Sample Sessions: From the archive to the dancefloor

Drawing a connection between the old and the current, creating something new and unique through looking into the past and exploring our roots is a very relevant concept right now.

Music is often a great gateway into learning more about our cultural history and to understand what elements of the past we can bring into the future and reuse time and time again. But what about discovering your roots through the art of turntablism? Professional turntablist Erik Laar’s Live Remix & VEMU Sampling workshop is the perfect opportunity for this!

Erik’s involvement with and immersion in music started when he was around 5 years old. Playing multiple instruments over the years, he couldn’t stay away from the turntable and has been showcasing the intricacies and creativity necessary for turntablism ever since. Having performed internationally in the UK and United States, being involved with Nuit Blanche and the TIFF Bell Lightbox as well as founding and running his own successful DJ school Off Centre, there’s no doubt that Erik knows his way around a turntable. He also has a strong connection to the Estonian community therein, being both an ambassador and performer at Estonian Music Week. So what exactly is turntablism and what’s the workshop all about? Read on to find out.

While DJ’ing involves the skill of mixing one track into another seamlessly, an intricate skill in its own right, turntablism builds on the original role of the DJ and takes it to the next level. Turntablism features increased manipulation of sound, precision, and extreme levels of hand-eye coordination to create completely unique and original compositions. In collaboration with Estonian Museum Canada (VEMU) and Estonian Music Week, this workshop aims to rejuvenate and increase interest in our cultural history and bring it into the present day through the use of state of the art DJ techniques and technology.

It’ll take place in 3 parts: a trip down to VEMU’s archives to peruse the collection and pick out historical records, discovering more about Estonian musical history and culture along the way. Part 2 is where we learn and apply the skills necessary for turntablism through a set of two 3-hour small group sessions featuring one on one opportunities to work with Erik, plus a 9 hour additional online workshop to further develop and practice skills and prepare. Prepare for what? Part 3, a final performance where participants will get to showcase their original compositions and newly acquired turntablist chops in the style of a live remix session. This will also be recorded and available for viewing online at a later date. Whether you’ve had experience with DJ’ing in the past or are completely new to it, all skill levels are welcome. If you’re between the ages of 16 and 30, this is the place to be. And the best part…it’s free!

Make sure to keep your Thursday nights in March and April free; stay tuned for the exact dates of the workshop via our websites vemu.ca and estonianmusicweek.ca and through our Facebook and Twitter accounts! Be quick about signing up, registration ends on March 13th and spots are expected to fill up quickly…. WHERE: vemuesc@gmail.com

We would like to thank the Estonian Integration Foundation and the Estonian Studies Centre for their sponsorship and for making this project possible. For a taste of what Erik’s compositions sound like, check out his Soundcloud page https://soundcloud.com/eriklaar and https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3SaOESGQPOc. See you there!

KATI KIILASPEA