Ulmenthal’s dreamlike sound wins ADM Band Competition 2025
The ADM Band Competition 2025 has found its winner – Eeva Trei, performing under the artist name Ulmenthal, with her upcoming album that brings hypnotic and forward-thinking pop music to life.
Ulmenthal represents Eeva’s artistic alter ego and musical persona, shaped by a lifelong curiosity for sound and style. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Frank Ocean, FKA Twigs, Kate Bush, and Tame Impala, Eeva’s creative goal is to surprise, experiment, and fuse different elements into something both unique and deeply human.
Eeva’s upcoming record reflects a diary of personal growth, with the earliest sketches dating back to 2021. The result is an ethereal soundscape that merges offbeat production, nostalgic tones, and organic storytelling.
“These songs feel like subconscious thoughts that found their way into words,” says Eeva. “They carry the textures that excite me, sounds and beats that are slightly off, and song forms that arise naturally, like what I once discovered in old SoundCloud mixtapes.”
ADM jury praised Ulmenthal’s music for its freshness, subtle complexity, and emotional depth.
Hendrek Kraavi, ADM’s COO, noted: “Ulmenthal’s music immediately stood out for its delicate neosoul-like vocals and intelligent melodies. It’s genre-blending yet cohesive, Amaria meets Sven Grünberg and Cocteau Twins, all orchestrated by Tricky. It’s beautifully strange and harmonically rich.”
Laura Kivik from ADM team added that the music felt instantly different and refreshing- professional, passionate, and full of character. It’s the kind of new voice that truly enriches the Estonian music scene.
Ulmenthal’s upcoming release features tracks written, sung, and produced by Eeva herself, with final touches made with the help of Johannes Lõhmus and Siim Hiob. ADM’s collaboration will bring her music to streaming platforms in late 2025 and on vinyl in 2026.
As Riho, ADM’s CEO and founder of the competition, put it: “This competition is all about giving young artists wings and Ulmenthal is now ready to fly.”
The ADM Band Competition began in 2009, stemming from CEO Riho Pihelpuu’s deep passion for music and his commitment to supporting Estonian music and contributing to its growth. Over the years, many now well-known artists such as Poolring, Mariin Kallikorm, Onkel Jonkel, Elisabeth Tiffany Lepik, Erki Pärnoja, Sander Mölder, Kelly Vask, Maris Pihlap, OOPUS, and others have emerged as winners!