Esa Pietilä – Mart Soo

Formed in January 2020, the Esa Pietilä – Mart Soo Duo brings together two powerhouse figures of the Nordic and Baltic experimental music scenes. Combining the monumental technical expertise of Finnish saxophonist Esa Pietilä with the visionary, multi-decade mastery of Estonian guitarist Mart Soo, the duo creates a completely “genre-free” musical universe. Together, they explore a multidimensional landscape that seamlessly marries acoustic virtuosity with cutting-edge live electronics and spatial play.

The definitive artistic statement of their collaboration is their landmark album Lighthouse Stories (Improtest Records). Deeply conceptual, the music serves as a poignant cross-border dialogue inspired by the historic lighthouses dotted across the islands and coastlines of the Gulf of Finland—the very sea that separates their respective home countries. The duo treats each lighthouse as a distinct character with its own silent, guiding signal, translating these maritime monuments into sonic architecture.

Musically, the duo thrives on an extraordinary, high-level chemistry and an innate ability to shape concepts in real time. Their performances unfold like vivid, ever-changing maritime abstractions. They utilize extended instrumental techniques and sophisticated live electronic manipulation to guide the listener through an immense range of dynamics—shifting effortlessly from serene, minimalist ambient textures to the furious, roaring chaos of a stormy sea. The Esa Pietilä – Mart Soo Duo is a masterclass in deep listening, offering a hypnotic, cinematic journey across the open waters of contemporary improvisation.