Empti

It all started in 1993 when four like-minded musicians started making buzz on the underground scene of Vilnius with their drum'n'bass inspired material. Having chosen a nonsensical Empti moniker, the band gradually evolved into impressive disco/acid jazz act featuring the talent of singer Giedrė Vitkauskaitė. Empti took Lithuanian mainstream by storm in 1999 – with the arrival of Estrada, still considered one of the country's best pop albums ever. The collection earned Empti three Bravo awards (Lithuanian Grammys), including the prestigious gong for album of the year. Tragedy struck soon – death of keyboard player Darius Janušonis scarred the duo of Giedrė and instrumentalist Paulius Kilbauskas, resulting in lengthy hiatus after the release of second album Cunami (2001), a record which showcased a step into the realm of electronica.  The duo reformed in 2008, causing fan frenzy and rave reviews of comeback gigs (which included a support set with mighty Germans De Phazz who had a chance to work with Giedrė during her stint as a lead singer of Milky Lasers). A Pravda award for comeback of the year and a stylish best-of compilation Fermata (featuring some new tracks) proved there's plenty of interest in what this forward-thinking duo has to offer. A full-length new album is apparently on the cards – although keeping in mind the perfectionism this band is famous for, it might take a while.