Forward-thinking electronica with cinematic layers, organic keys and a very carefully curated drum layer, all crafted by the Rinalds Maksimovs. Read our discussion with the talented composer below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Dynamic, minimalistic, electronic.
Rincore is described as a “personal statement.” What specific story or emotional chapter of your life does this album represent?
Great question! In a way, I feel that I’ve been working on this album for a very long time. Mainly, this album represents the period between 2022 and 2026, but in a way it also represents the time before that. It reflects my time alone with drums and music. I feel that there is a different energy when I work alone. It’s much slower and more patient, almost too slow at times… but I can go much deeper into the music when I work like this.
This album has eight little stories that I could talk about separately, but in general I would say that it represents my introverted nature. I was making electronic music when I was 12 or 13 years old, and now it feels like I’m coming back to that sound. The difference is that now I have all this knowledge and experience from jazz, improvised music, playing rock and folk music, and performing in different bands.
As a drummer, how do you navigate the tension between the physical, tactile nature of acoustic drumming and the digital precision of electronic music?
It’s not always easy, and it takes precision and discipline. As a drummer, I’ve been working on playing beats for a long time… the same beat for half an hour or more. It helps with the precision part, but for me music also needs to feel natural, so listening is a very, very, very important part of the process particularly listening to music without drums.
While you are a drummer at heart, Rincore features some really rich, intricate electronic layers that go far beyond just keeping time. How do you approach composing those melodic and ambient electronic textures so they stand as their own, rather than just serving as a backdrop for the rhythm parts?
Great question! Yes, I hear those parts as their own musical elements, and sometimes they come first while the drums come afterwards. Sometimes I get an idea on the piano and then translate it into electronics. Sometimes I just find an interesting electronic sound, and it feels very organic to me. Sometimes it starts with a rhythmic idea on the drums. Sometimes it takes a very long time to develop these electronic parts until they finally make sense to me.
Improvisation and experimentation are very, very important. In a way, I take my free jazz experience and apply it to composing music. A lot of it comes from improvisation, and sometimes I really don’t know what time signature or tonality I’m in.
The album took four years to develop. How did the music evolve over those four years, and how do you know when an experimental piece is finally “finished”?
It started with solo acoustic drum concerts. After that I began playing only electronic drums, and I found out that I could be very melodic on them that I could create bass lines and melodies.
A few pieces developed very slowly, like “Dramadance.” First I came up with the bass part and the drums, and for a long time it was just that. Then, after a while, the other parts fell into place, and the piano came last. I composed and improvised that part in the studio after everything else had already been recorded, while Gatis Zakis had already started mixing. So it developed very slowly, but it still felt spontaneous in a way.
Tracks like “Print 2” and “Print 3” were partly improvised during a live concert in Belgium, and I developed them further when I came back to Latvia. These tracks are still evolving when I play them live, and in a way the other pieces are still evolving too.
In which place or state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
They could be peaceful, stressed, angry, chaotic, present, in love, heartbroken, or simply curious… I think people have very personal emotional experiences when they listen to music, and I don’t think my music is any different it can be interpreted through a very wide range of emotions.
Blending minimalism and electronic music puts you in a very unique music space. Artists and people that have influenced you?
Thank you! Definitely my parents influenced me the most. My father listened to a lot of ’80s electronic and pop music. The minimalist side might come from my personality, and playing drums so that people can dance is a very minimalist experience
Artists like Craig Taborn Trio, My Bloody Valentine, Wayne Shorter, Jurg Frey and Meredith Monk have influenced me. Sometimes it’s folk music. Actually, I want to mention three Latvian albums that have been very influential to me: Dzeguzes balss by Menuets, Saules meita by Ilgi, and Romana varonis by Maris Sverns. This is not exactly electronic music, but there is some minimalist thinking there, along with very interesting and alternative sonic spaces.
What’s the biggest misconception about Latvia and its culture? And how do you relate to the local music scene?
Hmm… I think ten years ago people from Western countries often confused Latvia with our eastern neighbour, but it might be different now. I think we have many, many talented musicians in Latvia. We have a strong classical music tradition and many great jazz musicians. I think pop music in Latvia is still finding its voice, but we have an interesting alternative rock and experimental music scene.
Adding to our previous question who is a Latvian artist you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
Maris Sverns, especially his album Romana varonis. Also Juris Simanovics. Their music has lyrics in Latvian, though, and part of its beauty is the clever wordplay. Saules meita by Ilgi is one of my favourite albums, and Dzeguzes balss is a very interesting album from 1979 veeery interesting instrumentation and compositions. Of course, the lyrics also play a big part.
Something not many people know about you?
Hmm… There might be many things, as my girlfriend pointed out, haha. As a kid, I liked writing down football results. I filled many notebooks. I also cut out pictures from sports magazines and pasted them into my notebooks. I guess I could have become a sports journalist if I hadn’t gotten into music.
Thank you!
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