Erik Laar
(CAN) - turntablist time traveller
Toronto born and raised with Estonian roots that run deep. Experimental multi genre producer, vocalist, DJ and instrumentalist.
Erik Laar has returned to the stage under his own name with a brand new deeply personal focus inspired by a connections to his cultural roots. Digging through the stacks of dusty wax in the Estonian Canadian Museum (VEMU) archives, an encounter with fragments of the past sparked a connection. He began experimenting with new ways of interpreting the Estonian Regilaul tradition. Erik's original pieces are built around the many hopes and deepest pains of his country's trying past and the manifestation of those experiences in the now. What began as a one-off live-stream performance in 2021 gave way to a festival appearance and is now the foundation of his forthcoming EP (spring 2023).
Using his finely tuned turntablist techniques as a catalyst for his musical expression is what defines Erik's unique studio production and live shows. Drum machines, turntables, vinyl, keyboards, laptops, glockenspiel and live vocals are the components of any given creation. The continuous goal: to create a symbiotic balance between electronic and acoustic, digital and natural. Big, bad beats with a soft side.
See Erik Laar Perform: