Hans shares his thoughts: “The song 'Nāc, Iesim' really resonated with me with its beautiful melody, interesting harmonies, and nostalgic sound—in the best sense of the word. I greatly enjoyed arranging and recording our version of this song because, in my opinion, the combination of Normunds and Ginta's beautiful vocals with a slightly impressionistic Scandinavian jazz quartet accompaniment creates a very creative, light, and tasteful result.”
Ginta adds: “Normunds is a hallmark of quality in Latvian music—a bridge between the sentimentality of past music and contemporary trends. For a while, I had thought I had enough of music for now, but Normunds charmed me with the concept and atmosphere of this project. I think we, including Hans, are romantics at heart, maybe even a bit naive romantics, which is why this music literally materializes our longing for a retro, glamorous, and romantic beauty. 'Nāc, iesim' is a transparent moment of peace—a moment when life has overwhelmed you with too much worry, pressure, drama, and superficiality. In such a time, the true value becomes the moment when someone dear is by your side, and you both know this fleeting moment is beautiful.”
Normunds Rutulis comments: “In an era dominated by digital music, I am very gratified that we can find inspiration to create authentic ‘live’ music. And none of this would be possible without Hans’ musical taste and professionalism. This serene piece by Zigurds Rezevskis stayed with me for a long time until we found its rightful place in the album 'Abpusēji', which will be released on February 14 next year and presented at a concert in Splendid Palace, Riga.”
Listen to "Nāc, iesim!" on YouTube!
Abpusēji marks the second collaborative project between Normunds Rutulis and Hans Antehed, to be released as an album and concert series on February 14, 2025, at Splendid Palace in Riga. Ten years ago, the two musicians first worked together on the popular Latvian song album and concert tour "Vēstule meitenei". As before, Hans Antehed has arranged all the songs for the album, which features performances by Swedish musicians Daniel Olsson (drums, percussion), Niklas Widen (guitars), and Hans himself, contributing Hammond organ, analog Rhodes electric piano, grand piano, and accordion. Instrumental tracks were recorded in Uppsala, Sweden, while vocal recordings took place in Riga, at the NR Darbnīca studio. The new repertoire includes songs by Uldis Stabulnieks, Gunārs Freidenfelds, Zigurds Rezevskis, Aivars Zītars, Jānis Ķirsis, Māris Ozols, as well as Swedish composers Björn Barlach and Thore Ehrling.
