Seattle radio tastemaker KEXP embraces Estonian music scene
KEXP, a Seattle-based independent radio station known for breaking international artists, has increasingly been spinning Estonian music for a global audience.
A longtime tastemaker in independent music, KEXP has built a global following by championing emerging artists and sharing sounds from around the world. What began as a small, listener-supported college station is now widely recognized for helping launch major acts.
"I could give you an example — I mean, Nirvana is the first one," says veteran DJ Darek Mazzone. "In the past, Fleet Foxes, Macklemore. These artists, they became gigantic — which is cool! They became huge."
The same 90s grunge scene that gave rise to Nirvana unexpectedly thrust Seattle into the epicenter of the music world.
"The musicians would share instruments, they would share rehearsal spaces, they would go to each other's shows," Mazzone recalled. "During that time period, nobody expected it to blow up, but it blew up all over the world; people still talk about it."
Today, Seattle looks rather different, transformed into a more international and diverse global tech hub while still undergoing changes.
"I'm super curious to see what's going to happen in five years here, because we have the bubbling of something new, but it has an international aspect to it," the DJ said.
That search for new sounds has led KEXP to Estonia. From folk-inspired duos to experimental acts, Estonian music has found a firm foothold in the station's rotation. Groups such as Puuluup, Trad.Attack!, Mari Kalkun and Duo Ruut have all been featured on their airwaves.
"The music of Estonia, to me, became so intoxicating because it was this interesting hybrid of tradition and yet a new perspective," Mazzone said.
He doesn't speak Estonian, he added, but there was something in this music that really touched him anyway.
The KEXP DJ has already brought Estonian artists to Seattle and now aims to build a lasting musical bridge between the two scenes.
The Seattle area is also home to a longtime Estonian diaspora community, including the Seattle Estonian Society, a folk dance group and a choir, and hosts the West Coast Estonian Days (LEP) on a rotating basis.
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Editor: Kaspar Viilup, Aili Vahtla
