Once a year Estonian sci-fi and horror fans meet at Estcon to spend a few days in the nature with beer and fantasy. The focus is on literature and storytelling, but these good folks with expanded cultural horizon like the music too. This year all participants were eligible for “Estcon 2012”, a two-CDR compilation, 150 copies issued on Trash Can Dance label.
With 34 tracks and more than two hours of playtime it’s a sizable package and offers many interesting finds. In fact, it was a great listening experience and gives faith in the present and future of Estonian alternative music.
The first, red disc, is for brighter and dance-oriented tracks, starting with glittering synth song “Wally Bishop” by White Sparks. Laton recording artist Andres Lõo drops wave-minded workout “Radiant Child”, Laulan Sinule pays electropop tribute to machines in “Masina Sees” and Tallinn Daggers ignites electroclash riot. Punane Magneet-Lõvi does Funkervogt-style catchy industrial song in “Üliinimene”, paired with black power in “End Of Time” by Error: Success. Clumsily titled “Technodancing (Dub Mix)” by Future Brain takes to a simple but efficient goa-infected trip and arpeggios are parading in “Don’t Belong Here” by Tamhiis. The beauty of female vocals is enjoyed in the tunes by Micaramia, Undra and Kroma, while “Clockworkbird” by Possimiste is like an excerpt from fantasy musical and Multiphonic Rodent’s “Väike kosmoselaev” dreams about interplanetary meadows.
Musically more challenging is the black disc, although “Elektricity” by Systeam with guitars and electro house grooves is a rather mild start. Drone/shoegaze faction is made up by Several Symptoms, Deserts, while Voog, with a nine-minute power demonstration in “I”, and Kannabinõid come from the land of stoner. A few tracks rely on sampled Russian: “Roheline järv” by Tont and “malenkov7” by talented abstractionist Misha Mishajashvili. EDASI and doom are inseparable, here spilling black ooze in “Forever Fullmoon”. Cosmos Laguna’s “Ghostpower” is in a good company with wild staccato by Aamen and distorted stomper by Killerkat. “Nucleic Acid” is beatless haunting ambient by Coscyl and Autharktos deconstructs trip hop loops in “Borealic Roar”. “Sounds From Hell Dub” by an unknown artist is a vibrating conclusion of the compilation.
Tracklists and comments to the release (in Estonian) are here. For more information about the artists, just google.
Wally Bishop” by White Sparks. Laton recording artist Andres Lõo drops wave-minded workout “Radiant Child”, Laulan Sinule pays electropop tribute to machines in “Masina Sees” and Tallinn Daggers ignites electroclash riot.
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