Singer, songwriter, rapper – and now, thanks to the Trickster team, a model – EiK does it all. Catch him fooling around Paavli Culture Factory in an editorial shot by Jane Treima and styled by Diandra Rebase. And don’t miss him live at the same spot on Tuesday, the 13th of May, or Wednesday, the 14th.
Meeting a new person, I (Anne Vetik) prefer to skip the boring chit-chat about inspiration and hard work, and go straight to the serious stuff. That's exactly what I did with EiK — and luckily, his answers were as iconic as his hairstyle.
EiK, what would you say to the aliens who have abducted you and how would you talk yourself back to Earth?
Oh my God. I should probably tell them that I still have so much to say! And maybe that I could add something to Estonian culture? But actually, I’m not really sure I’d have any strong arguments in that conversation.
If your songwriting process was a kitchen appliance, which one would it be?
Oh well, as I usually put songs together from random bits and pieces around me - just playing around with different words, thoughts, something I hear others say, or something from my own subconscious - then probably it’s some kind of smoothie-making machine or blender, something that works out something nice after you've thrown in completely random stuff into it.
And how does your new album taste, being processed through that blender of yours?
Probably something spicy and sharp-tasting as there are a lot of strong instrumets, loud guitars, loud drums, punk, rock, indie, that type of sounds. So yeah, citrucy and peppery and spicy!
What’s your modus operandi for getting out of an awkward conversation — say, with a fan aggressively sharing his own perspective on music?
I’m usually the guy who just goes along with this type of convo and just suffers till it ends - or till it gets even more awkward. I try not to be rude to anyone, I’m a people pleaser. So yeah, I could easily end up at Balta Chill at 7 in the morning, listening to someone’s poetry that I maybe don’t really appreciate in that moment.
And you know, I learned it the hard way. Like, for example, I had this situation 7 - 8 years ago with this then-just-a-beginner producer, who’s now known as boipepperoni. He approached me on socials, shared some of his beats with me - like, maybe I could use them somewhere or give suggestions on how to improve the sound. And I was an arrogant asshole. I said, yeah, I have a producer, so not really in need of anything at the moment - go check out YouTube tutorials or something.
And yeah, basically a year later this dude is making such awesome sound! So the lesson is, it’s better to be nice to people. Always!
I’m super glad, that he still did a collaborate with me later, after such a faux pas!
Do you need to get into specific mood to get creative or it just happens on the go?
On the go! I could just be walking home or riding a tram. Or something interesting appears in my mind just before I fall asleep.
What’s the weirdest subject or object that has inspired a lyric?
I started making songs when I was 13 - 14, so in this period, while in school, my head was always full of different stuff, beginning with mandatory reading, ending with typical high school dramas, so songs could really take shape from super random moments and ideas. Now I guess it’s more concentrated and my metaphors are more polished.
If a song isn’t working, what happens to it? Does it end up in the trash — sad and abandoned?
I actually tend to keep everything I write. You never know - maybe something that feels a bit weak in the moment can end up as a really good song later, in a different context and arrangement.
If you were a mythological creature or a book character, who would you be?
The Hemulen from the Moomins! I always feel it when I travel, that in the end home is the best place.
Is there a person you are affraid to perform in front of?
In fact, yes, I do — or at least, I did. There was this concert in 2019 at the Estonia Theatre. The audience was made up of Estonian parliament members. One of them was Marju Lauristin. So I'm on stage, performing, and I catch her looking at me — and I just get so scared. I feel like she thinks I'm a complete idiot. I almost stopped mid-song, forgot my lyrics — all of this happening during a live broadcast.
A couple of years go by, and again, I'm performing at some official event. Lauristin is there once more, and she looks at me like I'm a little frog. Somehow, I pushed through it.
Recently, though, I was reciting poetry at the Language Act of the Year event in Tartu. Lauristin was there again! But this time, she actually smiled at me. So I hope the curse is over.
If you want to catch EiK elsewhere this summer, mark your calendar for Triigi Filharmoonia on July 12 and the Estonian Hip Hop Festival on August 15–16. But most importantly, don’t miss the big headline show already announced — on September 26 at Kultuurikatel, where he’ll bring together music from the past 11 years in the biggest concert of my career so far.
At the showcase concerts at Paavli, EiK will be joined by his album collaborators Kermo Murel, Riste Sofie Käär, and a band consisting of Mattias Tirmaste (guitar), Maris Pihlap (vocals, electronics, percussion), Rein Fuks (drums), and Ann-Lisett Rebane from the band Duo Ruut (bass). All of them, except for Ann-Lisett, also contributed to writing the album, along with producers Taavi-Peeter Liiv and Kriipsu-Uku. The album was released by TIKS Records and mixed and mastered by José Diogo Neves.
Clothes from Kaubamaja & personal archive