Kārlis Lācis
(21.09.1977 )
“I am enraptured with timbre: voice, violin, piano, anything – so long as it is alive. It is an indescribable feeling, when the notes that you have written begin to sound and they gain a new dimension. It is like a narcotic that is needed again and again. Probably it would be most correct to say that I am dependent on music – that is my positive narcotic. It is important to me that at least a few moments in music are simple and beautiful, maybe even banal. I do not support the search for new methods of expression as an end to themselves, since music, in the end, is the art of the soul.”
Kārlis Lācis
Composer, arranger, pianist (keyboardist) and producer Kārlis Lācis was born on September 21st in Tukums. He studied at the Kandava Children’s School of Music (piano class), the Kandava secondary school (1984–1992), the Jāzeps Mediņš College of Music in Riga in the piano class (1992–1997) and the Latvian Academy of Music, where he studied piano with Juris Kalnciems (1997–2001, bachelor’s degree, 2003–2005, master’s degree), as well as composition with Juris Karlsons (2001–2002).
Since 1995, Kārlis Lācis performs with the group Time After Time, performing music in a funk and acid style. As a member of the group, he has performed together with many popular local musicians and renowned international artists, and has participated in many international music projects and festivals. While in the group, they received the Grand Prix award at the festival Liepājas dzintars (1998), a nomination for Best Debut Album at the Latvian Music Awards (1999). Since 1999, he has been performing in the group Sweetwaterz.
In his music, Kārlis Lācis attempts to synthesise various genres – from academic music to jazz and popular music, and investigates arrangement and instrumentation possibilities. Since 1998, Kārlis Lācis has composed music for film and advertisements, as well as for theatre performances. Along with original works, he creates arrangements in various genres, including music and arrangements for song and dance festivals. He was the composer and arranger for the concert performance Cabaret (2003–2007). He has written songs and arranged music for singers Intars Busulis, Linda Leen, Aija Andrejeva, among others.
He received the Culture Award from the newspaper Diena for his work Mirkļa izvēles vilinājums (The Temptation of a Momentary Choice) (2006) and for the concert programme Ziedonis. Lācis. Sievietes (Ziedonis. Lācis. Women) and the song cycle Mežā (In the Forest) (2013); for the musical Pūt, vējiņi – the Spēlmaņu nakts award nomination for Musical Performance of the Year and the Jury Award for the musical score (2012). For the album Lāču tēta dziesmas (Papa Bear’s Songs) he received the Latvian Music Recording Award in the category Best Children’s Album (2012).
Mārīte Dombrovska Photo - Jānis Deinats © LMIC, 2013