Radar - Trofee (1985)

Radar was a soviet-era estonian fusion jazz band, which recorded one EP and 2 albums on the USSR state owned label Melodiya. In the beginning of their career Radar had been working as a backup band for pop singer Jaak Joala, and their first release from 1981 is basicly a 7" pop EP with Joala singing on every track. But these musicians were talent of a different scope and eventually wanted to do something more ambitious. Gone was Joala and pop songs in 1984 when Radar recorded their first album Trofee ("Trophy"),  but some of the pop sensibilities remained, as most of the songs have memorable themes. Trofee was released the next year, and already by then Radar's constantly changing lineup was drasticly different from the one playing on the album.

Their second album 'Baltic Coast', released in 1987, lacks the energy present on Trofee. Keyboard player Sergei Pedersen, who composed most of the material on Trofee and was the leader of the band, was in every incarnation of Radar. On Trofee we have Pedersen and Aare Põder on keyboards, Nevil Blumberg on electric guitar, Paap Kõlar on drums and Raul Vaigla on fretless bass, who was 22 years old then and already a master of his instrument.

Here's a music video for the first track, 'Tipptund Kesklinnas':