It's been 5 years since Õunaviks records released first compilation of Estonian home recording artists. From those new names Mari Kalkun has now hit the big time and Eva Mitreikina released fragile debut.
It seems that some loose community of bedroom musicians who have taste for beauty is existing despite of all kind of "idols" and "fake westerners" of today´s Estonian music. This second volume of Toatuur (Backroom Trip) features some brand new musicians who started making music in 2000s, some of them listened earlier Õunaviks releases among the other stuff. This fine new breed features bedroom electronic Spice Mouse, small woman from library, whose witty heartfelt texts, fragile vocals and odd sounds make her a lovely oddity in today's estonian electronic scene. Keegi Kusagilt (Someone From Somewhere) has unique guitar style as well as punkish alto voice and weird epic texts. Juhan Vihterpal may easily be most intersting young intrumentalist around, his experiments cover wide variety of styles. Arles Kangus is true son of 90s music scene, it's lyrical alternative rock, but does it in his own recycled way. He often sings older estonian poetry (Ernst Enno, Arvi Siig) and performs alone as well as with a band Leinapeni (Mourning Dog). Riho Kall is an artist and musician, who performed with avant-guarde band Kuldaveärt Karud and lately with folkish group Puhkus. Silver Sepp is a sunny drummer, warm singer and builder of new instruments like the one he made with billet and nails. He has played in variety of aknowledged bands (Bombillaz, Rootoro etc.) but has freshy married queen of estonian poetry and has lot of true troubadour lyrics to deliver. Martin Ellemaa is a poet, author of two volumes of verse, who used to sing old runic songs and turned to write his own material. Martiini is a painter and veteran of Tartu experimental music scene, having made many-coloured collages and also played bass in postpunk band Arupuru Guruhark and in avant-garde outfits like NE! And Mooses. Mari Pokinen is young actress whose accoustic smash debut "22" has re-entered the estonian album selling charts after this compilation was released. We liked her before she was famous and we dig her now. She's that good. Epifolium is Iisak Sulev Andreller, son of estonian emigrees in Canada, who lived in the homeland of his parents and enrichened it´s musical landscape with his finely crafted instrumentals. And Magnus Morel is a blooming young folktronic who makes his own stuff, playes in a instrumental band called Talamak and has a interesting future laying ahead. This compilation has an oldie section also – Sven Kreek's track is from 1986 and was found from old TV-hitparade, and Erkki Hyva's piano piece comes from around 1990. Both gentlemen can look back with pride and we feel honoured to release their gems. Some other artists (Eneli Siirman, Iduvigik) are known from the first volume of Toatuur and will do some more. Pastacas, Barbariz and Kago are already strongholds of Estonian alternative with some overseas success. Hope you'll enjoy some sounds from this bunch.
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