Anita Maasalu holds a master’s degree (2024) from the Estonian Academy of Music in musicology, having researched the subcultural fan experience in Estonia from a generational perspective. This was part of a project titled ‘Impact of subcultural (pop) music on the ideologization of 21st-century Estonian youth and on youth mental health’. She has also published in the journal Punk & Post Punk.
Maasalu is currently a PhD candidate in the DECADOCS program, pursuing a joint degree between Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the University of Helsinki. Her research, Transformations of Decadence in Contemporary Finnish Metal Music, contributes to decadence studies through a case study of the metal band Moonsorrow. Her objective is to develop new tools and perspectives for understanding the legacy and appeal of decadence in contemporary culture.
Her project combines a poetic analysis of Moonsorrow’s lyrics — tracing their ties to Finnish mythology and the tropes of decadence — with an empirical study of music perception. Through this case study, she documents the contemporary musical reception of Finnish mythology and advances an empirical methodology for exploring emotions in music.
Previously, Maasalu worked as a publications manager at the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and hosted radio shows at the Estonian National Broadcaster (Klassikaraadio). She is also a guest faculty member at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
DECADOCS 