Pia Fraus - In Solarium

One of the masterpieces in the Clairecords canon is widely considered to be the 2002 debut album by a then-unknown band from Estonia called Pia Fraus. The album also saw one of Clairecords' earliest licensing opportunities, with Japanese label Vinyl Junkie selecting the album for one of it's earliest releases, which effectively brought the band to Japan for a small tour. Since the release of In Solarium, the album is considered an international opening of Estonian shoegaze scene. In Solarium consciously announced the imaginary marriage of My Bloody Valentine and Stereolab. It was a time when shoegaze had been somewhat sidelined in Europe. Coming out of nowhere, Pia Fraus turned out an essential dose for shoegaze addicts all over the world, with their almost inaudible lyrics and pop melodies underneath massive guitar layers.