Kārlis Tone, Sarma Gabrēna, Uģis Jansons Krastiņš: Balss lūzums
Skaņu Mežs 2025 will happen on October 3-4 at Hanzas Perons (16A Hanzas Street). This festival edition is headlined by hyperpop singer and producer Sega Bodega, experimental rock band These New Puritans, iconic avant-garde soprano Joan La Barbara, and the duo of modern jazz stars Shabaka Hutchings and Hamid Drake.
“Balss lūzums” (Voice Fracture) is a one-of-a-kind piece created especially for the 2025 edition of Skaņu Mežs by musicians Kārlis Tone, Sarma Gabrēna, Uģis Jansons Krastiņš, the mixed choir Dziesmuvara and Inese Tone, the author of the text. The central idea of the project is to highlight the polemic between spirituality and the dictates of technology in contemporary Western Europe, using both academic and experimental musical means of expression.
Kārlis Tone is the initiator, composer and producer of the project. He is an active member of experimental metal and rock bands Tesa and Grab. Sarma Gabrēna, also a member of Grab and Maяk, is a stylistically versatile cellist, and Uģis Jansons Krastiņš is a vital presence on the Latvian experimental music scene as a sound engineer and musician with such projects as Ugg Ugg Uggg Uggg and Seržants Bēda.
The mixed choir “Dziesmuvara” is conducted by Nora Žeigure. The choir mainly performs classical choral repertoire, but often engages in unconventional experiments, expanding the boundaries of choral art. In 2025, the choir Dziesmuvara celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Following the performance on October 3, the work will be exhibited as an installation at Hanzas Perons for the duration of the festival.