Viljandi act wants to bring Estonian folktronica to the club

Viljandi folktronica band Oopus fuses folk melodies with electronic beats — and it wants to bring Estonian folk music to young audiences, including in clubs.
Next to Viljandi Railway Station sits the MYRA house, a former railway outbuilding-turned-music space where Oopus makes its music.
According to musician Mari Meentalo, the band settled on the folktronica label for their music after years of experimenting.
"[The term folktronica] isn't something we came up with ourselves — it's been around worldwide for decades," she said. "For us, it means a symbiosis of folk music and electronic dance music."
Bandmate Johannes Ahun said the genre also bridges world music.
"Whether you're a live musician, guitarist or DJ, spinning records and producing, in our view, it's all one big family," Ahun said. "And what interests us is how to bring that family together."
2025 was a busy year for Oopus, including touring, recording a new album and establishing the MYRA House as an event space. The band previously had a studio in Tallinn.

"We wrapped up what we needed to there and moved to Viljandi, but had nowhere to live," Ahun explained, adding that they were looking for a way to combine a living space with studio space. "And through that search, we ended up in this house."
Oopus' 2025 tour took them to the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania and Finland. They also played in folk festival orchestras and even watched thousands of dancers perform to their song "Nõidus" at the Estonian Dance Festival.
"It was absolutely incredible to see that at Kalev Stadium," Meentalo recalled.
At its core, Oopus is driven by their love of music — and their desire to share it. Ahun said one of their missions is to bring electronic folk music to clubs.
"So that when we're grandparents someday, we can tell them, 'Hey kids, what are you doing sitting around at home? Go hit the clubs!'" he said. "So they can continue soaking in their folk music there — dance to it, modernize it, and carry it on."
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Editor: Karmen Rebane, Aili Vahtla








