Naktīs" and "Pustumsā", found on all biggest streaming services.

Video for the song "Always Empty" was made in collaboration with multi-artist Ēriks Saksons.

After a successful start last year ‘Taurud’ continues his journey and has a new exciting release. The latest song, ‘Night Sky’, which for the first time also has a Latvian version (‘Nakts Skan’), is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other platforms.

‘Taurud’, in his own words, describes the song: This is a profoundly philosophical song. It talks about our ever-changing existence and the universe around us. Night sky or night itself is only an illusion, rather a phantasy perceived in some mystical being’s consciousness. Realities through which our consciousness can travel, including this one, are not actual but dream. We are dreamers, and our essence is pure love. We are multidimensional beings, and our power and potential are enormous - yet to be discovered fully. I like the metaphor for the night sky or its sound. It resembles our transcending nature quite well. What is the night sky? While it is night here on earth, it is the day on the moon. So what is the “night sky” - illusion. So let me ask you, what is our perception of reality, ourselves, principles, and beliefs? You know the answer.

This double singe is the last piece of the trilogy. Two singles were recorded and released in the previous year, and now the missing piece. These songs let us get to know ‘Taurud’ and his sound, his views on life. This music once was described as a culmination of dreamy and heartfelt sounds, experimenting with different levels of intimacy.

Later this summer, we can expect more new music from the artist. At this point, it is hard to predict how the events will unfold across Europe and whether ‘Taurud’ will be able to play live shows, but he and his team are hopeful that it will happen and they will be able to visit ‘Taurud’s’ home Latvia as well.