Music producer Māris Āboliņš released his studio recording “Brāļu dziesma” after years of performing the track around campfires with friends, Diena reported.
Studio Production of Brāļu dziesma at Dobele Municipality
Āboliņš, known in industrial electronic circles as a member of the project Cyberpunk and the pagan ambient act Ritual Inc., recorded the acoustic track with fellow musicians. He handled lead vocals and acoustic guitar for the studio version, while Toms Auniņš contributed synthesizer arrangements and audio mixing. Andris Indāns managed the sound engineering for the project.
The song emerged organically during gatherings with contemporaries. “The basis of the song arose suddenly,” Āboliņš said, according to Diena. He noted that the writing process captured a desire for a collective mood when ordinary conversations and jokes run dry. “Feeling that it has something ancient, solid, like a cry from the past, I wanted to capture these true feelings in the video, which are increasingly difficult to portray in the constant hum of modern everyday life.”
International Festival Awards for the Dobele Hillfort Music Video
The accompanying visual project drew on Āboliņš’s professional background as a visual effects artist for feature films, including credits on Dvēseļu putenis. Filming took place at a historical site tied to the Livonian Order and Samogitian battle near the Dobele Hillfort, referenced in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle.
Props and weapons master Mārtiņš Tiltnieks noted that many cast members are history enthusiasts who wore their own battle-tested costumes from historical reenactment festivals to establish the period aesthetic. Cinematographer Ivo Skanstiņš captured the production, utilizing textures like fire-lit metal, blood- and dirt-stained faces, and flickering flames.
The resulting music video received the best director prize at the Europe Music Video Awards ceremony in Slovakia, where Vilnis Švāns won best actor for portraying a father figure. The project also secured the best music video award at the Vienna Independent Film Festival and screened in Norway, Sweden, Spain, England, the Netherlands, Croatia, and Ukraine.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brāļu dziesma
- Who produced the audio recording of Brāļu dziesma?
- Māris Āboliņš wrote, sang, and played guitar on the track, Toms Auniņš played synthesizers and mixed the audio, and Andris Indāns recorded the sound.
- Where was the award-winning music video filmed?
- Production took place at the Dobele Hillfort in the Dobele Municipality, a site connected in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle to a battle between the Livonian Order and the Samogitians.
- What international awards did the video win?
- The project received the best director award at the Europe Music Video Awards in Slovakia—where Vilnis Švāns won best actor—and the best music video award at the Vienna Independent Film Festival.
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