Līva Dumpe | Tālskatis | June 21, 2024

Release: June 21, 2024

Latvian vocalist Līva Dumpe is first and foremost a storyteller, described as tameless and impressionisticwith an affinity for the free and avant-garde. A collection of melodies and stories wrapped in free improvisationand experimentation, Dumpe’s debut album ‘Tālskatis’ is set to release on June 21st.

The album mirrors the vocalist’s last four years of studying and living in the Netherlands – a duality of nostalgia for the traditions and nature of her Latvian roots contrasted with the growth, self-discovery and a gamut of emotions she’s experienced in her new home.

“You can hear these contrasts in the album- naivety and melancholy against an urge to stand up for yourself and speak about topics that make me angry and worth fighting for,”  says Dumpe. 

Forming her quintet in 2022 out of close friends and collaborators from her studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, the ensemble’s shared history and collective love for jazz and creative music cultivated trust and safety, inspiring Dumpe to bring forward experimental ideas that push jazz’s traditional boundaries. 

Vigorous modern grooves and metric gymnastics, rich contemporary harmony, spoken word, acoustic and electronic textures, and thick vocal harmonies craft a rapidly evolving patchwork of sounds that leave the listener guessing at every turn. Flowing effortlessly between lyrical melodies and atypical vocal approaches, Dumpe’s mystical narrative style guides one through the intricate and unexpected musical pictures of her identity.

‘Tālskatis’ was written one night in the countryside in Latvia after completing her evening ritual, taking her grandfather’s tālskatis (monocular) and observing the stillness of the Baltic wildlife. ‘Compromise’ was born through a transcription of an interview from the great singer and performer Eartha Kitt, expressing womens’ frustration and the importance of taking up space and expressing your anger. ‘Fight mini-symphony’ was written in the first month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, recalling Latvia’s frightened atmosphere in remembering their not-so-distant history of Soviet occupation. 

Line up

Līva Dumpe | voice, piano
Ketija Ringa-Karahona 
| flute, alto flute
Massimo Imperatore 
| guitar
Omer Govreen 
| double bass
Ilia Rayskin 
| drums

Track Listing

Tālskatis
Zieda un cirvja strīdā
Compromise
Hidden storm
Sonata No 1. in G major
Fight mini-symphony: I. Inner child fight
Fight mini-symphony: II. Watching
Fight mini-symphony: III. Fight dance
Cocktail song
Raisin rondo

Cuttings