Sal-Saller prepares Generaator M vinyl release without rerecording

Musician Hendrik Sal-Saller is preparing a vinyl release of Generaator M’s music and will not rerecord it, he told Vikerraadio in an interview with Andres Oja, published by ERR. He is currently cleaning up the band’s old recordings.

Sal-Saller turned 60 in January and will mark the end of his birthday year with a concert titled “Sal_Saller 6.0” at Tallinn’s Unibet Arena in mid-December. Generaator M will also perform at the show, with Mihkel Raud taking the place of Anti Rüüt. Sal-Saller said the band would play a few songs, but the performance should not be considered a comeback.

Sal-Saller said he formed Generaator M, which also included Rüüt and Sven Jannes, in the early 1980s. He took the band seriously, he said, but did not expect people to still be talking about it decades later.

He said the musical instruments available to bands today are a major difference from those used in Generaator M’s early days. Even so, poor equipment did not stop the group from playing, he said. The old recordings will remain as they are, despite their imperfections.

Sal-Saller said he is more drawn to Smilers’ regular smaller concerts, though he enjoys the feeling after performing in front of a large audience. He compared the upcoming birthday concert to a previous Smilers anniversary show that he counts among the highlights of his life.

Sal-Saller also discussed Jaak Kilmi’s new feature film “Musta pori näkku,” which premiered earlier in the week and is based on Mihkel Raud’s book of the same name. Actor Erik Hermaküla plays Sal-Saller in the film. The musician said he was pleased with the finished film and with Hermaküla’s performance, and worked with Erko Laurimaa on the film’s sound.