ODIS: Lost Latvian Electro-Funk Tracks Released on Vinyl After 40 Years

In a unique collaboration, the legendary Latvian band ODIS has released a vinyl record featuring previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1987 and 1988. The release, a joint effort between “Moderno Mīlnieku Ieraksti” – an imprint of the group “Rīgas Modes” – and Jersika Records, was celebrated with an event at the jazz venue M/Darbnīca in mid-February .

The Origins of ODIS

ODIS, an acronym for Ogres Dārzkopības izmēģinājumu stacija (Ogre Horticulture Experiment Station), formed in the first half of the 1980s in Ogresgal . While Arnis Mednis is widely recognized as the band’s leader and vocalist, some historical accounts suggest that Ēriks Vegners was the original founder and lead vocalist, with Mednis initially serving as a keyboardist . Other key members included bassist Andris Lūkins and drummer Indris Orubs (father of Arta Oruba), with Raimonds Macats joining the lineup later. Musicologist Daiga Mazvērsīte has documented these details in the National Encyclopedia .

Pioneers of Latvian Electro-Funk

ODIS is considered the first group in the Baltic States and potentially all of Eastern Europe, to explore the musical landscape of electro-funk, R&B, and soul . Arnis Mednis has described their sound as “like a pineapple in a potato field,” highlighting its exotic nature within the Latvian music scene of the time .

The New Vinyl Release

The new vinyl record features ten songs recorded in 1987 and 1988, including well-known singles like “Šodien ārā saulains laiks,” “Radio,” and “Hei, mazā.” It similarly includes rarer tracks that have remained largely unknown for decades, offering a glimpse into a lesser-explored period of Latvian pop music history . Some of these tracks, like “What’s your name?”, “The bus is coming”, “In the shadow of a smile” and “For now” have been available on YouTube with questionable quality, but are now available together on vinyl .

As Arnis Mednis put it, “We waited, waited and waited. Almost 40 years compared to the Egyptian pyramids is not such a long time at all” .

The record is available for purchase in music stores in Riga and Liepāja, as well as on the Jersika Records website .