Guitarist, singer and songwriter Edgars Šubrovskis has been, for decades now, a leading figure and creative force in the Latvian alternative music scene. With groups like Hospitāļu iela, Gaujarts, and, most recently, Manta, his distinctive vocals and creative songs have found a large audience in Latvia and elsewhere.

Manta’s self-titled debut album was released in 2014, and, with its quirky, catchy songs, at times humorous, at times menacing, as well as its retro electronic sound (courtesy of producer Ingus Baušķenieks, of Latvian electronic music innovators Dzeltenie pastnieki), was a landmark in Latvian alternative music. In fact, the album won the Zelta mikrofons award for best alternative album.

Manta returned with their follow-up album – Karaliene Anna – in 2017, again recorded and mixed by Baušķenieks, and which continued the development of the group’s sound and music in multiple different directions, some expected, and some unexpected and difficult. On the record, Šubrovskis is joined by Edgars Mākens on keyboards, Oskars Upenieks on synthesizers, and Raitis Viļumovs on percussion.

Even before the first listen, the album cover and booklet immediately give warning that this will be a darker and bleaker album. With its dark tones and blurry pictures, it is clear that this may be a challenging musical journey for some. Somber keyboard tones open the first track – ‘Zīme’, a song simply chronicling the staggered journey of a drunken man along the street, eventually collapsing. With its sound effects and dark, atmospheric sounds, this song sets the stage for the album, with Šubrovskis’ vocals at once dour and resonant.

The group certainly has more ambitious musical plans on Karaliene Anna, stretching musical boundaries, such as on the nearly nine minute space rock epic ‘Pārestības’. The lyrics, tinged with bitterness and sadness, provide the introduction to the extended jam that concludes the song, perhaps indicating a solitary journey in the vast emptiness of space.

The titular queen Anna has died, and the song is presented as a requiem for her (though, as is often the case in Šubrovskis’ songs, who might this queen be and why her death is so significant is unclear), however, the song is one of the most beautiful on the album, with its haunting synthesizer tones on top of a mournful piano melody.

The intentionally archaic electronic sounds frequently heard on the album are used with great effect on the song ‘Eva Eva’, a song that again has a twinge of romantic sadness, particularly in lyrics like ‘Pāris sadodas rokās. Tas ir tik skaisti. Bet mēs tie neesam.’ (A couple join hands, that is so beautiful – but it is not us).

One can perhaps see parallels in the progression from their 2014 album to Karaliene Anna in the progression of Šubrovskis’ earlier ensemble Hospitāļu iela. Their 2004 album Pilnmēness was also full of quirky, catchy songs, but subsequent albums (2005’s Nav centrs and 2007’s Pūķis became more and more eclectic and challenging). Perhaps Šubrovskis gravitates towards bleaker themes and sounds, as his singing style in many songs makes them sound like funeral dirges, with their slow and weighty vocals. Though Karaliene Anna was clearly meant as a gloomier, weightier album, one does miss the occasional flash of humor that appears in Šubrovskis’ songs.

Listeners who were hoping for a continuation of the unconventional yet catchy songs on their debut album may find the musical turns on Karaliene Anna to be difficult to follow, if not overly dreary. The album is also a far cry from the often light-hearted tunes from the earlier days of Hospitāļu iela. With its bleak and sorrowful songs, the album is emotionally draining to listen to. Still, those familiar with all the aspects of Šubrovskis’ long career will still find much familiar here, as well as many new sonic explorations and creative arrangements. With its dark tones and color palette, Karaliene Anna is often challenging, periodically rewarding, and another unexpected twist in the musical career of Edgars Šubrovskis.

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

Karaliene Anna

Manta

Biedrība HI, 2017

Track listing:

1. Zīme
2. Rudensziema
3. Halo
4. Tьматериатьизм
5. Krīspadsmit
6. Pārestības
7. Karaliene Anna
8. Eva Eva
9. Kaste ar sirdīm
10. 8 bitu halo
11. Bērni

 

Drum and bagpipe ensemble Auļi have long been a major force in Latvian folk music, with their driving beats complemented by the powerful sounds and tones of the bagpipes. A newer group on the Latvian folk music scene is Tautumeitas, who, as their name might indicate, is a collection of young Latvian women singing in a traditional style. In 2017, these two combined their talents and recorded an album entitled Lai māsiņa rotājās!, an album with songs about engagements and weddings.

As Auļi has ten members, and Tautumeitas has six singers (and one bassist), the united ensemble has seventeen musicians and displays a true strength in numbers, with the drums, bagpipes and multiple vocalists coming together to create a broad sonic tapestry, which is at once both traditional and modern. One of the most effective examples of this is the song ‘Dzied’ papriekšu, brāļa māsa’, where the traditional Latvian singing style is meshed with the thundering drums to make for a powerful performance.

Latvian folklore is full of references to the inability of a bride and her groom’s mother to get along, such as in the song ‘Benķa kāja’, where the bride sings “ja tu man’ par beņķa kāja – es tev – veca raganiņ’” (If you say that I am a bench leg, then I will call you an old witch.”) With their confident, expressive singing, Tautumeitas make it clear that the bride will be no pushover, no matter how little the groom’s mother thinks of the dowry.

The hard working, independent young Latvian woman appears in the song ‘Manā lopu laidarā’, where the young woman defiantly turns away a suitor, saying “Kā es varu tava būt? Netīk manam prātiņam!” (How can I be yours? You are not my type!) The extensive and intricate vocal harmonies of Tautumeitas make for an authentic interpretation of this song – in fact, many of the members of the group are ethnomusicologists, another reason that their singing is so very genuine.

The album does have the occasional softer, calmer song, such as ‘Es jaunā būdama’. Tautumeitas are not just vocalists, they also bring quite a few instruments along with them, such as the violin and accordion, and these additional elements, along with the sounds of Auļi, enrich this song and others on the album.

There are also songs from the Latgale region, such as the vigorous ‘Sēdēja muoseņa aiz galdeņa’ and ‘Voi vacuokīs buoleliņi’, with its lively string introduction then followed by an ever expanding vocal group supplemented by the indefatigable drumming of Auļi.

The combination of the two ensembles is a highly effective one – with the masculinity of the drums and the femininity of the vocals, a memorable balance is achieved. As the album is about engagement and weddings, it is then appropriate to have both of these perspectives in the songs. One might even interpret the album itself as the older brother (Auļi) leading the debutantes of Tautumeitas into wider society (this is, after all, Tautumeitas’ first album).

The driving drums and bagpipes of Auļi along with the energetic, potent vocals of Tautumeitas makes for a dynamic combination on Lai māsiņa rotājās! In fact, this album was awarded the Zelta mikrofons award for best folk music album of 2017. Though steeped in tradition, the songs still sound fresh and robust, with, once again, thanks to the skills of producer Kaspars Bārbals (a producer of many such folk music albums), who ensures a full and rich, but not overwhelming sound on the record. The union of these two groups has made for a particularly enjoyable and significant entry in the field of Latvian folk music.

For further information, please visit the Auļi website and the Tautumeitas website.

Lai māsiņa rotājās!

Auļi/ Tautumeitas

Lauska, LAUSKACD072, 2017

Track listing:

1. Manā lopu laidarā
2. Neviens mīļi tā nebrauca
3. Dzied’ papriekšu, brāļa māsa
4. Netīšāmi es iegāju
5. Sēdēja muoseņa aiz galdeņa
6. Nu ar Dievu
7. Ko zinu gaidīt
8. Es jauna būdama
9. Dej, eglīte
10. Voi vacuokīs buoleliņi
11. Ama jama muosenis
12. Beņķa kāja
13. Aulejas klezmers