A duo formed by the Lithuanian Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and the Belgian Bert Cools, with a strong connection to the songbook condensed from the air and the land of origin of the former, Merope invokes ancestral and contemporary memories, landscapes, myths and philosophies in their purest state. In a symbiotic combination of acoustic instruments and Lithuanian folk songs, guitar, synthesisers, various percussions and a very conscious and precise use of electronics, they start from ancient roots and weave them into a fabric where environmentalism, jazz, kösmische and minimalism inhabit the same living landscape of ancestry and futurism. All very natural and full of humanity, not completely removed from the more romantic aura of the Fonal label – Islaja or Paavoharju -, the spirits of Fursaxa or the visions of Kara-Lis Coverdale, but in their own world.
Based on the enchanting sound of Jurgelevičiūtė’s kanklės – a stringed instrument native to the Baltic region – which is seamlessly joined by all the instrumental material above, Merope’s songs vibrate with an active delicacy, as if in suspension, exploring Lithuania’s primordial harmonic heritage on discs as discreetly striking as “Nakte” or “Salos”. ‘Vėjula’, released in 2024, continues the duo’s association with STROOM – an increasingly pertinent label these days – and expands the essential palette outlined on previous records. Bringing in the likes of Bill Frisell and Laraaji, “Vėjula” opens up a panorama of their music, without cutting the umbilical cord, by travelling through a more bare folk – Lopšinė -, spiritual ascent – Namopi -, ghosts of melodies past in electro-acoustic conjure – Spindulė – or vaporous electronics – Rana – without ever losing its focus and hypnosis. Magical. BS
