Mingo Rajandi - Werewolves (2025) [Hi-Res]

Mingo Rajandi’s ensemble features some of Estonia’s finest musicians, each with their unique style. Together, they bring Mingo Rajandi’s compositions to life just as the composer envisioned.
While these musicians had all performed together before, the formation of this ensemble is closely tied to the theatre production “Elajannad,” which premiered in February 2023. Simultaneously with the premiers, the ensemble released their debut album. This album is inspired by Mingo’s soul-searching, exploring what it means to be a woman in today’s day and age and how that role has changed over the centuries.

Mingo’s new music “Werewolves” was commissioned by Jazzkaar festival in 2024. In that program Mingo looks into the concept of the “stranger”. Who is a stranger and who belongs to us. Who is entitled compassion, the right to live and love, who is stamped as an outcast.

The music of this ensemble delves into the paradoxes of life, featuring dark, warm, and deep tones. Cinematic soundscapes are crafted by seamlessly blending together acoustic and electronic elements. The music creates a rich tapestry of shifting tones, with abrupt and unexpected transitions alongside carefully built crescendos. It encompasses beautiful melodies, ecstatic improvisations, minimalist ambience, freeform improvisation, unsettling dissonances, and pure simple beauty.