Past Forward: Michael Holland (NTS / ICRN / Baltic Rehearsals, Riga)

Michael Holland is a sound artist, DJ and radio host based in Riga, Latvia. Since 2017 he has hosted the monthly show Ono on NTS, focusing on new music and often featuring artists based in and around the Baltic states. He also runs a label of the same name.

"For my classic release I thought about all the music experimentation that happened throughout the 80s and 90s in Latvia. I thought to mention releases such as Ieva Akurātere un NSR Darbnīca and all the incredible NSRD recordings that came out of that amazing time just before the breakup of the Soviet Union."

The compilations on Stroom just touched at the surface of this incredible period of creativity in the late 80s in Latvia. This, of course, didn't stop with these bands and legendary artists like Ingus Baušķenieks that have been reissued on Stroom. Ingus and his Bicycle Systems recording studio continue to quietly release music through various channels on CD and Vinyl as well as recording music for one of the most incredible loose indie collective/recording studio/label/ co-operative archive TORNIS. Recent releases from Nabadzītes and Simons Krasts on the TORNIS label show that this platform for the archiving of music in Latvia continues with a mixture of digging in the past, from the deep wealth of releases that were recorded in the 80s and 90s period, along with the continuous stream of new projects coming from this rich independent music obsession that continues in the underground to this day.

"So what I really wanted to share was one Ingus Baušķenieks connected release by 19 Gadi Pirms Sakuma."

This CD, released on Ingus Baušķenieks label in 2005, is for me the definitive classic release from them and includes, I think, all available studio tracks (maybe). For me, this CD is a starting point on a really magical journey of discovery into Latvian music if you follow the threads and listen to some more of the music released on Ingus's Label, such as Dzeltenie Pastnieki's incredible album Naktis or Man Ļoti Patīk Jaunais Vilnius, also by the 'yellow postmen'... following through to recent things recorded by Ingus at Bicycle Systems like Simons Krasts beautiful poetry in Briežu utis (2025). There should be a special mention to Aleponija bar in Riga, and also to Jānis Daugavietis for keeping the archive going all this time, and for Juris Simanovičs for creating the space for many of these bands to meet and to play, so that the underground scene in Latvia has some base from which these kinds of bands can play, and where people can enjoy the music firsthand!

<a href="https://ingusbauskenieks.bandcamp.com/album/19-gadi-pirms-s-kuma">19 Gadi Pirms Sākuma by 19 Gadi Pirms Sākuma</a>

I had to think for a while before making this second selection. First into my mind was TRĪNEunINGA from Latvia, a duo of some kind of jazz anti-pop, and for want of more recent recordings by them, the last three and only available releases are there for you to listen to on their Bandcamp page.

"For me it's a continuation of the long history of independent jazz music coming from Latvians studying overseas. Many gifted Baltic musicians find their way to study at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, or other high profile music academies across Europe, and come back to the Baltics carrying with them some of the most incredible ideas and confidence to share their experiences to the Baltic audience."

Some of these music projects have been released via labels such as Jersika records, one notable record is KlusiKlusi by Kaspars Kurdeko / Rudolfs Macats / Kaspars Vizulis. I feel that the quality of sound is similar in the TRINEunINGA releases.

"This recent release from TRINEunINGA has some real depth and space to share in the short time it occupies."

<a href="https://trineuninga.bandcamp.com/album/tests">tests by TRĪNEunINGA</a>

Michael Holland is one of the founders of COSMOS Embassy Independent Community Radio Network (ICRN), a member of the online radio station Tīrkultūra, and a producer of Baltic Rehearsals – a collaboration with COSMOS which pairs artists from across the Baltics to perform one-off sets at Le Guess Who? 2026. You can witness the Baltic Rehearsals performances each day of the festival at the COSMOS Foyer.