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If the city of Tallinn were entirеly unfamiliar - and one needed quick information - then several facts would undoubtedly pop up from a multitude of web venues. That data would include references to Tallinn's position on the northern coast of Estonia and its proximity to Russia, Latvia, Finland, or Sweden. This rich network of neighbors has long been of importance to the city - and indeed to Estonia as a whole. The fact that Tallinn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site speaks directly to its lengthy traditions of both commercial and diplomatic enterprise.
In that same spirit, turning physical into virtual contact, Tallinn is nowadays often mentioned as one of the world's "top ten digital cities." It remains profoundly aware of its importance - and potential - as a conduit or northern nexus of multiple influences. A related process is evident culturally, for example in the world of contemporary Estonian netlabels, such as Tohuwabohu Music. As we'll see, this small venture is home to a great deal of overlapping activity.
Pure beauty! (Soundcloud comment)
The label's name can - if one tries especially hard - be traced back to the Hebrew Bible - or to German slang, even. In these and other linguistic contexts, "tohuwabohu" refers to chaos and/or disorder. In the Bible it refers specifically to the unspeakable emptiness from which God formed the world. Put differently, "tohuwabohu" designates a point of creative "interface" - against a daunting backdrop of absolutely nothing.
And so various lights and sounds come forth from the darkness, in both unexpected and productive patterns.
Merimell at Airport Jam, 2011
Tohuwabohu was founded last year by local DJ Meelis Meri (aka Cylon), together with Estonian producer Ville Veering and promoter L. Eazy. In brief, business-like terms, these three men have declared from the outset that the "main mission of Tohuwabohu is to release and promote techno, house, and electronica - not only from Estonia, but also from other Baltic nations."
Techno, house, and electronica - not only from Estonia, but also from other Baltic nations
One representative of those same bold and booming styles is Tohuwabohu artiste Merimell (i.e., Merimell Sokk), who is originally from the university town of Tartu. Now operating from the Estonian capital, she claims the status of the nation's only reputable female techno DJ. In ways typical, perhaps, of many East European musicians and DJs, she first passed through a conservative musical education - involving choral and chime orchestras - before moving onto more modern instruments, such as guitar and drums. By now, of course, those bows and plectrums have been swapped for plugs and wires.
At this point, once her biography reaches adult, professional activities, the facts tend to lessen - and the romance kicks in: "At some point Merimell realized that something was missing... She found herself attracted to underground venues, where she fell in love with techno. Immediately she found her calling and began to study tech-house, techno, minimal, and other more progressive styles." Influences and modern equipment came to hand in the most unexpected places.
Awards were forthcoming, both at regional and national competitions. When the time came for a debut recording - and the desire to fix sounds on hard media - Tohuwabohu stepped forth. Merimell's "Midnight EP" was soon available, surrounded both by critical approval and a host of evocative adjectives. Promotional materials - hoping to sway those journalistic voices ahead of time - spoke of the EP's" genuine dancefloor-killer sound, full of techy chords and stabs. There are funky basslines here and strong beats..." Then talk continued, in the same approving register, of "fluffy[!] synths and a dark, strong bass with some major breakdowns."
Collaborations started both to take shape and sound forth with increasing volume.
I'm glad and completely amazed at how far Estonian music has come. Great work! (Soundcloud)
As an early sign of these spiraling joint efforts, one of the tracks on "Midnight" was remixed by Meelis Meri himself (as Cylon [below]) - and thus, through these tentative engagements, the familiar overlapping began at Tohuwabohu between performers, producers, and promoters.
Meri himself - just as Merimell - had come from a childhood background of regular choral practice, which morphed slowly into piano lessons and high school ensembles. By the mid-2000s - in other words, after graduation - he gravitated towards a career in radio broadcasting and, eventually, published a series of dancefloor tracks that were specifically designed as melanges of "house, soul, and psychedelia."
The fact that Meri maintained simultaneous duties in the realm of choir conducting hinted at the likelihood of future organizational projects. The locally entrenched and profoundly influential traditions of Estonian choir singing would adopt parallel forms in artist management. Influences would be brought together and interwoven - from various towns and catalogs.
Meelis Meri (Cylon)
That combination of talents, channeled through one label, met with high praise at DJ Mag: "[Meri offers listeners] a twisting instrumental journey, all the way from spaced-out electronica through to jacking keys.” Lest his reputation become associated with any one style, though, Meri has always been quick to subvert his own success: "Although he's known primarily as a house artist, Meri's roots are also tied closely to techno and breakbeat. Most often you'll hear him play techno as Cylon." And so the warm, resonant textures of house are jettisoned in favor of an industrial soundscape.
To a large degree this constant fidelity to difference and deviation is what remains uppermost at Tohuwabohu. The label's output, some of which we display here, is not entirely directed towards dancefloors. A quick snapshot of Meri's own boyhood influences - before he even began composing - would certainly lead us to expect departures from club-specific elitism and steps towards a kindred, "kinder" style such as synth-pop. Meri, for all his club credentials, has no qualms about singing the praises, say, of David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys, and/or Massive Attack.
One of my [fave] tracks of 2011 so far... Stunning stuff Meri! (Soundcloud)
As we can see, any new aesthetic interface will require a new stage-name. After all, Cylon has many years invested in another project, Rulers of the Deep, operated with his colleague, hip-hop composer P. Julm. Against that backdrop of collaborative experience in deep house - begun in the late '90s - he now forms one-third of yet another Tohuwabohu outfit, Tiger Milk. Whether we look backwards or forwards in time, novel lineups and networks are considered with the help of a new identity. Hence, as mentioned, the impression of considerable activity around a small label. The masks are constantly changing.
Tiger Milk is - in less dramatic terms - a trio consisting of Cylon himself (Meelis Meri, lest we forget!), vocalist Eva. K (otherwise known as Eva Vaino)., and Ville Veering. Some of Tiger Milk's recordings also include backing vocals by Merimell... In the words of Sly Stone (albeit from a sadder context), it's a family affair.
Tiger Milk (Tallinn): let to right, Ville Veering, Eva Vaino, and Cylon
Tiger Milk, who formed a couple of years ago, take their name neither from the US candy bar, nor from the Belle and Sebastian album. It comes instead from the famous cocktail, a combination of brandy, cream, and nutmeg. Although originally conceived as an amateur or part-time collaboration for the purposes of studio experimentation, Tiger Milk came to immediate public view in Estonia after they remixed some material by a well-known Baltic heavy metal band for the dancefloor.
That healthy disrespect for convention then led to a single in February of this year, "Another World" - with the aforementioned help of Merimell. And so the changes are rung upon established genres and norms - with so many monikers that following Tohuwabohu can be (pleasantly) tricky. To this day the label does much to embody its own etymology, celebrating a creative process of disorder over dignified stasis.
Lovely. Full support! (Soundcloud)
One might even argue that this ability to chop and change has a direct, pragmatic benefit in a very unstable business environment. As support for that contention, one might point to an Estonian music convention earlier in 2011, to which Meri was invited as an expert panel member. The reason for his inclusion was implicit in the convention's promotional materials: "The new generation of professionals in Estonia's music industry knows how to 'DIY.' These people how to arrange a tour; how to set up a network of contacts and fans; how to get your music on sale; and how to finance what you do." Once again, experience as a choir conductor appears to have reaped extra benefits. As social and/or modish contexts change, so do their soundtracks.
As Veering, Vaino, and Cylon say of their most recent project: "Tigers are pretty; milk is nutritious. And that's exactly what we're giving you." Extra energy and aesthetic appeal, both developed for a constantly changing environment. Some of the local architecture in Tallinn suggests that mixes and mashups have been part of this northern landscape for a very long time.
Tallinn Outdoor Museum
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