ElektroFolk

ElektroFolk was formed in 2012, aiming to represent the deepest roots and values of the Latvian ethnic culture, while staying modern, powerful, ambient, and professional. All of the musicians are professionals, regularly participating in the biggest state's culture events (such as The National Song and Dance Festival), theatre plays, various music recording sessions in the studio, and the World Music Festival PORTA as well. The musicians are also well known in the professional music field of Latvia's. The band consists of:

Kristine Karkle-Purina (vocal, violin, lute)- lead singer, graduated from the Latvian Academy of Music, the programme of ethnomusicology. Participated in a lot of musical projects, theatre performances and music recordings, played together with etno jazz trio The Shin(GE) and Trigon (MD)

Edgars Karklis (vocals, accordeon, pipes, bagpipes)- played in the bagpipes and drums band Aui for many years, and a lot of other traditional music projects

Ilze Grunte (guitars: 12 string guitar, acoustic bass guitar, electrical guitar, mandolin; pipes)- has arranged music for several albums released in Latvia; concert programmes, and performances. Musician with a very wide experience in many Latvian groups and projects

Ainars Majors (bass, music producer)-  graduated from the Department of Stringed instruments and Pedagogy of the Latvian Academy of Music, worked at the Symphonic Orchestra of the Latvian National Opera. Has played in the group Marana and participated in various music and theatre performances

Artis Orubs (drummer, percussions)- an outstanding jazz musician, but has played together with artists of various styles and genres. Spent several years in the Netherlands where he studied, performed and cooperated with foreign musicians. A teacher at the departament of percussion of the Latvian Academy of Music

The creative process of ElektroFolk can be presented as a recipe:

Kristine picks
out the ripest, seldom heard downhome 
pieces, washes them in her crystal clear voice and peels them off on her
fiddle.    

Ilze grates them through her twelve-string, then
cooks them up on her hot electric guitar 
and adds some flavoring effects according to feel. 

Edgars  pours on
a warm voice, kneading it into an
accordian and pressing it out through a panoply of pipes and flutes. 

Ainars thickens it all
with some freshly electrified bass.

Artis brews and stews it together in the drum pots.
When it's all ready, he's the one splashing it out on golden plates, never forgetting
to ask with a smile Would you like to eat that with sticks?

Have a good
meal!