In contrast to some contemporary composers who have chosen to pursue a difficult and narrow artistic path, struggling over arcane theories and systems, Latvian composer Uģis Prauliņš has embraced virtually every style of music as a potential resource for creative exploration. Prauliņš grew up listening to the music of progressive-rock groups such as Gentle Giant and King Crimson as well as Scandinavian Heavy Metal and as a student, performed as keyboardist in his own progressive-rock group Salve and later in the folk-fusion rock band Vecas Majas.