Music Is a Language of Secret Codes

4 5 KAANELUGU KALLE VILPUU KAANELUGU Music is a Language of Secret Codes Text: Andri Riid Photos: Riina Varol, Kris Moor Guitarist Kalle Vilpuu, who celebrated his 50th of the Moon” at the age of 11. I maker who took orders for con- also listened to Yes, Camel, Led cert guitars from artists from birthday in June, is in the form of his life and Zeppelin and Free and realized all over the Soviet Union. Igor’s busier than ever before. He recently released it touches me deeply. I learned wife was also a concert guitarist, his years in the making solo album “Silver my first chords from schoolmate so theirs was a musical family Hillar Vimberg, who lived in my through and through. Lining” and is engaged with two bands – building. Later I took private les- Ultima Thule and Seitsmes Meel, both very sons at the Jõhvi Music School, From there I went to Georg Ots much alive and kicking, that even musical from there I moved on to school school, where I spent the first two bands and other things like that... courses studying classical guitar laymen can associate the name of Kalle but switched to stage guitar under Vilpuu with. As his status befits, the musician You applied for the Georg Ots Riho Lilje by the time of the third. brings to the interview his most beloved Tallinn Music School after gradu- I realized that if you want to be ating from high school? really good at classical guitar, you instrument, a Gibson Les Paul Goldtop. No, after high school I spent a need to do a lot of work, and that Tell me about your guitar. could do but set about fixing it up. year working as a stage hand in the academic world was not for This Goldtop is my main guitar. Here I would like to thank Helmut Pärnu and taking guitar lessons me. I was already playing for the It suits me, fits me ergonomically, Hark, who helped me restore the from Igor Klimenkov. I studied Seitsmes Meel by that time and and is a very sensitive instru- instrument to its original state. classical guitar already on a my life was so incredibly busy that ment sporting good dynamics. A Ordering all the parts and figuring deeper level with Igor. He was even my teacher recommended I good guitar (and after 30 years out what does what exactly takes a renowned teacher and guitar switch specialties. of playing them I can recognize a fair bit of time and is a rather that almost instantly) can be expensive undertaking. However, In truth some bozo In hindsight I believe I did the attuned to oneself – you can lis- I was rewarded with a guitar that had done quite a right thing as it is easy to build ten to its peculiarities, sense its is very dear to me. number on that Les whatever you want on a classical hidden qualities and potential. I Paul – removed the foundation. It gave me my tone fussed with my Goldtop for quite Rumor has it the guitar wasn’t and my fingering skills and a lot a few years until finally people your first instrument? original Tulip pegs, of other things I suppose I don’t AJAKIRI KITARR started saying I had gone around I initially played drums in slapped some EMGs even realize anymore. AJAKIRI KITARR the bend. In truth some bozo had a band started by boys three on it, all the metal done quite a number on that Les years older than me at the 1st parts were loose and How did you come to play in | NR 8 | SÜGIS 2013 Paul – removed the original Tulip Kohtla-Järve high school, where Seitsmes Meel? | NR 8 | SÜGIS 2013 pegs, slapped some EMGs on it, I went to school. I first took an rattling – there was It is a peculiar story that still all the metal parts were loose interest in the guitar when I lis- nothing I could do but makes me smile. As a young and rattling – there was nothing I tened to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side set about fixing it up. Georg Ots school student I went » 6 7 to one of my musician friend’s checked my notebook, we had 28 tar scores, I always took a tape I had a Mark Knopfler type of wedding in Pärnu, for which a concerts in one month of 1987. home and put it on – Russian sound in Seitsmes Meel, I used a random collection of musicians Seitsmes Meel was the Esto- tape-recorders also had the loop lot of Compression Sustainer and had been assembled. We ate, nian Consumer Cooperatives functionality – and then I worked mainly played pickup positions 2. had a few laughs, drank some Voluntary Association’s (ETKVL) on it until I hit the right notes. and 5., where you get that additional KAANELUGU KAANELUGU vodka – all the things you do at freight station band, the condi- twang. It felt right at the time. weddings – and then after we tions were very good for the time. Indeed, the band’s guitar scores jammed someone asked me We had a big separate rehearsal still feel well-composed and I suppose you could find quite whether I would like to play in space you could walk in to at any sporting an original knack, at a few things today to criticize a band. The band I was invited time. We also had our own PA sys- the same time you played mainly about the sound back then... to was to become the Seitsmes tem built by band mate Toomas pure tones, especially towards I have thought that perhaps Meel. A few days later I bumped Leemets and sound guy Margus the beginnings. one reason why we couldn’t get into Henry Laks who confirmed Rebane. that proper guitar sound back that the position of guitarist was Even though I have then is that the few Western open. So the lesson here is to be How did the creative process amps we used had shot bulbs. in the right place at the right time. unfold in Seitsmes Meel? nothing but the We didn’t have the know-how, nor The songs of Seitsmes Meel deepest respect for the replacement bulbs; however, The preparations had already came primarily from Henry’s pure blues guitarists, I believe better amps would have been made, we took it from quill. Every time he brought some- it does not touch me yielded better results. Today I there – rehearsed feverishly, and thing interesting to rehearsal, we believe that if you don’t have NOS people responded to our tracks, started working on it. And then as deeply as hard rock, bulbs, in other words bulbs made liked us, and as a result we had we argued, fought and made up grunge or high-quality in the 50s for the military, you an incredible amount of work – I in the process. As concerns gui- metal. just can’t get the proper sound. The choice of stomp boxes was also rather limited back in the day, I had Compression Sustainer, chorus, delay and overdrive. Seitsmes Meel broke apart rela- tively suddenly, at the height of its popularity. There actually was no good Ultima Thule Jazzkaarel (2013). Photo: Kris Moor reason for that. It remains a big question mark for me to this day compared to what joining Ultima a true blues man. Even though time. Lately we don’t really have felt childlike joy when people told – whence came the thought that Thule stood for. I have nothing but the deepest to explain ourselves anymore, us we were great. It was uplifting we’re not capable of anything else That’s right. Thule guitar is respect for pure blues guitarists, you do your thing and it’s fine. We to read good reviews in foreign and that it’s better to quit while a whole other world. I was very it does not touch me as deeply as are regularly playing venues and magazines, we were even featured we’re ahead. In truth we could surprised when I was invited to hard rock, grunge or high-quality I’m sure we will release another in Metal Hammer and Classic Rock. have kept going. We never even join Ultima Thule as I’m no blues metal. But every guitar player album as well. If you don’t talk about it, it is as if released an album. player. Back then Thule was a lot must know how to play basic it didn’t exist; however, it is a part more bluesy than it is now and it blues as it is the foundation for In the mid 2000s you joined of my journey as a musician. We Now, when Seitsmes Meel took me several good years to get everything else. Erik Meremaa’s band House of worked like crazy, rehearsed four is together again, it seems the settled. Of course I had come into Games that released a record or five times a week, I started prac- crowd is still pleased with us. The contact with blues and also stud- Can the feeling of playing second called “Rise and Shine” and tried ticing eight hours a day. One can sound is different as one man ied it, I learned almost all there fiddle be helped next to Riho to make it in Europe. What kind of practice indefinitely. I don’t really is no longer with us (keyboards is to learn, but I’ve not become Sibul, voted Estonia’s best gui- memories do you have from that believe musicians who say that player Tõnu Väärtnõu – ed).

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