Ministry of Echology presents ‘Notes & Quotes': Reinventing-integrating-deleting-inserting
In the first half of 2009 Eazystyle MC and Ministry of Echology (MOE) started to play well known riddims, as there were no reggae bands around. Early 2013 saw MOE release their first single ‘Laikas Meilei’ (Time for Love), again in collaboration with Eazystyle MC. Over the years, MOE have developed their own style and so the time has come to release their first studio album ‘Notes & Quotes‘. This Thursday, on the 3rd of April, MOE will present the CD at Loftas, Vilnius.
Photo: Teodoras Malinauskas
Ahead of the milestone Loftas gig, The Baltic Scene asked Ministry of Echology a few questions:
Why is the album called ‘Notes & Quotes’?
Music in this album is quoting reggae. In both a musical sense and the sense of lyrics. It includes the things we have noted and learned during the past years. These were the years while we were searching for sound and themes that are important to us. We are influenced by reggae, we use it’s elements, we work around them and so we recreate reggae. We also include some other styles that we like as well as the arrangements of the western tradition. And this is DUB; reinventing-integrating-deleting-inserting.
And this is DUB; reinventing-integrating-deleting-inserting.
How is the reggae scene doing in the Baltics? What about festivals?
Here in the Baltics the reggae scene in quite slow compared to Poland or elsewhere in Europe, but it’s getting bigger every year. More and more people are getting in touch with reggae influenced music and some of them really enjoy it’s sound and feeling. Latvia has a very interesting summer festival ‘Labadaba‘ – they bring quite big names of the international reggae scene – we would be honored to play there one day. Two years ago we had two successful gigs in Tartu and Tallinn with the help of our Estonian friends instrummaddness orchestra Uebanda. We had nice crowds there and we found out about the local band Uus Energia. We hope that the birth of our first studio album will be a good reason to repeat our visit to the Baltic States and do some more investigation of the reggae scene there.
In the summer of 2013 we played in most of the local alternative music festivals (Tundra festival, Yaga Gathering, Varom Party, WTFest and Satta Outside), as well as having a concert in Vilnius with Polish heavy-reggae veterans Paprika Korps. Our band has been invited to most of the local summer festivals, but we are still just a little drop in this sea of the Baltic music collectives. We were seeded in Vilnius underground scene and now coming up into daylight. Glad to know that people are enjoying and dancing to our music.
What does this concert in Loftas mean to the band?
The concert in Loftas means the end of an old period and the beginning of a new one for MOE. It will be a retrospective of the past five years. We were growing up these years, many things have changed, many things we’ve realized, so it’s the perfect time to celebrate this moment with all of our friends! Feel invited to dance and have a good time of fat bassline, upbeat and horns!
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Join in on dancing with MOE, this Thursday, on the 3rd of April. Event info is available here.
20:00 Jelena Ura (SoundSysters)
21:00 Ministry of Echology
22:45 Genn Bo & Souldatov (Dubartis)
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Ministry of Echology on Facebook.
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