In the history of Latvian alternative music, the group Hospitāļu iela remains one of the brightest stars. With their combination of varied musical styles, offbeat lyrics, and general quirkiness, songs such as ‘Par Pogu’ and ‘Par Raimi’ became hits. However, after their third album, 2007’s Pūķis, the group went on extended hiatus, and officially broke up in 2010 (though their final performance was in 2011). The group’s leader and songwriter Edgars Šubrovskis remained active in various projects (most notably the band Gaujarts and 2014’s tribute to Māris Šverns and Baložu pilni pagalmi – Brāļi un māsas), and now has a new project entitled Manta, who released their debut album Ansamblis Manta in 2014.

Along with Šubrovskis (on guitar, bass guitar and vocals), Manta’s other members are Edgars Mākens on organ, stylophone, and backup vocals, as well as Oskars Upenieks on synthesizers, samples and backup vocals, and Raitis Viļumovs on percussions and backup vocals.

The immediately noticeable difference between Manta and Hospitāļu iela is that keyboards are now a significant part of the sound, giving Manta a more electronic sound. The presence of the synthesizers gives the music a strong resemblance to Latvian electronic music pioneers Dzeltenie pastnieki – which may not be completely coincidental, considering that the producer of the album is one of Dzeltenie pastnieki ‘s founders Ingus Baušķenieks. The electronic flavor of the music gives the songs an additional creative dimension, allowing for more experimentation and creativity. Additionally, the presence of the electronic music is not overbearing, and is well balanced with the rest of the instruments.

With the first track, ‘Viva Voleros’, Manta define themselves as subdued, but intense performers. Šubrovskis’ picturesque lyrics relate views of the Voleri area of Riga – an area of abandoned factories, ports, and small gardens, with a variety of inhabitants, many of whom look suspiciously on unfamiliar visitors. The unease of an outsider visiting Voleri is reflected in the lyrics – ‘Kā tu domā, kā es te izskatos?’ (How do I look here, what do you think?)

The songs at times have images of fleeing and alienation, such as the song ‘Suņi seko’, which tells the story of a search for a fugitive shooter, while at the same time appearing to be an allegory for trying to find someone that cannot be found, with bitter memories. The plight of the fugitive is summed up with the song’s central lyric – ‘Vientuļa bēgļa vienīgais draugs ir nikotīns’ (The only friend of a lone fugitive is nicotine).

Manta provide their own variation on the Latvian legend of Kristaps, entitled ‘Antikristaps’, where the devil curses Kristaps to carry a child over the Daugava RIver, only to find the child getting heavier and heavier, until Kristaps, having reached the middle of the river, sinks. The slow and plaintive vocals, sung over a simple and deliberate electronic beat, give the song an eerie, atmospheric feel.

The slow, wistful ‘Tūkstošreiz’ closes the album. As with many of the songs of the album, the lyrics appear to be about travels to lesser known or unusual places – there is a sense of searching for something that cannot be found, a feeling of solitude and loneliness – ‘tur, kur kādreiz es braucu tūkstošreiz, bet nu arvien retāk’ (Where I used to go a thousand times, but nowadays rarely).

As was often the case with Hospitāļu iela, the lyrics can be a bit opaque from time to time. Interestingly, the group chose to include English translations of all the lyrics in the booklet – though that does not always help determine what the song was about!

It would always be a challenge to follow up on the success of Hospitāļu iela, which was one of the most popular and influential alternative bands in recent Latvian music history. Instead of copying previous successes, leader Edgars Šubrovskis takes things in a new direction, and with successful results. Manta has released an impressive debut album – it is not much of a surprise that Ansamblis Manta was awarded the Latvian Great Music award for best alternative album in 2014. Featuring quirky and intriguing lyrics, engaging music, Manta distinguish themselves from other alternative groups with their creativity, and have made a memorable album.

For further information, please visit Manta’s Facebook page.

 

So popular and beloved is the group Prāta vētra (known as Brainstorm internationally) that they have the artistic freedom to do just about whatever they like on their albums, and fans will rush out to not only buy the album, but attend their concerts – Prāta vētra regularly gather tens of thousands of listeners to their concerts.

However, the group’s most recent albums, though popular, may not have left the impression on listeners that their earlier works did. 2008’s Tur kaut kam ir jābūt, with its hip-hop elements, and 2011’s uneven Vēl viena klusā daba, with its very subdued melodies and focus on keyboards (no surprise, considering that keyboardist Māris Mihelsons was the lead architect on many of the album’s songs), were perhaps not as satisfying efforts as albums like 1996’s periodically anarchic Veronika or 2001’s polished pop music collection Kaķēns kurš atteicās no jūrasskolas. However, the group – made up of Renārs Kaupers on vocals, Jānis Jubalts on guitars, Māris Mihelsons on keyboards, Kaspars Roga on drums and Ingars Viļums on bass – are not content to rest on their laurels and continue to craft some of the best Latvian pop songs.

Now, in 2015, more than a quarter century after the group’s founding in 1989, the group released 7 soļi svaiga gaisa, their 10th full length Latvian studio album (many of their previous albums have been released in English and Russian language versions). One never quite knows what to expect from a new Prāta vētra album – will they continue their experiments in different genres, or might they return to sounds that have brought them success in the past.

It would appear that 7 soļi svaiga gaisa is indeed a ‘back to the basics’ album. Almost entirely devoid of the hip hop elements that distinguished Tur kaut kam ir jābūt, the focus is on the music and making songs slightly more accessible to listeners. This becomes clear from the lead off title track ‘7 soļi svaiga gaisa’, with its U2 like guitar effects at the beginning, slowly expanding like a bright sunrise and singer Kaupers singing ‘gribās stāvēt un elpot’ (I want to stand and breathe). The only sour note in the song is the slightly forced concert singalong section – which does not quite fit in with the rest of the song.

In a song that reminds the listener of the slightly harder edge of the songs on 2005’s Četri krasti (also perhaps not a surprise, as producer Alex Silva also produced that album, and has a knack for getting a great and clear guitar sound), is the second track ‘Ēdenes dārzs’ – a joyful, exuberant song. It is reassuring to hear the prominent guitars of Jānis Jubalts on a Prāta vētra album, as in the past they have sometimes been relegated to the background, and Prāta vētra works best as a guitar oriented band.

Prāta vētra also have a knack for bringing out the emotional and tender in their songs, such as ‘Tu izvēlējies palikt’ and ‘Spogulīt spogulīt’, and the song ‘Kad zvaigznes pār alejām krīt’ can certainly be considered an entry just as worthy. With its repeated lyric ‘kaut es spētu būt tev klāt’ (if only I could be with you), over a simple keyboard line and beat, the song is immediately memorable. This song, as well as a majority of the songs on the album, features lyrics by new Latvian poet Emīls Buiķis, whose lyrics may also have injected new life into the band. In fact, Buiķis wrote the lyrics for or shares a lyric credit on seven of the ten songs on the album.

Still, though, the album is not without its ‘experiments’. This time around, there are funk and disco-like elements in songs such as ‘Pilsētas ugunis’ and ‘Pastkastīte’, though, these are some of the weaker numbers on the album, and are a bit jarring with the rest of the more earnest songs.

The group is indeed confident in the material on the album, as they have announced that during their summer tour they will play all the songs from it. Unfortunately, with each tour, Prāta vētra play fewer shows in Latvia – there will be only four this summer (Jelgava, Ventspils, Valmiera and Riga).

Though it is difficult to compete with their seminal earlier albums, 7 soļi svaiga gaisa is one of their most cohesive albums in recent memory. Prāta vētra tone down the experimentation and return to a guitar based sound, and that makes 7 soļi svaiga gaisa overall a highly satisfying album. Though relatively short (the ten songs clock in at almost exactly 40 minutes), the album is indeed, as the title would indicate, a breath of fresh air. After more than a quarter century of existence, and with their place in Latvian music history secure, Prāta vētra show that they have not lost a step.

For further information, please visit the band’s website.

 

 

Raxtu Raxti is a new ensemble formed by members of the Latvian popular group Autobuss debesīs and Latvian folk musicians, who perform the songs of Latvian composer Imants Kalniņš and others, but with folklore elements and interpretations.  Though only recently formed, the group has quickly become one of the most popular folk ensembles, and the group released their debut album entitled Es atradu tautasdziesmu in 2015.

The group features the Autobuss debesīs members Marts Kristiāns Kalniņš (vocals, keyboards), Armands Treilihs (bass guitar) and Kārlis Auzāns (guitar and cello), joined by folk singer Kristīne Kārkle (vocals, violin) and Edgars Kārklis (vocals, bagpipes, and accordion). Joining the musicians on the album are Artis Orubs on percussion and Ilze Grunte on 12 string guitar.

The album opens with the dreamy ‘Es atradu tautasdziesmu’, a song with music by Imants Kalniņš and lyrics by Laima Līvena, slowly building in intensity over a simple keyboard melody and subtle cello line. Singer Kristīne Kārkle (who seems to be just about everywhere these days, performing with Folkvakars, Trio Šmite Kārkle Cinkuss, and Valts Pūce, among others), delivers a stirring vocal performance with her distinctive voice.

The song ‘Zanes dziesma’ from the film Pūt, vējiņi! (music by Imants Kalniņš, lyrics by Rainis and folksong elements), a fantasy about a young girl doing laundry by the Daugava River who has her wreath stolen from her head by a green pike, and then her ring also falls in the river. The music by Kalniņš and vocals by Kārkle give the song a mystic quality, as the girl reaches from her ring and thinks about what the future might bring her.

Though almost all the music on the album was composed by Imants Kalniņš, other composers are represented here as well. Composer Juris Vaivods provides the music for Rūdolfs Blaumanis’ folksong-style poem ‘Apkal manu kumeliņu’. Blaumanis’ metaphorical imagery – comparing the arduous task of winning the respect of a girls’ mother to climbing a mountain of ice, makes for a rousing, almost war-like song. In the end, the lad prepares his horse for this tortuous journey, chops up the ice mountain, and wins the approval of the mother. The song also features lead vocals by Edgars Kārklis (who also plays with the drum and bagpipe ensemble Auļi).

One of the many positive aspects of the album is its liveliness – reflected in songs such as ‘Man apnikusi’ (music by Imants Kalniņš, lyrics by Broņislava Martuževa), a song for anyone who experiences frustration with life and seeking more enjoyment out of life. Martuževa, who died in 2012, writes ‘Man apnicis ikvienu soli kā rubli bankā reģistrēt, es gribu līdz ar naktsvijoli uz meža noras noziedēt’ (I’m sick of registering every step like a rouble in the bank, I want to blossom like a butterfly orchid in a forest glade). The music of Kalniņš and vocals by Kārkle memorably capture the defiance and dreaminess of the poet’s words.

Autobuss debesīs have always been closely associated with Imants Kalniņš, which should be little surprise, considering that singer Marts Kristiāns Kalniņš is Kalniņš’ son. The group almost exclusively perform only his songs, and have become popular and successful in doing so. Still, performing the works of only one composer can be limiting, so the fact that there are multiple composers (including the group themselves) on the album provides for more variety. Also, one of the many aspects that makes Raxtu Raxti’s Es atradu tautasdziesmu is that it includes some of Kalniņš lesser known songs, and shies away from his biggest hits.

Es atradu tautasdziesmu, with its folklore elements and imaginative new arrangements, makes for a refreshing and enjoyable listen, shining new light on some older songs and presenting some new songs that feel right at place with the others. Though a new ensemble, Raxtu Raxti’s members, with their decades of performance experience, bring a solid music foundation, as well as a unique melding of popular and folk song elements. With this mix of folk elements with compositions by Imants Kalniņš and other composers, the album stands up well with the many other folk albums released in recent memory.

For more information, please visit the group’s Facebook page.

 

Details

Es atradu tautasdziesmu

Raxtu raxti
Produced by MICREC, 2015

Track listing

1. Es atradu tautasdziesmu
2. Karsta mana jauna dziesma
3. Vedību dziesma
4. Puiša dziesma
5. Rakstu rakstus
6. Modināšanas dziesma
7. Zanes dziesma
8. Klusi, klusi
9. Apkal manu kumeliņu
10. Šorīt saule
11. Man apnikusi
12. Laime, laime