Night Tapes, Fidju Kitxora, Lucy Dreams: Wonderland Features Editor Ben Tibbits rounds up the best acts he caught on an excursion to Estonia for Tallinn Music Week.
In the far corners of Europe, creativity erupts restlessly. An eye-opening odyssey to Estonia for Tallinn Music Week in early April proved such. Despite its temperamental weather and geographical location on the Eastern border of NATO, the capital city of Estonia is a quaint and cathartic place, bubbling with friendly faces and colourful heritage. It plays host to one of the continent’s most potent showcases and conferences, with industry professionals, musical acts and passionate punters alike paying a visit to Tallinn for a near week long journey into the heart of discovery and education.
There’s plenty of acts from Estonia and their neighbours to indulge in—a refreshing opportunity to dig into new sounds, as well as a wider European and even global lens, with an African showcase part of the extensive catalogue of events. Sprawling across the city’s various venues, the music at Tallinn Music Week celebrates a plethora of genres and movements, and shines a light on the best rising and under appreciated musicians from its host nation and beyond.
Below, you can find some of the most noteworthy acts that impressed across the showcase…
Night Tapes
Who Are They: Estonian-English dream pop band with luscious melodies and piercing songwriting.
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Why You Should Listen: Assuredly rising in acclaim in the UK indie scene across the last few years, Night Tapes were undoubtedly one of the acts to see across Tallinn Music Week. Their stunning set didn’t disappoint; the band’s dance-laden indie-tinged dream-pop proved captivating and characterful, with an undoubted global appeal and a dazzling touch of psychedelic tendency.
Ajukaja & Mart Avi
Who Are They: Dazzling and progressive performance from two towering names in Estonian music.
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Why You Should Listen: Ajukaja, one of the most quintessential names from Estonia’s underground movement, and Mart Avi, the fellow countryman and avant garde creator and songwriter, make quite the duo. Their joint 2024 LP Death of Music is an oblique, left-field and oddly uplifting body of work, and translates piercingly into a live context.
Fidju Kitxora
Who Are They: Enigmatic production trio full of surprise and nuance.
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Why You Should Listen: The kind of act that has to be witnessed to be understood. The Cape Verde-to-Lisbon trio concoct an immersive and emotional melting pot of local sounds, like funaná and semba, merged with experimental synths and field recording and striking use of rhythm. Pure, thrilling and sensational.
Lucy Dreams
Who Are They: Imagination-capturing pop force who blend analog and digital art.
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Why You Should Listen: There’s a visceral thread of innovation sewed throughout the evolutionary tapestry of Lucy Dreams. Exploring the relationship between humans and machines, the natural and the otherworldly, the dynamic between Lucy, the artificial band member, and the human band members Zero and One, is thrilling and unlike anything you’ll see. After already impressing attendees of ESNS 2025, and with The Great Escape to come, the Austrian collective could be a major breakthrough this year.
Tšellopoisid
Who Are They: Estonian cello duo blending the classic with the contemporary.
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Why You Should Listen: A mixture of thrilling covers and original compositions, Tšellopoisid are putting a modern twist onto a classical mode. Backed by a band of keys, guitar, bass and drums, the dual cellists offer incredible musicianship and a unique approach to their instrument.
Borm Bubu
Who Are They: Genre-bending four-piece who are both technical and crowd-pleasing.
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Why You Should Listen: A hidden gem within the Estonian underground, experimental rock four piece make their sonic mosaic of shoe gaze, noise rock, metal and math rock appear effortless. Among the buzziest sets across the weekend, their riotous set to a packed out Paavli Kultuurivabrik suggested that there’s exciting new horizons to come for the outfit.
OneDa
Who Are They: Mancunian rapper blending striking hip hop with heavy hitting DnB.
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Why You Should Listen: Manchester-raised rapper OneDa put her city on the map and into the Baltic circumference with a full-bloodied performance in Tallinn. Effortlessly flowing atop DnB-tinged backdrops with grimey flows and braggadocios lyricism, the potent wordsmith continues to impress.