J.M.K.E. formed in Estonia in 1986.
J.M.K.E. started back in the 80's as kind of dissidents in Estonia, the former republic of Soviet Union.
They were engaged by Finnish record label Stupido Twins, where they record their debut album Külmale Maale - To The Cold Country (i.e. Siberia) in 1989. This unique mix of innovative hardcore music with untypically strong melodies and meaningful political lyrics even got them into the charts in Finland and Estonia. Maximum Rock'n Roll called them simply "Absolutely excellent".
Their second album Gringode Kultuur and the third project, a CD called Sputniks in Pectopah, which featured punked-up versions of old Russian revolutionary songs, were also released in Central Europe by the German label Cuacha.
Meanwhile, the political situation had changed: the former enemy (Soviet Union) was gone and Estonia was independent again, but J.M.K.E. had not softened. The capitalist society did not prove to be a paradise for the thinking man's punk rocker...
So J.M.K.E. stayed true to its punky roots which are very well present on their fourth album Jäneste Invasioon. Many claimed it to be their best offering since their acclaimed debut. Jäneste Invasioon, full of fierce energy and even spiced with ska-rhythms, also celebrated J.M.K.E`s 10th birthday.
It was followed by the first real J.M.K.E. -collection Totally Estoned, out through our funny friends in Germany, Tug Records...
J.M.K.E got their 5th studio-album, Öhtumaa Viimased Tunnid , The Last Days of Occidentia out in the spring of 2000. The fierce hardcore on the album proved that a punk-band can go on for nearly 15 years without losing it's teeth on the way...
The 6th album Ainult planeet was issued in 2002 and it can hardly be said that they loose any of their energy.
The latest issue up today is the Mälestusi Eesi NSV-st CD which came out in 2006. This album contains re-recorded songs from their early work which were already issued on the "Rumal nali" tape in the 80s. The new CD contains the material in a much more modern style.
The original lineup consisted of
Mati Pors - vocal,
Villu Tamme - guitarr,
Tarvo Hanno Varres - bass,
Venno Vanamölder - drumms
(find more: http://www.stupido.fi/twins/eng/jmke.shtml)
.