The sound of all history and all futures
Some, say, 66 million years ago, a meteorite slammed into the earth and killed the dinosaurs. 1500s: a Lithuanian instrument – the kanklės, a kind of Baltic zither – was first mentioned in writing. 2021: the Belgian-Lithuanian duo, Merope, released the Laos album, combining that very kanklės with Jazz and Electronica. Late 2024, Leeuwarden, Fryslân, Netherlands: you’re at Explore the North listening to a band play a combo of all of history and all possible futures. At a whisper: “Are they still talking about Merope, or…?” Yeah, we’re still talking about Merope, forget the Dinos.
Merope’s sound has deep roots in the Lithuanian folk tradition—but old-fashioned they are certainly not. The kanklės and the voice of Lithuanian Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė pair perfectly with multi-instrumentalist Bert Cools’ experimental guitar-bending. Suddenly, the music sounds futuristic, hopeful, open, and renewing.
Fun fact: Even Björk is a fan. She uses their recordings all the time in DJ sets.
“The music unfolds casually, as if mimicking the sprawling of leaves and flowers, and a life without worry or haste.” –
Lithuanian Music Link, LT