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Maria Minerva

Estonian musician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maria Minerva
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Maria Juur (born 15 March 1988), better known by her stage name Maria Minerva, is an Estonian musician.

Quick Facts Born, Citizenship ...
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Artistry

Maria Minerva's music is described by critics as a blend of avant pop,[1] electronic dance,[2] and experimental[3] genres.

Critics have described Maria Minerva's vocal style as dreamy, mysterious,[4] or Lynchian,[5] but also as casual and slightly off-key, receiving comparisons to Blossom Dearie, Brigitte Bardot,[6] Nico,[7] and Billie Ray Martin.[8]

She has cited: Cosey Fanni Tutti, Laetitia Sadier, Kim Gordon, Laurie Anderson and Cabaret Voltaire as influences.[9][10]

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Critical Reception

Maria Minerva is amongst the most internationally acclaimed Estonian electronic artists of the 2010s.[11][12] She is the recipient of two Estonian Music Awards.[13] Her releases have received critical acclaim from music publications such as Pitchfork Media[14] and The Fader.[15] One of Maria Minerva's early supporters was the influential pop critic Simon Reynolds.[16]

She was named as one of the seminal Los Angeles artists by The Guardian[17] and appeared on Estonian World's annual "Top 12 Most Outstanding Estonian Women in the World" list.[18]

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Collaboration with Cherushii

Chelsea Faith a.k.a. Cherushii was one of the 36 victims of the 2016 Oakland warehouse fire.[19] In 2019, the EP Cherushii & Maria Minerva was released, which had been nearly completed before Cherushii died[20] and includes repurposed tracks from previous Cherushii releases.[21][22][23][24][25]

Personal life

Maria developed an interest in electronic dance music and began attending club nights in Tallinn as a young teenager.[26] She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts and Goldsmiths, University of London, where she studied with British cultural theorist and music critic Mark Fisher.[27]

She is the daughter of the Estonian humorist, writer, and media personality Mart Juur.[28]

Maria Minerva is a naturalized United States citizen.[29][30]

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Other

While studying Art History at the Estonian Academy of Arts, Maria Minerva authored the first-ever Estonian-language research paper on sound art, with an emphasis on the history of sound art in Estonia.[31][32]

Maria Minerva appeared as herself in the 2013 musical documentary Silk.[33] She starred as the Estonian Jazz and pop singer Marju Kuut in the 2021 documentary u.Q.[34]

Maria Minerva has worked with and remixed many other artists, including Cities Aviv,[35] Maria Chavez,[36] Mark Van Hoen[37] and John Cale.[38] She has collaborated with visual artists Pakui Hardware,[39] Phil Collins (artist)[40] and poet Vanessa Place.[41] Formerly, she hosted a show on LA's community radio station Dublab, where she interviewed fellow musicians such as Nite Jewel[42] and Yves Tumor.[43]

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Discography

LPs

  • Tallinn At Dawn CS (Not Not Fun, 2011)
  • Cabaret Cixous CD/LP (Not Not Fun, 2011)
  • The Integration LP with LA Vampires (Not Not Fun, 2012)
  • Will Happiness Find Me? CD/LP (Not Not Fun, 2012)
  • Histrionic LP (Not Not Fun, 2014)
  • Soft Power, CS (100% Silk, 2020)

EPs

  • Noble Savage 12" EP (100% Silk, 2011)
  • Sacred and Profane Love 12" EP (100% Silk, 2011)
  • Nii hea with Ajukaja, 10" Single (Pudru Kuul, 2012)
  • Bless 12" EP (100% Silk, 2013)
  • C U Again with Ajukaja, 12" EP (Pudru Kuul, 2014)
  • S/T with Cherushii, 12" EP (100% Silk, 2019)
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References

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