Maarja Nuut, Sun Araw

Estonian violinist & singer Maarja Nuut & LA’s psyche-experimentator Sun Araw hand in gentle, unpolished improvisations on their collaborative album “Fantasias for Violin & Guitar” recorded live on location by Jackson Bailey aka Tapes. Brought together by Tallinn’s IDA Radio under the umbrella of a 10-day sound residency in magnificent Narva Art Residency on the border of Estonia & Russia, Maarja Nuut & Sun Araw set up their gear to jump head first into unknown territory of live-improvisation.

Don’t let the title fool you though, as the intro “White Comb” unveils, there’s more here than the old violin & guitar, there’s Buchla magic, entertaining tries to MIDI a violin, gentle glockenspiel fills, occasional bursts of electronica zooming in from unknown sources & Cameron Stallone’s guitar swings all over the place glued together by Maarja’s stellar voice. This is the debut release by MIDA, a new record label based in Tallinn, Estonia.