New music Friday brings releases from Heleza, Maarja Nuut and more

ERR’s new music roundup features new releases from Estonian artists including Heleza, Maarja Nuut, Paabel and Pantokraator, alongside international acts such as Troye Sivan and Jungle.

As summer begins to wind down, the rhythms are becoming more subdued and the first autumnal influences are appearing in music. There is still plenty of brighter energy, however.

Onyx and Lil Till release “Linnonminu”

Lil Till and Onyx released “Kaskadöör” in April and “Drank” at the end of July. Their new song, “Linnonminu”, is built around an airy trap backdrop. It is more restrained than their previous tracks, but no less effective. The song is not a cover of Epp Kõivu’s hit of the same name.

Lil Till has already released an album and a large number of collaborations this year, leaving open the question of how much new material he still has in store.

Paabel returns with “Laevämäng”

Sadu cleared the way for Paabel’s return. Sandra Sillamaa has been involved in numerous successful projects, but many may have forgotten that she was also a member of the traditional music group Paabel. The ensemble, which ended its activities in 2017, will release a new album titled “Ajatu” in August.

“It was a great pleasure to feel, after years apart musically, that we had gained extremely different experiences as musicians in the meantime. Returning to the creative process with Paabel was the ideal melting pot, where we could combine those experiences with old runo songs into something entirely new, without restrictions,” Sillamaa said.

Heleza and Säm release “Loe mu mõtteist”

Heleza, who has been working more quietly for some time, returns with a major release and has joined the ranks of Kurbade Uudiste. Musically, she broadly continues in the same direction as during her time with Universal and Sony: unpretentious contemporary pop with a light, sweet R&B coating. More new material is expected, with Karl Killing also contributing to the first single.

Pantokraator announces Shakespeare album

Estonian progressive rock band Pantokraator has released the single “Sonett 127 Ei loetud musta kauniks …” and announced that its new album, “William Shakespeare’i Sonetid”, will be released on September 13.

“Sonett 127”, which has just been released, is the opening poem in William Shakespeare’s “Dark Lady” sonnet sequence. It addresses beauty, ideals of beauty and their artificial nature.

Maarja Nuut releases “Ma näen sind ikka veel”

Maarja Nuut’s new song is built around a mosaic-like form of dream pop. Nuut said the song originated in February 2022, when a bass line had been haunting her for several weeks and a close friend in Tallinn’s small music community died. Ten days later, Russia’s war in Ukraine began, making everything feel dark.

“One evening I went to the studio, opened Paul Celan’s collection of poetry at more or less a random place, and there was the song, so that things could become warmer,” Nuut said.

Greef and San Afra release “Night Moves On”

Producer Greef, who has previously collaborated with artists including Jüri Pootsmann and Yon­na, has returned with a solo single. The new song is driven by a funk groove that would likely not draw an annoyed reaction even from Nile Rodgers.

“We wanted the song to feel as if you had discovered an old vinyl record on a dusty record-store shelf, but were hearing it for the first time on a dance floor in Ibiza,” Greef and San Afra said. They previously collaborated on the single “Sleeping Cold”.

“Timebomb” brings together Markus Kuusing and Kristjan Järvi

Kristjan Järvi has turned to hard-hitting electronic music. Together with his band Nordic Pulse and producer Markus Kuusing, he has created a neon-coloured EDM track with deep bass. Although it is broadly a safe and familiar production, it could easily be played in the middle of the day on almost any radio station.