I find it extremely difficult to leave a record store without buying anything. Sometimes I feel like I have to justify the time spent in the store browsing and listening by having something to show. It’s a problem that’s especially severe in Latvia, so I have many šlāgermūzikas tapes to show for my troubles.

Sometimes I will pick up something that I really had no interest in buying, and it turns out I will really like it. This happened in 1998, when I was in a record store in Rīga, had no idea what to buy, but knew I couldn’t leave empty-handed. I spotted a compact disc by Jumprava, Laika atšķirību romance, and picked it up on a whim.

I had heard a few of their songs before then, like the quirky “Peldētājs” and the keyboard-heavy “Ziemeļmeita,” but had no idea what to expect of the album. Much to my surprise, it became one of my all-time favorites. From the opening track, “Pastorāle,” to the Indian-influenced “Jaganatha,” the album rarely left my CD player.

The late 1990s saw many Jumprava-related releases. After Laika atšķirību romance, Platforma Records in 1999 released a Jumprava best-of CD, Labāko dziesmu izlasem, which also became one of my favorites because it gathered into one place the earlier Jumprava songs that I had scattered over multiple tapes and records. The year before, Jumprava founder, guitarist and vocalist Aigars Grāvers released his collection Pret vēju pēc 90-ta, which gathered together a number of songs from the various bands he played with. In 2000, Grāvers and Latvian poet Nataradža collaborated on the Rama Dance project, Sāga. Both Grāvers and Nataradža were influenced by Indian culture and folklore and the album bore the fruits of their efforts, combining Sanskrit, Latvian and plenty of keyboards to produce another excellent and unique album.

After all that, Jumprava returned late last year to deliver an entirely new album called Trajektorija. I was very curious what it was going to sound like. Was it going to be more like Rama Dance or Laika atšķirību romance, or was it going to sound completely different?

I must say I wasn’t expecting what I heard. However, after a few listens this album really grew on me and I believe it has become a very worthy addition to the Jumprava catalogue. This release will find its way into my CD player quite often, even in the distant future, which is a testament to its staying power.

Though the participants on the album are not listed anywhere in the liner notes, Jumprava’s lineup has not changed: Aigars Grāvers, Aigars Grauba, Aigars Krēsla and Ainārs Ašmanis make up the band. Nataradža also returns to provide lyrics to a number of the songs.

Many of the tracks on the album strike me as classic Jumprava, and some were a bit unsettling to hear at first. I wondered, “Does anyone actually play bass or guitars or drums on this album, or is it all synthesized?” However, because Jumprava have always been a synthesizer-intensive group, the less-organic feeling of the album can be forgiven.

A reoccurring theme over the course of the album is flight. This is first made clear in the opening song, “Lidosta mehāniskiem putniem.” Heavy on electronics, the opening beats of this song sound like an airplane getting ready to take off. The song makes for a great start to the album.

Next up is “Dzinējsuns,” the most techno-sounding song on the album. This one is a bit too techno for me. It reminds me of the frantic music in those Mortal Kombat video games. It also features practically “rapped” verses, presumably by Grāvers.

A favorite on the album is “Divi putni.” Cheesy 1980s-sounding keyboard intro aside, this up-tempo and hard-driving track features some great vocals and lyrics by Nataradža.

Another favorite on the album is the more somber “Anastasijas vārdi.” The track features a number of effects adding to the rather “mysterious” sound of the song.

The song “Baiga vasara” is from Grauba’s film of the same name set in Latvia during World War II. It features lyrics like “Ja lūdzam ar noliektu galvu, vai eņģeļi sadzirdēs mūs?” (If we pray with bowed heads, will the angels hear us?). Though the song is bleak, some hope remains.

The song I liked the most is the last one, “Nedaudz par viņu,” written by Grauba. Out of all the songs on the album, it best displays the Jumprava sound. Painted in both broad and fine musical strokes, the song has a rather simple keyboard part that is very involving. Grauba’s practically pleading vocals are also memorable, as he sings “Mīļā, kāpēc es neredzu savadāk?” (My love, why do I not see differently?). It’s definitely a classic Jumprava song.

Combining elements of Rama Dance, their most recent recordings, as well as their classics, Trajektorija is another great album from Jumprava. Don’t let the heavy synthesizers and downright techno sounds discourage you. Jumprava are still at the peak of their creativity and songwriting skills.

As music evolves through the years, listeners often get to hear strange and unexpected hybrids of different genres. One of the most unusual combinations to have become popular in recent years is the combination of rap and metal, sometimes given the goofy “Nu-metal” label. One would have thought that the two styles of music, what with their devout fans and uncomprising musicians, would never have come together. However, because both styles are often outlets for anger and aggression, perhaps it is not too much of a surprise that this style has become very popular in recent years.  The best known group in this style is Rage Against the Machine, but groups like Limp Bizkit and Korn also have incorporated it into their music.

This trend has also taken hold in Latvia, evidenced by the release of The Inevitable by the group F[ei]K. The album is entirely in English and contains all the loud guitars and anger you could possibly need in a rap-metal album.

F[ei]K are made up of Ansis “Rooc” Auders on guitars, Gusts Leimanis on bass, Verners Biters on vocals, Martins Opmanis on drums and Kristaps “Krii” Krievs on “effects” (and who, according to the band’s Web site, has already left the group). Auders founded the group in 1998. The Inevitable is their debut album.

I would have to admit that this style of music never particularly appealed to me. I’m not really sure why, as I have been a devout heavy metal fan for most of my years. Maybe it is because it is simply too much anger and angst to digest. This music is like a sledgehammer to the mind, relentless and unyielding.

This record reminds me a bit of the latest Dzelzs vilks album, as many of the songs seem to follow the same formula: Start off quiet, with some soft vocals and clean guitars, then suddenly burst into screaming vocals and super-distorted and heavy guitar power chords. This does get tiresome after a while.

The opening song, “Egoism” sets the stage for what is to follow. The heavy guitar and bass form a very formidable combo, and with lyrics like “I can’t tolerate you anymore, my misinterpretations ruin my life,” the group is not willing to take any prisoners.

The band’s Web site has this to say about the lyrics: “The lyrics are about the problems and experiences in life, about how other people make you feel.” This is made clear in the song “Sigh,” which contains the lyrics, “You let me down. The teardrop fades on me.”

“Flying” starts off with some interesting guitar effects, while drummer Opmanis gets to shine in the solo opening to the track “The Same.” There is also an instrumental “hidden” track, which is quite different than the rest of the album. Actually, it is mostly just effects strung together, and makes for a rather strange coda to the album.

Liner notes are meager, mainly filled by each bandmember’s thanks. I recommended that the listener visit the Web site to find the lyrics, since most of the singing is either unintelligible or buried under thundering guitars.

The Inevitable unfortunately winds up being a rather ordinary rap metal album. If you are already a huge fan of this type of stuff, you’ll probably like it. However, this album will not make believers of the doubtful, as there is not much to distinguish itself from the tidal wave of bands that play in the same style. There is of course the novelty that they are from Latvia, a place which, not surprisingly, breeds a lot of angst in its youth. Because the album is released by MICREC, it is a professional effort thanks to the production of Tālis Timrots and the band F[ei]K themselves. But the album is best consumed by the very angry and those who could never imagine listening to mellow music.

For Latvian popular music, 2001 was another memorable year. Old faces returned (such as Prāta Vētra, Credo and Labvēligais Tips), new faces emerged (for example, The Mundane and Māsas). Autobuss debesīs released their first record, rap music continued to develop in Latvia, and dance music became more diverse. Where should the uneducated listener start? Now that broadcasters such Radio SWH and Latvijas Radio 2 are available on the Internet, a listener anywhere in the world can hear the newest sounds in Latvian music. That, or they could purchase the latest summary of Latvian music, the second installment of the SuperIzlase series, SuperIzlase 2.

As they did in 2000, the record companies of Latvia came together with a common goal: to sell more records. How better to do this than with a compilation of all the hits of 2001 on one compact disc? Participants in the 19-track SuperIzlase 2 include MICREC, UPE Recording Co., Baltic Records Group, Platforma Records and Rīga Records.

As always with these kinds of compilations, you get a widely divergent group of songs. It is doubtful that there will be one listener who likes all the tracks, but ideally all listeners should like at least one. Though there are many performers who are alumni of the first SuperIzlase release, about 10 see their first appearance in the series.

Rock fans should have their appetite sated with this collection, as there is plenty on here that could appeal to them. Even if you are like me and had already heard (and bought) most of the rock releases that are represented on here, there is still a good chance that there will be something new on here for you.

Prāta Vētra (BrainStorm) contributes two tracks from their 2001 release, Kaķēns, kurš atteicās no jūras skolas. There is the English-language “Maybe” (oftentimes the English language tracks make me cringe, but this I like). There is also the “acoustic version” of their song “Visskumjākā parāde uz mūsu ielas,” which is different than the version on the album. What’s nice about this version is that it is played on guitar, an instrument not heard often on Kaķēns.

Other rock releases include two songs with music by Imants Kalniņš: a duet betwen Ainars Mielavs and Rēzija Kalniņa, “Apturi mani,” and the Autobuss debesīs song “Ir tikai tveice.” From Tumsa’s latest release, we get the song “Lai būtu tā” (probably the most “listener-friendly” song from their latest album). Labvēlīgais tips’ lyrics continue to become even stranger. The group is represented by the song “Koka klucis Konstantīns”—guaranteed to cause puzzled faces on listeners everywhere. Credo also provide their most “accessible” track, “Tur aiz mākoņiem ir saule,” from their latest album.

Because these kinds of compilations are usually geared towards younger listeners, there is plenty of pop and dance and other such things. Latvian Eurovision representative Marija Naumova appears on two tracks. The first is “Hey Boy, Follow Me,” a catchy, somewhat Latin-sounding song. The secong is a duet with Normunds Rutulis, “Kūko, kūko dzeguzīte,” which strikes me as being a song for the particularly young listener. “Kūko” also features the music of Raimonds Pauls.

Latvia’s own Mariah Carey, Linda Leen, appears on two duets with Arnis “Spaceman” Mednis. The first is “Noktirne,” the music for which I was very surprised to find out was not written by Raimonds Pauls, although it sounds very much like him. Famous Latvian soprano Sonora Vaice also adds some vocal melodies to “Noktirne.” Leen and Mednis ditch Vaice for their next song, the super-slick ballad, “Not to Fall Again.”

Heartthrob Gunārs Kalniņš’ entry for this album is the song, “Pērles un dimanti,” another super-slick pop song that should keep his legions of pre-teen female fans happy.

Dance group A-Eiropa perform the song “Meitenes Rīgā,” while Igo also submits a super-poppy song, “Ir labi kopā būt,” that sounds more like it belongs in the 1970s than the 21st century. Another favorite of the younger crowd is Latvian rapper Ozols, who performs “Bokss.” Also in the rap vein is the song “Rītdiena” by the group Device. BTH, formerly known as Braithouse, also provides a dance song, “Last Christmas.”

One reason anyone buys these kinds of collections is to find out if there is anything new that they had not heard before. In my case, though I had already heard most of the music that I would have liked, there were a couple of things that got my interest. I had not heard of the rock group The Mundane, but I really liked their song “Nav viegli būt tev.” I also like the more poppy group Māsas and their song “Dāvā laimi.” I will have to investigate these groups more on my next sojourn to Latvia.

The liner notes are pretty sparse. Last year they at least had pictures of the groups, but not this year. Also I think it would help in marketing to name the album from which the track was taken and to include any Web sites for the bands or the record labels.

How times have changed since the days of Soviet-style elections even in the music world, when you had the choice of Raimonds Pauls, or… well… Single party systems are a bit of a drag, aren’t they? It is still amazing how varied the Latvian music world has become and what selection a listener has, be they old, young or just very fussy. For a quick overview of where Latvian music stands today check out SuperIzlase 2. It may lead you to discover much of the great music and the great bands in Latvia today.