18 July

More music, more talents

This week we once again have a variety of exciting new acts up our sleevesfor you. You can look forward to:

Holly Humberstone
For the first 20 years of her life, Holly Humberstone lived with her parents and three sisters in a run-down servants’ quarters for a nearby castle. Just like in a fairy tale, she was surrounded by old walls, musical instruments, and enchanted places that inspired her creative expression from an early age. The young singer–songwriter’s emotional bedroom pop immediately struck a chord with the public when she released her debut single, “Deep End”, in early 2020, was acclaimed at BBC Music Introducing, and subsequently went on tour with Lewis Capaldi. Humberstone’s vocals – which are as honest as they are powerful – as well as her unrivalled sense of melodic tension quickly opened many doors for her.

The Pretenders
The legend lives on: When The Pretenders rode the New Wave in the early 1980s, they were one of many bands in London with hefty ambitions. Hardly any other band could hold their own, and even fewer managed to create an unmistakable signature sound like the quartet with the charismatic Chrissie Hynde on vocals and guitar. The easy-going style – which oscillates between jangle pop, punk rock, and funk – has aged so well that today, it continues to be pitifully imitated – but none have managed to reach the great heights of the original in the studio or on stage.

Tirzah
It is common knowledge that less can often be more. However, only a few seem to realise that this truism is truer than ever for modern electronic music. Tirzah, since her debut "Devotion" (2018), is undoubtedly one of those artists from the UK who have not only recognised the power of minimalist sound design, but also know how to use it. Their surreal R&B fuses the bittersweet atmosphere of bedroom pop with set pieces from ambient, neo-soul and glitch to create a consistent and deeply personal listening experience.

Apsilon
Arda – aka Apsilon – raps about inner turmoil and life between two worlds, about the feeling of not having a home and never arriving anywhere, with a remarkable gift for reflection and attitude. With his roots in Turkey, his life in Moabit (Berlin), and his spirit somewhere in between, Apsilon uses tracks such as “Lauf Weg” (“Run Away”) and “Zufall” (“Coincidence”) to deal with topics that are particularly relevant for people with a background of migration but that ultimately concern us all. Sometimes devastating and brutal but nevertheless full of hope and confidence, the bilingual bar acrobat pursues a style that combines street rap, conscious hip-hop, and trap.

Paris Paloma
It is the outcry of emancipation that fills the music of Paris Paloma with fire and fervour. Where would women be today without centuries of oppression and exploitation? What social structures still remain unchanged? In her song “Labour”, Paloma mercilessly deals with this complex of themes and comes to the conclusion that the patriarchy still operates according to obsolete principles built on absurd power hierarchies.

Artur & Vanessa
They started out wanting to write a novel. Then, after a few text messages, Moritz Krämer and Francesco Wilking suddenly had enough material for a concept album. Hang on, what do you mean? The idea was born, and before they knew it, it was being acted upon. Session musicians like Wencke Wollny (Charlemagne) or Malte Huck (Beachpeople, Annenmaykantereit) were called in, and 10 days later one of the most beautiful German-language pop album of the last few years spontaneously came into being. “Die Verlorenen” (“The Lost”) is about Artur and Vanessa, who create an amusement park for all those wanting a new life. But essentially, it's less about fun than about identity and expectations, about the late-capitalist optimization mania and the limits of our human existence.

More announcements:

Cancellation unfortunately had to be made by:

Seafret

Wallners

Reeperbahn Festival

More mu­sic, more ta­lents

More music, more talents