Long before jungle found its way across Europe, Virko Veskoja was tuning into late-night Finnish radio broadcasts where DJs were introducing the rapidly evolving sounds emerging from the UK. The music felt unlike anything he had heard before. A new technological language, as he later described it, “like machines trying to communicate with people.” The frantic breakbeats, floating strings and soulful vocal samples left a lasting impression and opened the door to a world far removed from everyday life in newly independent Estonia. In 1994, together with collaborator Tõnis Valk, Veskoja formed Lu:k, a project that would become one of the founding names of Estonian jungle and drum & bass. Working with self-built computers, homemade soundcards and early music software. They began recreating the sounds they had fallen in love with despite having almost no access to equipment, records or production knowledge. In a country still finding its identity after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Lu:k helped establish an entirely new musical language by laying the foundations for Estonia’s underground jungle scene. The group’s sound stood apart from much of the harder jungle being produced at the time. Tracks such as “La:v”, “Lovin U” and “010” combined intricate breakbeats with warm pads, orchestral textures and sampled vocal melodies, creating an emotional depth that has allowed the music to age remarkably well. Music critic Tõnis Kahu famously described “La:v” as “softly totalitarian, mildly, numbingly violent, like an antidepressant… programming through metaphysical beauty”. A testament to the hypnotic quality that continues to define Lu:k’s work. Between 1994 and 1997 Lu:k released a small but influential catalogue, primarily on cassette, before quietly disappearing from the spotlight. Over the following decades, those original tapes and CDs became some of the most sought-after artefacts in Estonian electronic music, changing hands among collectors while the group’s reputation continued to grow through word of mouth. Their recordings have since been recognised as a defining chapter in Estonia’s rave history and remain a key reference point for younger generations exploring the roots of Baltic jungle and drum & bass. Now, more than thirty years after those first bedroom sessions, Virko Veskoja brings the story full circle with his first-ever performance in London, the city whose music first travelled across the Baltic Sea on late-night radio broadcasts and inspired a generation of producers on the other side of Europe. His appearance offers a rare opportunity to experience one of the true pioneers of Estonian jungle, whose work continues to bridge the early spirit of UK rave culture with the unique story of its evolution in Eastern Europe. The event takes place at radial, a new, independent club and live music venue in the heart of Tottenham, North London. Situated just five minutes from Seven Sisters station and operating as part of the Ten87 studio complex, radial has established itself as a community-focused space dedicated to forward-thinking music and high-quality sound. Further information regarding the full programme and supporting artists will be announced in the coming months. - Graphic design: Stefanos Pappas @soldripp