Born somewhat as a joke in 1979, deep in the Soviet era, Propeller — or Propa — has been described as a progressive institution with a rebellious punk spirit and a razor-sharp sense of irony, and one of the most iconic phenomena in Estonian cultural history. Led by a charismatic cultural dissident Peeter Volkonski, the key to the band's output has been infectious melodies and masterful musicianship — above all, however, the art of "sticking it" to those in power, concealed within the form of absurdist poetry. 

The band's appearance on 22 September 1980 at Kadrioru Stadium, before an Estonian Radio and ETV football match, proved both fateful and the stuff of legend. Alarmed by the frenzied response of the young crowd, officials banned Propeller's second set — which was to have followed the match — triggering a riot and earning the band a lengthy performing ban.

Now in their 47th year of activity, Propa remain as ironic as ever about power, society, and punk itself, whilst staying true to their founding principle of never rehearsing. As Volkonski puts it: "We fight against intellectual laziness."