Latvian pianist & producer Artis Boris drops debut EP ‘Easy Living’
Easy Living is the début EP by Latvia-born but Estonia-based virtuoso jazz pianist & producer Artis Boris that caters to modern funk, electro and lo-fi enthusiasts with 5 tracks that pack a powerful punch!
From the moody, dance-floor craving lead single “Can You Dance?”; to the princesque “Scream”; and the nostalgic lazy days anthem “Throwback” adds a contemporary take on cocktail hour smooth jazz, that’s ripe for a Better Call Saul soundtrack – “In The Mall”. On “Ryo” we see Mr. Boris nod to the late great Ryo Kawasaki, a legend in fusion who worked with Korg and Roland on guitar synthesizer sounds. Before passing in 2020, Kawasaki spent decades actively working in Estonia, where Artis Boris is based as well.
The crown-jewel of Estonian soul and female artist of the year Rita Ray collabs on the sole lyrical song “Can You Dance?” so Easy Living is mostly an instrumental journey, made audiophile friendly by analog gear put to good use. The moods go from dreamy visions of summer in the city to smokey club rooms right into ecstatic hypnosis. We see Artis Boris show his powers, which have been in the making since the idea took root during his jazz piano studies in Riga Cathedral Choir school.
By now, he’s well-versed in the harmonies, rhythms and sounds donned by funk and synth music pioneers from early 80s to the present day modernists. We see Artis Boris provide his first take on the genre in Easy Living. It’s music to soundtrack that special something we all yearn for this time of the year – freedom.
‘Easy Living’ out on EP / Digital on April 28th 2023 via Funk Embassy Records
