Latvian heavy folk ensemble Symbolic, though playing and performing for more than a decade, only released their first album Mūžam saule debesīs at the end of 2017. The band is made up of guitarists Jānis Rage-Raģis and Lauris Aišpurs, vocalist Uldis Kākulis, bassist Ģirts Blūms, and drummer Ēriks Lizbovskis. Symbolic’s brand of heavy rock might remind listeners more of 1970s era hard rock bands, with perhaps some influence from bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.

Folklorist Dina Liepa supplements the group’s sound with traditional instruments, such as the kokle in the introduction to the song ‘Pērkons, saule’, which also serves to establish the powerful vocals of Kākulis. The traditional instruments add an additional layer to the heavy guitars, making for an intriguing blend of traditional and modern sounds and performances.

As befits the music style, many of the songs have themes of war and battle. The song ‘Mēnestiņš, karavīris’ compares the moon to a soldier who is always moving, while the mournful ‘Es, karā aiziedams’ is about a young man preparing to leave for war. The rousing ‘Jodam galvu’ is about creating a sword made of sparks to cut off a devil’s head so that the goddess Laima can freely enter a home, with a climactic squealing guitar and vocal interplay providing the imagery of the battle with the devil.

Liepa’s deft kokle playing, meant to give the appearance of a glittering sun, provides the introduction for the anthemic ode to the sun, ‘Spīguļo saulīte’. The song is full of evocative imagery and colors, such as the sun throwing the black into the sea and keeping the white for herself, as well as the daughters of the sea beating the wash with silver bats, and is given a thundering foundation by drummer Lizbovskis.

The expansive ‘Māsiņa’, a song of engagement and wedding, presents in musical form a pre-wedding ritual, where brothers must saddle their horses and chase after their sister who has gone to be married. The song builds to a galloping crescendo, then concludes on a softer, more melodic note as the ritual dance begins.

Though most of the songs are energetic and active, there are still some mellower moments to balance out the record. The winter solstice song ‘Ziemassvētku dziesma’, featuring vocals by the late Niks Matvejevs, is one of the group’s earliest songs (recorded in the early 2000s), and it brings the album to a somber close. However, the full-throated vocals seem a bit much for this calmer song, as they do not quite match the tone of the lyrics and music.

Of course, the comparisons with perhaps the best know Latvian folk metal ensemble – Skyforger – are inevitable. However, Symbolic do distinguish themselves, as they are perhaps not as aggressive as Skyforger, and Uldis Kākulis’ deep, occasionally even bellowing, vocals allow for a bit more melodic interpretation and flexibility than Skyforger’s slightly harsher vocal stylings. Still, Skyforger fans should still find much to enjoy on Mūžam saule debesīs.

As the band say on their website, “Symbolic wants to reach people who feel that their roots, their land and ancestors and history is really important and all others who are interested in Latvian culture and tradition.” Via their heavy guitars and energetic performances, Mūžam saule debesīs reveals new interpretations of ancient Latvian texts and folklore. Though one might not think that ancient folk songs would work with distorted, heavy guitars and driving drums, Symbolic’s songs show that these elements fit together quite naturally, as well as how the ancient can still be quite modern.

For further information, please visit the Symbolic website.

The Latvian chamber music trio Art-i-Shock has now been performing for seven years, and with their somewhat uncommon lineup (piano, cello, and percussion), not to mention eagerness to perform new and experimental works, have inspired many Latvian composers to compose especially for them. The trio gathered together and recorded some of their favorite compositions and, in 2017, released their debut album, simply entitled Contemporary Chamber Music from Latvia, which was released by the Latvian national record label Skani.

Art-i-Shock, made up of cellist Guna Šnē, Elīna Endzele on percussion and pianist Agnese Egliņa, formed in 2011, and have since become one of the premiere performers and interpreters of not just modern music, but they also arrange music from throughout history.

The album, a collection of seven chamber music works of a wide variety and styles, reveals the many facets and diversity of modern Latvian academic music, from melodic works to radical experimentations. The composers represented are of varied generations and in varied styles, and all the works are adeptly and expertly performed by the trio.

It is immediately clear from the first few seconds of the album that this will not be an ordinary album of music. Endzele’s drums introduce the first composition, ‘Voltāža’ (Voltage) by Platons Buravickis, which are then joined by harsh cello sounds and bursts of piano. As per the composer the work is ‘a message about the pressure that acts upon a person’. Indeed, the work is full of tension, and the ensemble maintains this energy throughout the work, particularly in Egliņa’s tumbling piano phrases.

After that anxious beginning, there is a small respite in composer Georgs Pelēcis’ ‘Pieneņu lauks’ (Field of Dandelions), a more melodic work where Šnē’s cello and Endzele’s vibraphone, and, later in the work, Egliņa’s piano, take turns in the forefront to provide a musical flowery landscape.

Crashes and sudden bursts of sound are an integral part of composer Linda Leimane’s ‘Silhouettes. Behaviors’, a particularly challenging work for both the performers and listeners. As per the composer, the goal was to create ‘something alive, organic and plastic’, and with these various sounds the Trio creates an engrossing sonic journey.

Perhaps the most ambitious work on the record is composer Kristaps Pētersons’ ‘Z.I.E.M.A.’ (or – Zigzagging Images and the Elements of the Melancholic Actuality), where the trio are joined by DJ Monsta on scratch and the composer himself on double bass. This is a particularly dense and complex work, with many sound effects and musical themes, and it is most helpful that the CD booklet includes a minute by minute breakdown of the compositions, with sections like ‘Leaving Gas Station Scene. Night’ and ‘Killing Scene. Late Morning’. As this is more of a theatrical work, Art-i-Shock set the stage with their evocative performances, while ghostly voices quote Emily Brontë, Shakespeare, and Wilhelm Müller.

The CD also contains performances of compositions by Andris Vecumnieks, Rihards Dubra, and Zigmārs Liepiņš.

Their work has not gone unnoticed; it is not particularly surprising that this CD was awarded the Zelta mikrofons award for best classical music album in 2017. The trio continues to work with many Latvian composers and premiere new works.

The CD booklet is full of extensive notes on the group and the compositions in both Latvian and English. These notes are particularly helpful with understanding the compositions and their meanings, and one gets a sense that the composers find it both an honor and a challenge to compose for Art-i-Shock.

Contemporary Chamber Music from Latvia provides for conclusive documentation of the talents and abilities of the trio Art-i-Shock. Certainly, many of the works on the record are very modern and make for challenging listening, as they are often discordant and non-melodic, but still serve to create intricate musical paintings. The releases by the Skani label continues to reveal the many varied aspects of modern Latvian academic music, and Art-i-Shock are one of the most exemplary and innovative Latvian chamber music ensembles.

For further information, please visit the Art-i-Shock website and the Skani music label website.

 

Guitarist, singer, songwriter and arranger Ivars Štubis is an Australian Latvian who performs a blend of folk and rock music, and often includes Latvian elements in his music and creates arrangements of Latvian folk songs to add to his repertoire.

Štubis has released two recordings, the first was 2016’s Young Blood, and the second was a mini-album of Latvian folk song arrangements entitled Tek saulīte in 2017. Almost all of the songs are just guitar and vocals, with some occasional percussion.

Young Blood is mainly songs in English, but has three Latvian folk song arrangements. Many of his songs have themes of relationships and making one’s way in the world. The combination of Štubis’ vocals and guitars are the ideal presentation form for these personal and introspective kinds of songs, such as the hopeful ‘Long Road’, where the singer stays positive in the face of life’s adversities, or the philosophical ‘Love for War’ (a duet of Štubis and singer Ella Mačēns).

Štubis is not just influenced by Latvian folk songs, but folk songs from other cultures, and this is displayed on the rousing performance of the traditional American song “Gracie” (also known as “I Wish I was a Mole in the Ground”).

Tek saulīte has five Latvian folk song arrangements, three of which are with vocals, while two are instrumentals. The mystical “Lēni, lēni Dieviņš brauca” is enhanced with Štubis’ guitar work, giving the song a mysterious, perhaps even ominous, feel. A similar result is achieved on his version of one of the most beloved of Latvian folk songs – “Tumša nakte, zaļa zāle”, a song that is at once sad and hopeful, and Štubis’ guitar work and vocals give this song the necessary tenderness and solemnity.

Some may find it disconcerting to have rock songs in English side by side with Latvian folk songs (particularly those that might not speak Latvian). However, as all the songs have the common thread of Štubis’ guitar and vocals, the transitions between the two types of songs are not as abrupt as one might think – there is a musical and melodic flow in these recordings. Some might even see how the one type of music influences the other – the melancholy of the Latvian folk songs flowing into his own songs (traces of the mood of “Tumša nakte” in the wistful “If You Find Her”), while his exuberant and vibrant guitar playing perhaps transfers into his folk song performances (the lively guitar of “A Former Life” then inspiring the rousing arrangement of “Āvu, āvu, baltas kājas”)

Štubis is performing throughout Latvia in July 2018, including stops in Liepāja, Rīga, as well as the festivals Muzykys Skrytuļs in Līksna and Vārti in Pope. Štubis has also expanded his musical horizons by working with Latvian choirs in Australia, including the Melbourne Latvian Men’s Choir “Veseris”, with whom he will be performing on July 3 at the Latvian Central Library on Brīvības iela.

Ivars Štubis guitar and songwriting/arrangement talents are quite evident throughout both Young Blood and Tek saulīte, blending Latvian influences with folk influences, as well as deft, intricate guitar arrangements, and these all make for an enjoyable and engaging listen. Being just guitars and vocals, the songs are at once intimate and personal, revealing the many facets of Štubis’ songwriting and arranging talents. His folk song arrangements display an accomplished ability to bring out new aspects of these centuries’ old songs, while still maintaining the essence of these traditional and beloved melodies. Štubis is a rare talent, and these two records are vivid confirmation of his versatility and abilities as a singer, guitarist, songwriter and arranger.

For further information, please visit Ivars Štubis’ Facebook page.