I met Malcolm Lincoln - Robin Juhkental (21) and Madis Kubu (25) - on a Friday night in a busy cafe. Robin is tall and quiet, Madis more talkative and, well, what is the word I am looking for...opinionated. Robin used to have longer hair but said he looked “too emo” and now both guys look very smart, “like the Backstreet Boys,“ says Madis “trying to appeal to as big a variety of women as possible.”
When I switch on the recorder, everyone suddenly feels uncomfortable; as an unexperienced interviewer I don't know how to relieve the tension and the chaps tell me that they haven't been interviewed much either. Robin later gives two examples of getting mainstream press coverage - in every case his words were torn out of context as if he were, for example, a big supporter of same-sex marriage. But Robin only laughs and I do admire his easiness. All I can say is that a band needs the gay community's support anyway, Lady Gaga needed it and Malcolm Lincoln does as well - as they say: first come the girls, then the gays and then all the rest...Again, Robin only laughs.
I tell them that the interview will probably be published after the Eesti Laul (Estonian Song) contest is over but it is still a topic we cannot avoid. How did Malcolm Lincoln, active mostly on Myspace and in the Tallinn alternative music scene end up on national television and the Eurovision song contest? The answer: by chance. One of the songs that made it to the finals was disqualified and Malcolm Lincoln's “Siren” was next in the line. Last year, something similar happened and probably it is a good sign for Malcolm Lincoln: the track “Rändajad” that had almost been left out made 5th place in Moscow.
Estonians remember what happened when more alternative artist Vaiko Eplik with his band Rufus represented Estonia in the competition in Riga during 2003 - this was even before the “paradigmatic change” in Eesti Laul (Local Eurovison selection) contest (initiated by Heidy Purga) when an alternative artist was rarely seen participating in the contest alongside all those 90s mainstream pop composers. Eplik had won the national competition providing a breath of fresh air at the finals, although not making too many points. Has now the Taste of Europe changed? I actually assume it has got even worse and I would not like to hear the Malcolm's (or a majority of the other finalists') song in the midst of this horrible Balkan Baroque that they call the Eurovision Song Contest. This years qualifying competition in Estonia features a surprising array of talent and original musical ability due to this smart initiative. And Malcolm Lincoln so far have enjoyed the attention and the positive feedback, although they admit people haven't yet started to recognize them in the street.
When visiting Malcolm Lincoln's website it somehow surprises how different “Siren” is compared to their other tracks (titled for example as “Me Iz Loaded With Zoul“ or “World Iz Cruel Yahaa!”). Robin explains that “Siren” is actually one of his oldest songs and he just decided to submit it to Eesti Laul and see what happens. It happened that everybody liked it and (without any irony:) the hype grew even bigger after young music video director Hanna Samoson made a video for the song - a video that is striking in its wintery delicacy. Robin confirms that it is him in the video, walking around in the snow, wearing the larger-than-life mask, but still gives all credit to Hanna and mentions that he was mostly sleeping in the car while the crew was looking for good places to shoot. Being an emerging star must be tiring.
Malcolm Lincoln is more or less a solo project. Madis is the person who is on the stage with Robin during live concerts, playing the bass, the two have known each other for a couple of years - it was music that brought them together, they used to be in the same band, a band that used to do ‘normal rock music’ before the electro-pop group Malcolm Lincoln was born. I try to provoke and ask whether it will be music that will tear them apart? Madis shakes his head and says that he is happy to help Robin although he has his own ambitions when it comes to music. Robin is the mastermind who writes the songs and makes the decisions for Malcolm Lincoln, Madis concludes wisely that a band is never a democratic organisation and that he is happy that Robin has found a way to do things on his own, without anyone suppressing him.
Absurdity. Think of the name “Malcolm Lincoln”, a catchphrase/meme in Estonian coined by some uneducated woman in the TV-show “Who wants to be a millionaire?”... Robin tells me that he tries not to be too serious when making music. It does not mean that he does not take it seriously, but, again, it is all about his easy way of doing things. Robin also tells me about his surrealist way of writing song lyrics: first he just babbles, records the nonsense and then starts thinking what words do these sounds resemble. If my memory does not deceive me then it was Brian Eno who used to write his crazy lyrics in the same way. And even if it is not “loaded with zoul”, it still has this subconscious aspect to it that is always enjoyable in pop music.
Malcolm Lincoln's debut album will be out in spring 2010, released by Mortimer Snerd, the label run by already forementioned Vaiko Eplik. Eplik helped to arrange “Siren” and will also be the album's producer. Again I try to provoke and ask whether Vaiko Eplik might overproduce them and they end up sounding too Eplik-like, not to say vaikoeplikly. Robin and Madis find my question stupid and say that a track by Malcolm Lincoln will never sound like anything by Eplik. I also have this theory centered around the “new school” of young Estonian male vocalists such as Robin himself and, for example, Marten Kuningas; but the guys don't seem to buy it. What I mean is that I am happy that somehow a bit more alternative approach in music has made it to prime-time Estonian television and media: it is refreshing to see and hear those interesting male singers who clearly have an understanding of/passion for music and who don't fit into the same old matrix of cheesiness you encounter everywhere.
Robin and Madis are not ambitious to take over the world. They say that they are happy about the album but the Malcolms do not have any unrealistic dreams or illusions, what has to happen will happen anyway. Getting famous is not an arguement, “Everyone is famous in Estonia,” Robin says, “there is at least one famous person in every bus.” Robin jokes that maybe a bit more fame would help him to meet women and get rid of his virginity, Madis just giggles and I don't know what else to say besides that it certainly is high time to solve this problem.
Somehow our focus drifts away. Robin tells me that he actually studies road engineering at university and I ask if it is true that road construction depends on moon phases and tides. Robin says that there is a certain amount of truth in it but mostly it is just mumbo-jumbo. Robin also admits that if he could choose he would not want to do anything at all and I agree. Lazy bastards. Madis has studied art history and philosophy and written his dissertation on the phenomenology of architecture. As it turns out, bass players are not that stupid after all.
As I have also been a bit active as a musician, I ask like an amateur asks from another amateur - and Robin does not mind being called one - how to overcome the technical obstacles a beginner must face and not freak out during live shows. Suddenly the tables turn and Malcolm Lincoln starts counselling me. I ask them if they also feel suicidal after giving a concert. The Malcolms say no: Robin enjoys doing his thing and Madis consoles me, explaining that people usually do not come to listen to you but to see you...
The next time for seeing Malcolm Lincoln is during Tallinn Music Week held in the end of March.
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Maria Juur
jun 29 '09
2 contributions
is a writer based in Tallinn, Estonia. Her background is in art history but prefers Mutant Discos to museums and sees herself in the space between art and music culture. In 2008 Maria made her debut as a lecturer in the Estonian Academy of Arts.
published • March 12th '10
mar 25 '10 05:35
Marco
This interview? A pleasure to read, a splendid source for my research! Thx
mar 15 '10 12:37
Frank Mol
Good afternoon,
My name is Frank Mol. I am the host of CityRadio Breda, one of the largest public radiostations in the south of The Netherlands. As in the past 12 years we will pay a lot of attention to the Eurovision Songcontest, this year in Oslo. In our radioshows we would definitely like to promote the great entry for Estonia this year.
Would you please be so kind to send a press copy of the splendid song of Malcolm Lincoln and further press information about Malcolm Lincoln to our address, so we can play the song in the best quality possible.
Thank you very much in advance!!
Frank Mol
City Radio Breda Netherlands
p/a Huisakker 12
4882 BN Zundert
The Netherlands