Review | Songlines

Visuma Vizoša Tumsa

Rating: ★★

View album and artist details

Album and Artist Details

Artist/band:

ZeMe

Label:

CPL-Music

November/2019

ZeMe was created by two Latvian musicians: DJ Monsta (Uldis Cirulis) and kokle (traditional Latvian zither) master Laima Jansone. Their debut album, Visuma Vizoša Tumsa (Visiting Darkness of the Universe), was inspired by Jansone and Cirulis' studies of traditional Latvian heritage. The album starts with luscious sounds of the wild forest; shimmering buzzes, the darkness of winds and birdsong blend with gorgeous, luminous kokle and soft electronic beats created from the sounds of household items. The song has a surprising double bass solo in the middle, played so cleverly it almost stands as its own composition.

Then ‘Bumbulet!’ features a 1968 recording of traditional caller's vocals, acquired from the Archives of Latvian Folklore. The musicians mix them beautifully with catchy beats and instrumental arrangements, transforming it into a new creation while paying respect to tradition. But then the tracks blend into one; the electronic ornaments sometimes even detract from the kokle tunes. After the whimsical start, it unfortunately turns out to be a rather monotonous electro-folk album.

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