JOONATAN
KIVI
updated 03.2025
BIO
Joonatan Kivi is a freelance sound engineer and musician from Estonia. His main interest as an artist is giving context to the world around him through his pieces and always moving forward by finding new opportunities for experimentation. He's composed solo work in addition to being part of several music collectives. Currently finishing his Bachelor's in sound engineering at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy, he has experience in both live sound and studio work. He also has several years of experience as a sound technician for different theatre companies.
MUSIC
My first point of contact with music as a child was through classical guitar, for which I took lessons for 10 years. Throughout this time I developed an interest in noise music through creating my own instruments like a basic oscillator from a strobe light, circuit bending children's toys or building contact mics. This desire to experiment led to preliminary explorations with Audacity before moving on to Ableton. I've since expanded my horizons to electronic music, both the more beat-oriented and experimental varieties. More recently I've taken a liking to Musique concrète, which allows me to utilise all the field recordings I've made over the years.
By Simao Duarte Ferreira (tenor saxophone), Joonatan Kivi (drums) and Fedor Bezrukov (pipe organ, electric bass), Itk's (A Longing) Tont (Ghoul) is a dark and moody meditation on dread and the desire to dissolve.
Titled Vodka and a relic (a wordplay on a classic estonian movie "Viimne reliikvia"), the final result of a performance piece directed by Annabel tanila. Created by Joonatan Kivi (production, vocals), Indrek Mällo (bass) and Annabel Tanila (vocals).
An improvisational 5-piece music group dedicated to the unique resonances found within each moment. Consisting of Laura Sinimäe (modular synth), Kaur Einasto (guitar), Fedor Bezrukov (bass guitar), Joonatan Kivi (modular synth), Javier Navarro (percussion), each gig is an outburst of sounds destined to never repeat.
Pringi is a wet shithole. Made in collaboration with Lukas Laubre. An acoustic noise project utilising a discarded spring mattress, prepared electric guitar, borderline unusable ukulele, alter egos and a whole lot of teen angst.
SOUND DESIGN
I've been fortunate to have been able to collaborate with many talented artists on different interdisciplinary works, such as plays, short films and performance art. I find these kinds of projects very rewarding, as they allow me to expand my horizons through working together with creators from different mediums. These are selected examples of my work.
RIITUS (2024, composer)
Fashion video
Director: Anett-Marii Siimann
The Rite, drawing narrative inspiration from Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring."
ECHOES OF CONCEALMENT (2024, composer)
Music for a collection at ERKI Fashion Show
Designer: Anna-Maria Beketova
Kõu (2023, composer, piano stringed bass)
Music festival opening ceremony
A one of a kind opportunity to utilise my piano stringed electric guitar to create a sort of 'tribal' or ancient vibe.
Coreography
Director: Maryn-Liis Rüütelmaa
There is still something else: an improvisational dance piece. The minimalist sound design consists of various found sounds that I play during the performance using a MIDI keyboard.
Performance art
Director: Annabel Tanila
Vodka and the relic, a rumination on what exactly constitutes a party. For the duration of the process, me, the director, and a bass player formed a studio project to create music for the performance, resulting in an album of the same name.
Disconnected (2022, composer)
Student short film
Director: Emily Bruus
Creating a song for an imaginary band named Nymph, based on the poem "Wrong Side of the River" by Stanley Plumly.
Introductory video for a fashion collection
Designer: Karin Rosie Viilup
The designer was interested in Estonian folk music, and wanted to utilise an instrument used in Estonian folk music called kannel (reminiscent of a harp, but usually has 6-12 strings and played on your lap). So for the composition we recorded kannel and female vocal samples. These were then manipulated as well as added to in Ableton.
STUDIO WORK
I've done studio work for many different artists, from folk to electronic, varying in my role from recording, mixing or mastering to all three depending on the project.
LIVE SOUND
Music
Some of the bands I've collaborated with as a live sound engineer include: KÕNTS, kvintrad, Tidi & bande, and White Girl. I've done FOH sound at music festivals like Intsikurmu, Kõu and I Land Sound. I have experience working as the in-house technician for the contemporary museum of photography art & culture Fotografiska doing both corporate and music events, where I also learnt the basics of lighting and video. My preferred role is FOH engineer but I also have experience as a stagehand and monitor engineer.
Theatre
The two main theatre companies I work for are Vaba Lava and Ekspeditsioon. Last summer I had the opportunity to do my first bigger open air theatre work "An eavesdropper in Vastseliina". In all of my theatre work I have been in the role of FOH engineer. I have experience utilising different multi-channel setups and TheatreMix.
CV (selected)
Education
2020 Bachelors, University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy, department of music
Languages
Estonian - native speaker
English - C2 Proficiency qualification
French - DELF A2
Programs
Ableton Live - advanced
Reaper - beginner
Izotope RX 11 - intermediate
Pro Tools - intermediate
TheatreMix - intermediate
DaVinci Resolve - beginner
Blender - beginner
Processing - blender
TouchDesigner - beginner
Sound design
2024 Anna-Maria Beketova “ECHOES OF CONCEALMENT”, sound design for ERKI fashion show, Tallinn, Estonia
2024 Anett-Marii Siimann “Riitus”, fashion video, Tallinn
2023 music festival “Kõu”, performing in and creating music for the opening performance, Vana-Roosa, Võru, Estonia
2023 Maryn-Liis Rüütelmaa “On olemas veel midagi”, sound design for choreographers bachelors piece, Viljandi, Estonia
2022 Annabel Tanila “Viin ja reliikvia”, sound design for choreographers bachelors piece, Viljandi, Estonia
2022 Eliise Künnis “Läbipõlejad”, Sound design for directors bachelors piece, Viljandi, Estonia
2022 Daniil Logovoi “Alalisvool kui armu allikas”, sound design for exhibition with the band PULSAATOR
2021 Maryn-Liis Rüütelmaa “Eos”, performance, Viljandi
2021 Emily Bruus “Disconnected”, short film
2021 Karin Rosie Viilup “Evanescent grace”, introductory video for a fashion collection
Studio work
2024 Itk “Tont”, album, master
2024 kvintrad “Ootus”, “Reilender Franzule”, recording
2024 Dharma Coil “???”, EP, master
2024 Lyanne Raud “Olla iseendaga hea”, master
2024 KEETAI “Seraphic Distortion”, album, master
2023 Onkel Jonkel “SÕPRADE HÜMN”, recording/mix/master
2022 Sandra Eowyn “issile”, recording/mix/master
2022 Lõõtsavägilased “UKRAINA SÕJAHÜMN”, extra recordings, master
2022 Viin ja reliikvia “Viin ja reliikvia”, album, production/recording/mix/master
2022 trad.kvintessents “5essents”, EP, recording/mix/master
2022 Pulsaator “ARE YOU LIVING IN A TV?”, album, recording/mix/master, in collaboration with Laura Sinimäe ja Kaur Einastoga
2021 Kõnts “Kodus ja Kodus”, recording
Live sound
2024 music festival “Kõu”, sound engineer, FOH mix, Vana-Roosa, Estonia
2024 band tour “Kõnts”, sound engineer, Estonia
2024 Elina Masing “White Girl”, album release concerts, sound engineer, Estonia
2024 band “Tidi&bande” concerts, sound engineer, Helitehas, Genialistide Klubi, Estonia
2023 Fotografiska, house technician, technician for corporate and music events, Tallinn, Estonia
2023 Tomás del Real, album release concert, sound engineer, Pärimusmuusika Ait, Viljandi, Estonia
2023 band “Kõnts” sound engineer, Riia
2023 art festival "Viljandi Tuled", technical manager for sound, Viljandi, Estonia
2022 performance art and music event "SMETANA", technical manager for sound, Aparaaditehas, Tartu, Estonia
2022 Paide Opinion Festival, discussion area technician, Estonia
2022 Jazz Estonia program, Sound engineer for different collectives (See pole see trio, Ramuel Tafenau, Kangelased, Karl Petti trio), Mulks, Viljandi, Estonia
2022 Intsikurmu, band “Kõnts” FOH mix, Põlva, Estonia
2022 music festival "I Land Sound", main stage FOH engineer, Piidivabrik, Saaremaa, Estonia
2021 Paide Opinion Festival, discussion area technician, Estonia
Theatre sound
2024 Lauri Lagle “Leviaatan”, sound engineer for performance, EKSPEDITSIOON, Tallinn
2024 Marianne Kõrver “Surematud”, creating sound script for the play, sound engineer for performances, EKSPEDITSIOON, Tallinn
2024 Tarmo Tagamets “Salakuulaja Vastseliinas”, creating sound script for the play, sound engineer for performances, Vastseliina Piiskopilinnus, Vastseliina
2024 Mikita Ilyinchyk “Tere tulemast Abdullah”, creating sound script for the play, sound engineer for performances, Vaba Lava, Narva
2024 Mart Kangro “Inimese anatoomia”,creating sound script for the play, sound engineer for performances, EKSPEDITSIOON, Tallinn
2023 Lauri Lagle “Reis metsa lõppu”, sound engineer for performances, EKSPEDITSIOON, Tallinn
2023 “Pidu võõras korteris”, sound engineer, Tallinn
2023 Adeele Jaago “Naiste tuum, meeste kuub”,creating sound script for the play, sound engineer for performances, Viljandi
2023 Julia Aug “Narva - linn, mille me kaotasime”, sound engineer for performances, Vaba Lava
2022 Elmārs Seņkovs “Kaks garaaži”, sound engineer for performances, Vaba Lava
2022 Julia Aug “Ema, kas meie kass on ka juut?”, sound engineer for performances, RAAAM
2022 performance art festival "Maardu Dekennaal", technical manager for sound, Maardu Rahvamaja, Tallinn
2021 Nikolai Halezin ja Natalia Kaliada “Error 403”, sound engineer for performances, Vaba Lava