eight tracks - introduction to estonian pop fv v2

8/3/2019 Eight Tracks - Introduction to Estonian Pop Fv v2

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A Foreigners Introduction toEstonian Pop Music

EIGHT TRACKSAs heard

byKALLE PAAS


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As heardbyKALLE PAAS

Feel free to share,print and discuss.

Ive credited all thephotographers,I managed to identify.

Thats entertainment.Just like Paul Weller oncefamously claimed.

www.kallepaas.eu


EIGHT TRACKS

December 2011


3/12

Dear Barret,

I see that you've seen a lot of Estonia andare still enjoying it. Therefore I thoughtthat in addition to this god-forsakenlanguage, pretty girls, fabulous Old Townin Tallinn and vivid Ida-Virumaa there areother things about Estonia you might wantto know.

I think you might enter the next level.

Being someone somewhere means beingamidst the local pop culture. Nowadays, ofcourse,local might as easily be global.I recall how we discussed U2's music fromthe 1980s last summer; it is clear we bothhave experienced Nirvana or Oasis onsome level. And we as well as tens ofmillions of people across the globe know acertain ms Black...But then again, there is still a lot of 'local'. Ifyou imagine Earth's pop music as some sortof a city, then it would have two dense and

close cores and many suburbs. The Statesand The UK would be the two in the centre,while France, Germany, Spain and Swedenwith Agnetha, Bjrn, Benny and Anni-Frid would be the areas right around thecores. By following this lead, Estoniawould, of course, be somewhere on theoutskirts.If you are a habitant of the core, you wouldknow your area very well, but you wouldhave very little knowledge of the life in the

periphery. John Peel, for example, stories and some bad music. Bewas an outstanding man in this warned!sense most certainly was he well I wrote the following short piecesaware of Anglo-American pop without much research. This ismusic, but he had an eye for the mostly because of the time limits.

periphery as well. In the beginning Nevertheless Id prefer to leave theof the 1990s, he asked Rvel actual scientific research to thebik, an Estonian indie rock guys who have the ambition to beoutfit, to play in one of his actual scientific researchers.legendary BBC sessions. Rather, my point here is to give anThis case of Rvel bik's is still en te rt ai ni ng in si gh t to afondly rememb ered by indi e microscopic part of Estonian pop

enthusiasts over here. John Peel's music. I try to draw a few linessession stands proudly among from the past to the present.other moments when Estonian pop Accidentally, while browsing mymusic and culture broke into the records, I stumbled upon a lot ofco ns ci ou sn ess of th e co re. 90s. Perhaps it's not even so muchMoments such as. Err... The of an accident, rather than a sign ofSinging Rev... Oh wait, it's not the this decade 's importance. Thetime yet to go all Singing 1990s were years when Estonia,

Revolutionagain... the state and its society re-orientedA suburb dw eller from th is towards the West. This deeplyaforementioned city just like an aff ec te d po p cu lt ur e. An dEstonian pop culture junkie everything went sort of nuts back

would be quite well aware of then...what's going on in the core. Just Actually, from another point oflike he (or she) is aware what's view, we can say that it wasgoing on in his (or her) everyday actually the popular culture thathome, the periphery. Therefore, we affected everyone and everythingmight even say, the life in the edge else, right from the 60s (and evenof the city is more interesting, previous decades) up to today. Ifsince it sort of makes you zoom we went all Singing Revolutionin and out in the pop culture. now, I could point how the wholeThis consideration is the first and process was pop culture in political

perhaps the most important point action, but this is not the point ofof this brochure. The rest is a few this brochure.


EIGHT TRACKS

Random pop art found on the streets of Tartu, 2009.Self-loathing (or actually self-realization?)while processing dairy products mightbe the mainstream of tomorrow.


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I see what Boris did here! This is the reach of Anglo-American popactually Creedence Clearwater culture: a 1969 song by a CalifornianRevival's Proud Mary! rock outfit became domesticated on theFirst recorded in 1968, it has been other side of the other side of therepeatedly covered in four decades by At la nt ic . Th is is in te re st in g,Tina Turner. In Estonia, the latest well considering the geography and historyknown rendition was performed by the - when Western European culturaleventual winner Liis Lemsalu in connections with the States were rather

EstonianPop Idols fourth season. obvious, the otherside of this Europe,In this version, however, it's the Eastern Bloc was ideologically cutsingerBoris Lehtlaan (b. 1946). Quite off from this fun loving, beat-believingamusingly, the lyrics in first verse are music.basically the same both in Estonian and But indirectly this culture came acrossEnglish, even though it's quite hard to the Baltic Sea, because the people board an old riverboat here in Estonia. unders rigid socialist beatsThe thing is, the rivers here are longed for something fun. And so,generally not wide enough to fit a boat! symbolical ly, rataslaev reachedYet I included this cover for many another harbor.reasons. Most obviously, it represents

BORIS LEHTLAAN

VANAS RATASLAEVAS

Still no actual rataslaev.

A Foreigners Introduction toEstonian Pop MusicEIGHT TRACKS


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Although Western pop culture was in the Union, bands were often not so public ideologically frowned upon by genre-s pec ifi c, thi s due to thethe Party, it was not that Western vinyls censorship but also the lack ofwere seeked and burned together with equipent and the Unions huge socio-their traitor owners by the KGB. economical and cultural differences.

Actually, it has been said that the Party Therefore, Apelsin is actually a fineeven encouraged modern pop music case study. From the powerful spiritualamong Soviet youth but candidly, of Laululilled (There are many whoand with a hope to use this craze to have suffered, who have sacrificedcontrol the youth. So there was even their lives...) to the tuba-poweredthis all-Soviet pop circuit a closed variety of Karulaul, they representcircle of artists that were permitted to quite a few genres.tour the whole Union. Matkalaul (The Hiking Song) isMost of the superstars that toured from the humours side. For me,Sankt PeterburgorMoskva as well as personally, it represents a dominantSiberian winter wasteland towns were, ironic Soviet Estonian vibe. Its lyrics

of course, Russian. But then again, have lines like Kahekmnes sajand /even alien Baltic people had their nkineiud vete pl / kosekohinas /chances. Apelsin was among the most kandled kes, gaasimaskid peascurious of this curious Estonian (20th century / mermaids on the watersuperstarplejaad it was basically a / in the murmur of the waterfall / withten-piece musical humour troupe, yet harps in their hands, gas masks on theirvery fine instrumentally. heads). This paints a decent picture:When I call Apelsin jokers, I must heavy industrialization and folk cultreemphasize the the differences between together with nature and pollution.Soviet and Western pop industries. In

APELSINMATKALAUL

While many Estonian pop-rock groups tried to be more hip, tried to look in fashion,Apelsin were too great to bother. Plus this photo proves that the Soviet jacketindustry was actually really striving.



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METRO LUMINALISA TULI KOJU

The 1990s were a terrible time. During and rather suicidal music that was yet previous decades, quite often the best neither emo nor Nirvana, rather awas actually filtered out of that hard- mi xt ur e of no rt he rn /e as te rnto-obtain Anglo-American pop music. melancholy and post-Soviet angst setBecause of the exclusiveness of to overwhelming guitar rock.Western music, people actually Isa tuli koju is perhaps the most well

performed and listened to a lot of known Metro Luminal song. This tune,progressive or art rock. which I remember form my childhood Now the floodgates came crashing asgraspingly strange and yet verydown and all hell broke loose. In serious, is the ultimate trip intoeveryday music, the liberty to choose depressiivrokk. As the lyrics go produced the liberty to producecheaply packaged nonsensical Father came home father's hands are coldeurodance. Going back to Europe Father came home father and his soulturned out to be taking the worst out of Father came home and his eyes so sadcheap German or English synthezised Father came home and his cigarette smokedance beats.

Quality rock music was not the - it becomes clearer that this musicmainstream anymore; part of it was, might entertain you or might not but most of it sunk underwater and entertain you, but most certainly it willresettled as subcultures. This, for take your soul and force it to marchexample, combined with the state of dead drunk through a cold winter nightshock the society was in, produced an from a bar to nowhere... Or to anotherinteresting branch of rock called bar. In the middle of the 1990s, in thedepressiivrokk. Bands such as Metro middle of a post-Soviet wasteland of aLuminal and Kosmikud as well as society.Spruse Puiestee produced emotional

I tried to google a photo of a bar in Tallinn from the 90s. Found no photos of bars. Most probablyeveryone was to depressed or drunk to take those photos. Therefore, here is a slick daytime photoof telephone booths - almost lacking any decent phones!


f:flickr.com/photos/sludgeulper/


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For me, the problem with Estonian rap demographic or cultural ensions thathas always been that we don't have it can be seen in Lasname or Ida-here. By it, I mean the social ground Virumaa. Second, Tammelinn is a

needed to produce these rhythmic bourgeois suburb in the forementionedslashes through the curta ins of town. And so the chances of cominginjustice. Sure, we have had and have from such a background and becomingtoday a lot of social injustice. But this a rapper are, to say the least, slight.injustice is more general and involves But then again, we have neither hadthe whole country or all the people those Mississippis nor riverboats, yetinstead of a certain social group. the music that grew out of themTherefore, we all should be rappers captivates us. Therefore, it might bearound here or should no one be. that rap and hip-hop are actually asOne well known Estonian rapper,Cool universal modes of expression as popD (also a member ofA-Rhm), was music in general.

born in Tartu. He lived in Tammelinn. And so we have A-Rhm, whose lateThis is not the typical set-up for a 1990s super hit Popmuusik israpper shouting about kindergarten arguably the most well known andkids getting AK-47s and killingsons of beloved Estonian rap song. The lyricsbitches (from the song titled, wait for bash local pop music and pop industryit, AK 47). at the time. And somehow A-RhmFirst, Tartu is the artsy university town, and their older songs retain certainyet has no major airports or seaports to self-reflecting humour and irony,generate dense traffic and clash of something that many modern pop rapcultures . And neither are there outfits often seem to lack.

A-RHMPOPMUUSIK

Here is an interior photo of a house that is currently being sold in Tammelinn, Tartu.

You surely can find 50 centhere, those damn sofas swallow all the change that pours of thepockets while sitting!



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Rock music, as we know, is crowded might also interpret Estonian 1990swith poet ical expre ssio ns for eurodance starEstin's Esimene lumideflowering ladies while aboard a as a song describing aspiring younghorse/motocycle/car. Or, in Queen's artist's first trip into this life of drug-

case, bicycles. These processes need to fuelled stardom.be fuelled with booze and motivated But then again, this might just be a badby Columbia's finest. love song about the first crush meltingAnd while you live a life of drugs, you just like the first snow. This might asmight as well write songs about it. A well be a song that characterizes quitewell known example is Black well this less than interestingSabbath's Snowblind, a song not so mainstream of Estonian pop music inmuch about making a snowman rather the 1990s.than being one. And Estin was never that aspiringBy following the Western route, we anyway.

This is Estin (born Esta Simakova) a few years ago. Just like the pop musicfrom the 90s has become the basis of quite popularretro parties, Estinhas become somewhat of a MILF material.

ESTINESIMENE LUMI


f:JarekJepera


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A good way to promote your album is counterparts. This is a bit about havingto show your penis while on stage, it instead of hoping to find it.claims Ivar Pllu, frontman of Genialistid whose members have19 90 s/ 20 00 s po p- ro ck gr ou p pursued other interests ranging fromGenialistid. He has a lot of marketing com posin g cla ss ica l pi ece s toadvice strangely for a band who founding theatres were just talentednever was much into mainstream and strangely attractive because ofmarketing anyway. that. Even though mr Pllu looked The thing is, Genialistid was ironic as and still looks more of a nerdmu ch as si nc er e an d tr ic ky. librarian than rock star.Throughout their few albums, they But then again, Phil Collins has sold played around with themes ranging more than 100 million records whilefrom love to drinking beer. They never looking all the time like... Phil Collins!claimed to make art, but managed to bemore classy than most of their

GENIALISTIDMAAPEALNE PARADIISON ROCKNROLL

Managerial advice: Its penis time now!


f:AnnikaHaas


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JAAN TTTESPRADE LAUL NR. 2

Before going sailing around the world, Ttte did a hugely succesful farewell t our.Even during this moment depicted here on this photo, he cashed in a fortune.It has been speculated, however, that some of the crowd was there, hoping that if theypay, Ttte would leave for good.

The bitter truth is, you are not a famous fictious homo- or solo-sexual encounters pop musician unless there's a solid between Ttte and his friend, actorMarkosubculture of people who hate you. Matvere, who are currently on a boatIf you leave people indifferent, you are journey around the world.

just like their everyday surroundings, Therefore, Jaan Ttte is certainly a star. Hemundane and unattractive. But people do and his songs have become sort of rawnot want to see the guy next door on the material for stories, jokes and memes. Hestage, they want to see something out of is both beloved and hated.the ordinary (Cobain, in fact, looked like I have friends who think Ttte's naive andthe guy next door, but he had crazy mode simple songs are absolutely amazing. Andthe actual guy didn't have). then I have friends who find Ttte's naive

Unfortunately, for every fan you get an and simple songs to be utter pseudo-deepadditional hater who finds you either too bullshit.

pretentious, fake or just plain irritating. Actually, coming back to the beginning ofThis is the law of the pop. But as we see, if this story, Jaan Ttte does not fully fit intothere are haters, there are lovers. For the this star formula. He looks like a randomartist wants to be spoken about, this is the long-haired bass player from a rubbishfuel to The Stardom Express. cover band. He is far from radiating theThe same can be said about hit songs. One raw, yet glamorous vibe ofRobert Plantsummer evening I was out on the tiles (as or Jon Bon Jovi. In Lady GaGa'sLed Zeppelin once put it). I passed a bar wardrobe terms: the only meat this guywhile a group of people sang a rendition of actually carries as an accessory might besinger-songwriterJaan Ttte's recent hit some small dead animal he caught whileTuulevaiksel l. It had such lyrics: being the lighthouse guard on one of the

westernmost of Estonian islands,Tuulevaiksel l Vilsandi.Ttte pihku lb Sprade laul nr. 2 is basically this manTuule suund on nord

in a few minutes, you either love it orNd on Marko kord

hate it.

The actual lyrics are much more aboutsailing, foghorns and real love rather than


f:AntsLiigus


11/12


Yesterday I read an article about Mihkel Not that I am saying Raud is a genius, butRaud's this year's achievements. It seems then again, he is quite close to it.that in addition to being one of the judges But let's keep moving. Back in the 1990sin Estonian version of the Pop Idol and (while also being a radio jockey!), he

hosting a weekly talk show in TV, Raud founded a band which was eventuallywrote songs, performed as a guitar player called Mr Lawrence. This song Calland a singer in a few bands, wrote a play, Your Name is not one of his greatesttravelled around the globe and did a bunch hits, but illustrates quite well the case Iof other things I've already forgotten. want to prove.Well, he is a busy man. Mr Lawrence was quite successful theyIn the beginning of the 1990s he had just played real music in real venues to real

become sober. He had spent the latter half people. Something that was rare thoseof the previous decade dead drunk while days, considering our previous stories.

being the guitarist of a cult Estonian band Basically, it took one Mihkel Raud to docalled Singer Vinger. For years, he had great Estonian pop music while the rest of

lived a life as rock'n'roll as it could be in the mainstream was either absoluteSo vi et Es to ni a, pe rf or mi ng in rubbish or alarmingly close to beingkultuurimajad, playing raw sounding rubbish. It took one genius-like guy who

pompous social rock. All those events are sounded like god damn U2 to stand out inin fact described in detail in Musta pori the middle of this whirlpool that was thenkku, Mihke l's hugely success ful re-orientation of Estonian pop culture inautobiography. the 1990s.Yes, he has even written a book that It was quite a time.surpassed everything else in Estonia in

popularity, the Holy Bible included.

MR LAWRENCECALL YOUR NAME

Among other artists, Mr Lawrence performed at Rock Summer,an Estonian festival which attracted over the course of a few yearsartists such as Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, EMF, Bonnie Tyler, Marillion,Bob Geldof, Slade, Procol Harum, Shamen, Ultravox, Blur, Iggy Pop,Motorhead, Simple Minds, Bjrk etc. Many of them mostlikely came because Tallinn was an exotic stage to be on.When the air of extraordinary faded, the festival went bankrupt.

f:pikse

ldused.b

logspot.com


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EIGHT TRACKS

eight tracks - introduction to estonian pop fv v2

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