There's a sense of spontaneity and playfulness present around Merope's upcoming album Vėjula. Before the album reaches your ears in full on 5 November (released via Stroom), the duo of Lithuanian singer and kanklės player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and guitarist/producer Bert Cools share their latest, soothing single Lopšinė.
Lopšinė is based on an old Lithuanian lullaby, and on it, the duo are joined by ECM great Bill Frisell, whose animated riffs dance between Cools' lulling acoustic guitar phrases and Jurgelevičiūtė's haunting vocals.
Diving into ancestral words and melodies, they present a contemporary vision of ancient Baltic music. Tangling elements gleaned from jazz, traditional, ambient music, 20th century minimalism and kosmische into their moving, humanist compositions, they provide a soundtrack for today's international landscape.
Merope perform at Le Guess Who? 2024 on Friday, 8 November. Also performing at the festival are a.o. Wadada Leo Smith, Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan, Kahil El’Zabar Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Kevin Richard Martin & KMRU, and many more.
Photography: Tina Herbots
