<span style="font-weight: bold;">PARASOL ELEKTRONICZNY. RUMOURS FROM THE EASTERN UNDERGROUND #1. Estonia. </span><br><br>In PARASOL ELEKTRONICZNY. RUMOURS FROM THE EASTERN UNDERGROUND, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Felix Kubin</span> leads us on a tour of underground sound production in Eastern Europe.<br>
<br>Link: <a href="http://bit.ly/hcQo5Q" class="postlink">http://bit.ly/hcQo5Q</a><br>MP3 file: <a href="http://bit.ly/b89uKZ" class="postlink">http://bit.ly/b89uKZ</a><br>Related info: <a href="http://bit.ly/dzDQ2f" class="postlink">http://bit.ly/dzDQ2f</a> <br>
<br>The first episode of the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> PARASOL ELEKTRONICZNY. RUMOURS FROM THE EASTERN UNDERGROUND</span>
series is an exception in two regards. Firstly, as I happened to be on a
journey to Tallinn at that time, I conducted the interviews with the
artists myself. This task is usually carried out by our umbrella agents.
The second unusual feature is its duration. At over 80 minutes, it
could almost be considered a double feature. However, television pilot
programs are often longer than their follow-ups, and I don’t see any
reason why this should not apply to audio features too. Also, the
Estonian episode is a good introduction to the vibrancy and variety of
the Eastern European underground scene.<br><br>Each episode of the
series features some recurring topics and sections: a new national
anthem composed by one of the featured artists, introductions to
instruments and favorite sounds, miniature audio diaries offering "a day
in the life" impressions, spoken word in the local language,
descriptions of some local psychological and economic survival tactics
and discussions around the "symptoms of the East".<br><br>"We don't know
if we are East or West. We want to be more like a Scandinavian
country", says post-punk diva Kiwa, one of Estonia's most famous
underground artists, who still survives on a bare minimum. Indeed, with
its small Protestant population and outlandish language, Estonia has
much in common with Finland. Still, there is a strong connection to
other Eastern European countries, particularly in terms of their shared
political history. Artists and musicians like Kiwa, Taavi Tulev and
Aivar Tõnso have lived through the intense political changes that shook
their country: from Russian occupation to independence, democracy,
capitalism and a right-wing government. Other artists were too young to
witness these changes.<br><br>The political and economic uncertainties
have also led to the emergence of a rich artistic resistance. In their
brutal propaganda satire "Choose order", the radical film group ESTO TV
comments on the growing nationalism in Estonia. The members of the group
weren't afraid to infiltrate political gatherings of the right-wing
party, pretending to be their truest and most radical followers.<br><br>Although
artists like Andres Lõo and Kiwa laconically assert that there is "no
market for contemporary art", Estonia has a blossoming music scene that
is full of optimism. As most of the musicians don't have a job, issues
concerning crisis and security become irrelevant. Or, as the musician
Rainer Jancis put it: "We can lose our lives but we can't lose our
jobs."<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Felix Kubin, 2010.11.09</span><br><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Featured artists</span><br><br>Aivar Tõnso<br>Katrin Essenson<br>Raul Keller<br>Kiwa<br>Sequoia (Lotte Jürjendal & Katrin Rätte)<br>
Taavi Tulev<br>Andres Lõo<br>Tencu (Andres Tenusaar)<br>Rainer Jancis