Dallas -- Sleeper's Entertainer (1998)

Dallas/Seksound

• Indie pop/rock 
• Electronic 
• Alternative pop/rock 
• Breaks 
• Remixes 
• Art pop

Dallas Tallinnast (kõlab hästi!) oli kahtlemata üks olulisemaid indipop/rokkansambleid üheksakümnendate lõpus ning nullindate algul. Koos Bizarre'i, Borax'i, Röövel Ööbiku ning Dreamphish'iga määratlesid nad nimetatud skeene tugevuse. Muidugi oli seal ka teisi projekte, ent põhilöögijõud- ja suund olid vaieldamatud. Lugu "Your New Girlfriend" oli ilmselt ainus (vähemalt muud küll ei meenu) peavoolulöögilaul tollest skeenest -- suuresti tänu saate Vibratsioon esimesele kogumikule. Nad ise üllitasid selle muusika kassettil, millest õnneliku eksemplari omanikuks just sain. Ühelt poolt nostalgiline ning teisalt ajastutruu dokument; naasmine aega, kui arusaam alternatiivmuusikast oli hoopis teistsugune kui praegu -- kui konkreetsete entusiastide mõju trendidele nii siin kui seal oli ilmselt suurem. Ühelt poolt innnovaatilised britpopparid Blur ja Pulp ning teisalt paralleelselt kulgev põrandaalusem eksperimentaalpopiskeene eesotsas Stereolab'i, Broadcast'i ning Tortoise'iga kahtlemata avaldasid mõju, ent teisalt Tallinna kombo sünteesis ise oma raja, sillutades seda jaheda filmimuusika, sulni meeleolujätsu ning kruviva (kerg)elektroonikaga. Liikumine, mis oli võrreldav Stereolab'iga -- kingapõrnitsemise ja mürapopi juurest keerukama (dekonstrueeritud eklektitsismi?) loomingu manu. Kui kuulata seda praegu, siis meenub tollal aasta varem ilmunud Primal Scream'i taies "Vanishing Point" -- mitte niivõrd muusikaliselt kui lähenemiselt, liikudes kidrarokist elektroonilistele äärealadele. Viimasesse panustavad remiksidega ise Eesti elektroonilise muusika äärealadele kuulunud muusikaliselt raskesti määratletavad Out-Or ning Lobsand Dorje. Muusika on siin veenev, õhutades korraliku lookirjutamise ning hooga. Kahtlemata klassika. 8.0 (7.5-8.5)

Popidiot – Talk To Me (2014)

Seksound

Bandcamp

/Indie pop, Alternative pop, New Wave, Electro-indie, Synth rock/

Comment: Popidiot is an Estonian-Finnish project consisting of Hendrik Luuk, Matti Peura, and Rein Fuks who started off their way at the beginning of 00s and have issued a couple of albums so far. This is their two-folded single with catchy guitar hooks, bouncy rhythms and freely movable synthesised squelches here and there. The outing was released on Seksound (by the way, Rein Fuks is the chairman of the record label), a leading Estonian indie label being the domicile for many contemporary and early Estonian indie artists (for instance, Seksound issued recently Bizarre`s Café De Flor (initially released in 1996 on the Forwards Records from Tartu, Estonia) on vinyl which can be considered one of the most eminent indie albums from Estonia – a spellbinding blend of dream pop and electronic rhythms).

Jan Helsing – Sünnipäev (2014)

Seksound

/Shoegaze, Alternative pop, Indie rock, Dream pop/

Comment: Undoubtedly Jan Helsing`s debut album Kajalood is one of my favourite albums in 2014 (issued on the Estonian main indie label Seksound). Sünnipäev (Birthday) is a main hit track from it. There are represented two versions of it, one of them is the instrumental one and another is with singing. I shall have to confess, I am deeply felt in love with Kärt Ojavee`s beautiful voice and Jan Kaus` wise lyrics about love, hope and openness for the world. By the way, behind Jan Helsing hide themselves five middle aged gentlemen who did constitute such musical group as Dreamphish in the 90s, an outstanding indie combo. They recruit guest vocalists for different songs, most of them are female ones.     

lack of Eoins - Sudden Death Mode (2012)

Seksound

9.4

/Indie rock, Remixes, Dream pop, Glo-fi, Art pop, Shoegazetronica, Electronic pop, Alternative rock, Doomgaze/

Comment: the Estonian leading indie (rock) label Seksound has issued the new single Sudden Death Mode by lack of Eoins, a Viljandi-based alternative rock trio. The single is a solid example of how arty, riff-charged guitar drive meets subtle synth brass sections as if the synth progression were borrowed from a track of Dreamphish, a label-related Estonian indie juggernaut (the latter element will be brought out in remixes either). Additionally, the one is accompanied by the set of 3 remixes by Tallinn Daggers, Wolfredt, and Imandra Lake - indeed, apiece of them is successfully accomplished, however, extending from acidic, bubblegum-ish riding and beatific shoegaze looming to gloomy blend of doom folk/rock, shoegaze and dream pop, respectively. The favorite of mine is Wolfredt`s version because of strongly reminding of all those old indie glimpses and bits coming out of the memories of the 90`s. Essentially nostalgic. In a nutshell, the single is a very felicitous choice to start out a new year.