July 30, 2021
We met Kristaps, a few months ago at the Songwriting Circle, an amazing online event co-hosted by Luna and Dov. He's a part of the four-piece Latvian band Pacific K. And I was impatiently waiting for them to release something because the project was very promising.
Let's start this incredible journey with "White Wanderer", the opening song for the solo EP "Light Variations" which is out today.
I was grabbed by the intro in just a few seconds. I find that there is a little Massive Attack (and particularly the intro to Teardrops) which is not unpleasant! I'm not saying it's similar, far from it. But this kind of intro allows you to draw a rather dark and mysterious atmosphere that I like a lot.
And when the vocals make their appearance, this feeling of mystery is increased tenfold. As if Kristaps were whispering in our ears a secret that should absolutely not be revealed. We promise we won't say anything.
No more jokes, let's get back to the music, and the very essence of this incredible track: the electric guitar. It's like this guitar is like a rope stretched between two cliffs, that Kristaps walks on, balancing, taking care not to fall or break anything. Like a line of survival, the guitar plays the main role in this song, halfway between reverie and intimate confession.
Perfect for your road trips, "White Wanderer" will seduce lovers of beautiful music, whatever their preferred genre. Because Pacific K makes everyone agree, as the quality is stunning.
Besides, let's talk a bit about the rest of this EP, which has been worked on in-depth for months. We find in "Hold Your Gaze" the electric guitar which still plays this role of survival line, but not only. Accompanied by a simple but effective bass, the two instruments are enough to set up the tempo. No need for percussion on this soaring track, which, if you close your eyes, has a very cinematic side. Personally, I think my mind subconsciously teleported me into a space shuttle in zero gravity. But each mind is different, maybe yours will give you another journey. Who knows.
The percussions are back on "Cave", the third track of the EP. More structured thanks to this rhythmic presence from the beginning. But still with that sharp writing and that incredibly deep voice.
"Solace" concludes the EP with elegance, more poetic in terms of the lyrics, and calmer than the previous songs. The electric guitar is always omnipresent, and we understand then that it is really the backbone of the entire EP. It is only in the second part of the song that a discreet percussion appears, like a heartbeat that keeps the whole thing going. I mentioned earlier the idea of a tightrope walker and I believe that the EP could be described like that. Everything seems light, fragile, and it feels like everything is going to fall apart at any moment. While in reality, everything is intelligently thought out to take you on an extraordinary trip.
With "Light Variations", Pacific K offer themselves the luxury of taking us elsewhere. To draw landscapes in our heads and give free rein to our imagination. As if everything were possible, between dream and reality. Thanks to my father, I was rocked by incredible musicians like Vangelis or Mike Oldfield. This kind of musician who allows you to escape just by closing your eyes. And I find a little of that in Pacific K. Like a return to childhood. And purity. Because this EP is the perfect proof that you don't necessarily need dozens of instruments for a track to be great.
More than a quarter of an hour of escape guaranteed, without having to spend thousands of dollars on a trip to space with Richard Branson or Jeff Bezos. This is the magic of independent musicians. Even your most distant dreams become accessible.
You can finds more gems like "White Wanderer" on our Spotify Playlist.
Written by Niko.
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Lyrics for "White Wanderer"
Come sky and open up your arms
Let the rain pour down on me
I have seen the dark and I have seen the light
Let my Mama come and shelter me
The road to nowhere,
It takes me by the hand
And leaves me hanging
Over this weary land
I don’t know what I will become
When the last breath takes part from me
But I know I will see you soon
Down the road of eternity
The road to nowhere,
It takes me by the hand
And leaves me hanging
Over this weary land
White wanderer,
In his mind he travels places he can be somebody else
White wanderer,
Could he fight the troubled faces that remind him of someone else?