In Conversation: Cosmic-Pop Enigma Elizabete Balčus on Artistic Freedom, Vegetable Synthesizers and "Hotel Universe" (Mothland)
Elizabete Balčus by Zane Zelmene
Hailing from Rīga, Latvia, extraterrestrial-pop maestro Elizabete Balčus performed one of the most memorable sets of the year, and possibly ever, this past fall. Since making a stop in Rouyn-Noranda for the 2022 edition of FME, touring her avant-garde opus Hotel Universe, we’ve been enthralled by Balčus’ raison d'être. With an entrancing, collaged-sound that spans from a Lynchian merry-go-round to what you might hear twinkling in the alcoves of a celestial ice fortress, Balčus’ enigmatic production is a realm-bending portal that combines operatic vocals, classical flute, 80s-tinged rhythms and electronic vegetable-synth pulses.
Following the buzz of her album release, we had the chance to connect with Balčus on the importance of harnessing her independent spirit as a creative, and the inner-workings of her multifaceted artistry.
Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: You recently completed a touring stint in Canada promoting your new album Hotel Universe and met your Montreal-based label, Mothland. What was it like realizing this work alongside new audiences? How did the creative circles in Canada compare to that of your hometown?
Elizabete Balčus: It was great to meet my label in person after some months spent collaborating with them remotely. They take a lot of care in curating lineups for tours, and I felt like I was sharing the stage with artists that were a good fit for me.
It’s been nice adding in new material and tapping into the mood of my new album. But, I always balance that with music made in the moment; improvisation. Meaning, the songs I have on the album can be stretched and changed a lot, compared to the originals. Each show on my tour was quite different because those improvised parts would change depending on my mood. What’s most important to me is to have a true catharsis and expressing my emotions to their fullest. If I’m showing what I’m feeling without holding anything back, that’s when I get the strongest response from a crowd. Being in Canada and being in front of a new audience was exhilarating – it made it easy for me to relay my emotions.
Elizabete Balčus at FME in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec - September 2022, photo by Malaika Astorga
Also Cool: You wear many hats as a musician, composer, performance artist and actor. How did you balance and tap into these intertwined passions when realizing Hotel Universe?
Elizabete Balčus: In general I am a fan of one solo artist’s perspective. I like to feel that one person is responsible for everything. When I put a release together, I like to feel like it’s all of me, and not just one part of me. And I feel that I can express myself with visual art and performance in a way that emphasizes my musicality, so it is very important in what I do. Having multiple hats is a consequence of me having a project that is homage to a lot of my inspirations: I love theatre, I love dancing—I like music that is immensely theatrical and surreal. So, it’s natural for me to apply these things to create what I consider a solo show worth attending.
AC: What pushed you to expand from your traditional artistic background to an experimental solo endeavour? Has this transition made an impression on how you approach, or feel about, your craft?
EB: The thing that pushed me was that I wanted to do something that came naturally to me. That natural thing was, and still is, being creative with something that I can call entirely my own. It’s artistic freedom, I suppose.
There’s an axis between my classical upbringing and my solo show. All of my arrangements are quite classically-based, and this comes through in playing classical flute in my sets. I use the thing I learned in the Latvian Academy of Music, but I changed it to fit my world.
Elizabete Balčus performing at Club SAW in Ottawa, Ontario - September 2022, photo by the author
AC: Branching off of that, when did you start incorporating eco-synthesizers into your music? What is your favourite fruit or vegetable to play?
EB: I wanted to make the performance art aspect as important as the music. I discovered these inventions, and felt they were right. Way back in 2016, I got a device that allowed me to play real fruit and vegetables., and I incorporated it into my live show. I still sometimes play broccoli and pineapple—I guess they’re my favourites because of their psychedelic shape! I am always interested in adding different tools to my live show. Sometimes I play with a prosthetic leg, other people’s skin or my own biorhythms to create electronic sounds.
Elizabete Balčus’ musical set-up at FME in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec - September 2022, photo by the author
AC: Alongside your sound, your live show has so many intriguing elements. Touching on your costumes and makeup: what inspires your aesthetic and where do you source your performance wardrobe?
EB: I take a lot of influence from avant-garde fashion, Dadaism, retro-futurism, sci-fi films and Greek mythology and theatre. Sometimes a certain painting, a film character, a plant or even an animal can inspire me to make a costume. For example, once some green insect flew in my room and danced on the wall while I was listening to my demos and sketching costume ideas. It inspired me to make a hat with antennas and paint my pointed boots light green.
I place a lot of importance on wearing and making headpieces because they are, for me, a mark of spirituality. I think of it as a way of broadcasting my energy to the cosmos. It’s like how saints are pictured wearing halos. As for makeup, it usually comes after the clothes and headpieces as a final touch. Most of the time I just take a brush and experiment, see where it goes.
For clothes: I like vintage shops. I’ve picked up a lot of stuff that I remix. I reshape or cut and glue things together, to make them more my own. I also take some costumes from the theatre my family runs, and from time-to-time, I collaborate with fashion designers that lend me some of their creations. I was lucky to find the artist Anna Gulbe who lent me the hat and boots for my Canadian tour.
AC: What has been the most rewarding aspect of unveiling Hotel Universe thus far? What impact has the experience had on your artistic outlook?
EB: The rewarding thing for me about releasing music is it’s a format that I feel I can most fluently express myself. Even more than talking. So, it’s nice to have that communication with others who feel my music and respond to—what is a very accurate—portrayal of who I am, deep down.
Releasing music doesn’t directly change my artistic outlook, but it definitely spurs me on and gives me energy to move forward.
Elizabete Balčus by Zane Zelmene
