Eik says young people interpret freedom through pop culture

Estonian musician Eik said on ERR’s Vikerraadio that young people today understand freedom through pop culture, technology and irony, while he worries about preserving the country’s cultural output.

“For me, the greatest way to define freedom is how cultured we are,” Eik said. He added that young Estonians have used pop culture to explore who they really are.

Eik said he has a stronger personal connection with Estonia’s Independence Day because his grandmother was born on February 24. His parents have always flown the flag on August 20, but he said it was initially difficult to understand the value of freedom because everything had already been done for his generation.

In recent years, he said, Estonian music and culture had helped him develop a deeper understanding of freedom. After reading Brigitta Davidjants’ book Külmale maale last year, he said he began to experience historical events through punk songs.

“I think today’s young people perceive the value of freedom in a completely different way,” Eik said.

He also criticised the treatment of culture and called for lower value-added tax rates on cultural events. “I worry that our content will remain, and for me that is the greatest way to define freedom: how cultured we are,” he said.

Eik recalled beginning to make music on an old laptop belonging to his brother. “At 13, I learned the production programmes, and that’s how it started,” he said.

He said he did not attend kindergarten until he was six and spent his early childhood at home with his grandmother. At kindergarten, local boys did not understand him and bullied him, he said. Eik added that he spent a lot of time alone, playing outside and creating imaginary worlds.

He said his generation’s outlook was closely linked to technology, pop culture and irony about a world that was “so messed up” and had left young people with “a scorched ball” to repair.

Eik said he came to the attention of the media after releasing his third or fourth single, through Mihkel Raud. He soon realised that changing and developing himself might be the best way to change the world.

“I like to shock both myself and my audience,” he said. “I always try to surpass myself and be the best version of myself. I write first for myself, and then what I have written belongs to the audience.”

Eik said a strong community was the opposite of addiction. When he was working on an exciting project with friends, he said, he did not browse the internet, but free time alone could easily lead him to spend hours watching other people do interesting things or reading negative news.

He said his closest family currently consisted of his fiancée, with whom he lives in Kopli, and his parents, who now live separately but remain in daily contact with him. When he has a problem or question, he said, he still tends to ask his mother for advice.