“The Emperor is in town! Guru of the New Age, Aigar Vals!”
Using his drumming skills, vocals and electronics, he tells stories, making cinematic pictures move and fairy tales wander in audience’s minds, channelling mythicism and worldly past of old Rome and Eastern cultures into its modern form.
In his soundscapes, he mixes dark shoegaze ambience with psychedelia, doom, gothic witch house, motown and trance, among others. A mix that could induce spiritual enlightenment!
On stage, the Emperor is accompanied by his brother, an Estonian guitar-guru Argo Vals.
Aigar Vals has released 4 solo albums – “End Game” (2018), “Imperaator” (2020), “Uue ajastu guru” (2022), “Miisufy OST” (2024) and 1 single “Leek” (2022). He has also released 8 music videos, each with a distinct artistic style.
From 2010 to 2018 he played as a drummer with art-pop group Badass Yuki, and from 2015 to 2017 with Estonian-Russian post-punk band Junk Riot. As a drummer, he has toured around in Russia all the way to Vladivostok and back, and played elsewhere in Baltics at numerous festivals.
Since 2023, he is a member of a Estonian 6-piece dreampop band Pia Fraus.
In 2015 he gained undergraduate (BA) degree from Baltic Film and Media School as Film Editor. In 2020 he gained postgraduate (MA) degree from Estonian Academy of Arts in Animation. Aigar spent Winter Semester of 2015 at Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart, studying Computer Games Technology, and Summer Semester of 2017 at Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien, studying Site-Specific Art.
Aigar specializes in music-making and videography. He is a member of Ö Stuudio as a video broadcast editor and technician. He works at Eesti Noorsooteater as a sound and video technician. He has experience in TV productions and has created original music score for an animated film Miisufy, which was in official selection of Sundance Film Festival in 2024.
Currently, Aigar is concentrating on creating his own music and collaborations, including Meisterjaan and Pastacas.
Since 2010, he and his brother have been organizing international Kullaaugu music festival at their childhood home, having hosted around 170 lives so far. Since 2023, he has organized Kullaaugu film music residencies for international composers.
Aigar is CEO of Vastupandamatu OÜ and Segased lood OÜ; board member of MTÜ Kullaaugu; member of Eesti Esitajate Liit, Eesti Autorite Ühing and Eesti Fonogrammitootjate Ühing.
solo releases
Miisufy (2024, EP)
Uue ajastu guru (2022, album)
Leek (2022, single)
Imperaator (2020, album)
End Game Remixes (2019, single)
End Game (2018, album)
collaborations
Meisterjaan – Liiga valmis (2024, single)
midnight may – Erase (2024, album)
Meisterjaan – Kalurmees (2024, EP)
Pastacas & Aigar Vals – Siiri ärilapp (2023, single)
Argo Vals – In Loving Memory of (2020, album)
Eoins – Rites (2018, album)
band
Badass Yuki – OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE LANDMASS (2014, album)
Badass Yuki – Cherry Tree Bonanza (2012, single)
Badass Yuki – Black Apple Trip (2011, album)