Talks

TMW Talks created a public friendly arena for battling hot topics within and beyond music culture, starting with an honest look in the mirror. In light of recent show business scandals there was a brazen discussion about whether cancel culture is the way forward. SoundCloud rappers faced studio bosses on the question of good sound. Television was be put on the spot as its role reflecting the changing music culture is on the brink of becoming obsolete. How thin is the line between a joke and an insult?

Tue, 26.03
17:00 at Pudel Bar (Telliskivi 60a-5)

Think inside the box – music on TV (in Estonian)

For Estonian musicians this century has been ripe with new opportunities offered and ceased. Pop mainstream has made something of a left turn, the fad of bedroom postrock has brought production capacity to the masses and the #metoo movement stands for more equality across the board. All the while, television is going through a transition of its own – while still being a key player in creating stars and making trends, consumers and advertisers are increasingly preferring internet devices to the traditional television set thus dictating what television content providers can and cannot do. What should be the role of Estonian TV channels in showcasing Estonian music culture?

Moderator: Mart Normet (media expert and producer)

Panelists:

Heidy Purga (Member of the Estonian Broadcasting Council)
Ingrid Kohtla (Tallinn Music Week Head of Communications & Programme Curator)
Kaupo Karelson (Board Member at Ruudu Produtsendid)
Kaspar Kaljas (Postimees Group Head of TV production)

Wed, 27.03
16:30 at Tallinn Art Gymnasium (Kopli 102A)

Telia presents: Talk “How do I know if this was a joke?” (in Estonian)
Good manners on web, arts and real life – from private conversations in Messenger to Snapchat “joke” videos, rap-dissing and provocative posters

Moderator : Ralf Sauter

Panelists:

Madis Kütt (Youtuber, Kanad on Muhedad, student at Tallinn Art Gymnasium)
YASMYN (Artist)
Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo (Lecturer, Estonian Academy of Arts)
Siret Orav (Sales Consultant, Telia)
Silver Lokk (Teacher of mathematics and band mentor, Tallinn Art Gymnasium)

Wed, 27.03
17:00 at Pudel Bar (Telliskivi 60a-5)

What do women want? (in Estonian)

There are many prominent artists, promotors, music researchers and journalists who are active in the Estonian music industry and happen to also be women. That being said, a tendency to recognize them first as women, and only then as vital contributors still lingers. Lapses of judgement also occur in the field of representation – for instance, this year’s Eurovision national pre-contest jury involved a disproportionately small number of women. The crucial transformation of image and perception is often hindered by media outlets specifically targeting women. Why do we need to keep tabs on rhetoric and statistics? How to cater to women’s needs instead of appropriating them? How come women don’t just naturally assume more power?

Moderator: Kadi Viik (editor at Feministeerium)

Panelists:

Hannaliisa Uusma (Musician and Sociologist)
Sten Andreas Ehrlich, (Deputy Secretary General on Labour and Employment Policy, Ministry of Social Affairs)
Helen Tammemäe (Editor-In-Chief at Müürileht)
Thea Zaitsev (Pieces of 8 Music, manager of NOËP and Mick Pedaja)
Kristjan Hirmo (Promotor and Morning Show Host at Radio Sky Plus)

Thu, 28.03
17:00 at Pudel Bar (Telliskivi 60a-5)

Stupido Records: 30 years of the label and the legend (in Estonian)

In 1989 Finnish music buff Joose Berglund found an outlet for his creative fascination with Estonia by recording and releasing the album “Külmale maale” by punk band JMKE. The group led by Villu Tamme became an idiosyncratic emblem of the national awakening and despite fascination with anarchy, proved instrumental for the popular movement towards democracy in the process of Estonia’s re-establishment as an independent country. The LP itself is now a coveted collectors item and was recently voted the most important Estonian record of all time. JMKE was just the first of many Estonian bands Berglund’s label would foster over the next thirty years during which it reshaped itself and the scene around it. TMW hosts Berglund and Estonian music icons from Stupido’s roster in a talk celebrating the label’s 30th anniversary.

Moderator: Erik Morna (Music Director at Radio 2)

Panelists:

Joose Berglund (Stupido Records)
Tõnu Pedaru (Röövel Ööbik)
Villu Tamme (J.M.K.E.)

Fri, 29.03
17:00 at Velvet design agency (Telliskivi 60a-5)

Testing the limits of cancel culture (in English)

Burning books, censoring artists and banning music seems inherently wrong. Yet we are getting into the habit of playing around with the idea of amputating bits and pieces from the cultural canon as soon as there is news of their creators possible misconduct. Debates surrounding ethics and morality quickly morph into a simpler narrative of crime and punishment. Is the rowdy disposal of foundational performers and songwriters justice or empty rhetorical flourish? Cancel culture — the recently coined term describing a movement to remove from circulation the ouvre of prominent artists who are accused of terrible things — is about to face the toughest test of its limits. Can we really just annul the most famous and beloved pop stars of all time, or will they moonwalk right past our newly found fondness for cancel culture? Is it time to face a deeper reckoning about the limits of accountability and the old truth about best laid plans?

Moderator: Oisin Lunny (Professor at Barcelona Technology School)

Panelists:

Lauri Pihlap (musician)
Conor McCaffery (music writer at Irish Star)
Tõnis Kahu (music critic and lecturer)
Anders Härm (curator and lecturer)
Silvia Urgas (music critic and lawyer)

Fri, 29.03
18:30 at Velvet design agency (Telliskivi 60a-5)

Home sweet home sound – how to record world class audio in your bedroom (in English)

Thanks to rapid developments in technology and relaxed views on aesthetics, there is great artistic freedom and virtually no borders when it comes to sound design. This has liberated a whole generation of musicians (and their budgets) from the custody and patronage of recording studios. A vast number of artists choose to self-record. For commercial breakthrough, however, industry standards still require professional mixing and mastering which, in order to yield the desired results, needs a certain standard from the home-recorded audio. As per usual, the key is not to work harder, but to work smarter. Advice and good practices from both sides of the fence are abound in this panel discussion which brings together composers and producers with those who mix, master and engineer. No recording topics are too big or small for this crowd, so an extended Q&A is part of the talk. Come with questions!

Moderator: Alex Maiolo (Tape Op Magazine)

Panelists:

Mari Meentalo (musician, Oopus)
Ann Reimann (composer, sound designer, Eeter)
Sten Sheripov (composer, producer, musician)
Martin Kikas (mixing engineer, producer, founder of Ö Stuudio)
Pluuto (independent rap artist)