Ryga
Ryga
Microphone Records
The most provocative band from the Baltic States - from capital city of Latvia. They started their music career in 2013 and have been astounding the audience by bringing forth popular yet awkward topics and sounds, confronting them straight ahead without lies or embellishments. “We are all only human beings, so – why not be honest about who we really are,” used to say the band leader Mārcis Judzis.
Local and international have pointed out that band RYGA is rebellious, loud and with a character. An enormous charge of energy is combined with shock therapy born from a dramatic environment by fusing together various already well known bands. Possibly, this is the key to their originality — they deliver the sound of dance and electronic music with a true punk attitude.
The story of RYGA started with the collaboration with the internationally acclaimed Lithuanian director Oskaras Koršunovas, who staged the play “Izraidītie” (“Outcasts”) in Riga. It became a cult play and won 9 theatre award nominations, one of those pertained to the composer Mārcis Judzis. Motivated by the successful collaboration Mārcis became the leader, song-writer and the driving force of RYGA. Professional musicians and friends with a vast experience in music from other bands were invited to join. Of course, it was not the beginning for Mārcis in music at all - he has a 25-year long background, playing drums in one of the most popular Latvian rock bands “Dzelzs Vilks”.
During the last 3 years RYGA has played in all the main music festivals of the region and has reached music tops of Baltic radio stations and the selection for the nomination “The Best Dance Recording” of the most prestigious US music award — the Grammy. Another great musical explosion of the band — the pieces “Tits” and “Give Me Your Love” — led to a successful co-operation with the Continental Hockey League – their music will be used as the theme songs at the All-Star Game.
Currently the band is working on another theatre play based on “The Death of Bunny Munro” by Nick Cave. In collaboration with “Microphone Records” and “Rough Trade” they are working on their first album which is going to be released in April 2017 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland .