Maria Minerva

Who is Maria Minerva?

Maria Juur, better known by her stage name Maria Minerva is an Estonian underground musician. She is releasing music on the prominent and prolific Los Angeles independent label Not Not Fun and its dance-oriented sub-label 100% Silk. She is known for her eclectic and dreamy music style and lo-fi videos. She has cited Brian Eno, Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire and Moodymann as her influences. Her father is a known Estonian humorist, TV personality and music writer Mart Juur.

Before moving to London, Maria was studying at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn. She holds a BA in Art History and an MA in Aural and Visual Cultures from Goldsmiths, University of London. Maria has also conducted an internship at the The Wire Magazine and published art and music criticism in Estonia.

Maria's releases have received favorable reviews from websites such as Pitchfork Media and The Quietus. One of Maria Minerva's supporters has been the influential music critic Simon Reynolds. Maria's track "A Little Lonely" made it to The Guardian's top 40 singles of 2011. She was hailed as one of the underground starlets to watch by the French Vogue.