Ach, wenn ich nur könnt’ ich würde singen
laut und schön
Ich würde singen tanzen lachen
Und den Leuten Freude machen
[Oh, if only I could, I would sing loudly and beautifully I would sing, dance, laugh And bring joy to people] Erobique & Jacques Palminger mit Angelika Richter, "Wenn ich könnte, würde ich singen"
An art project at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart evolved into a pop group. Six female artists came together under the name Horizontaler Gentransfer, combining art pop with influences from K-pop and punk to create a unique sound. This idiosyncratic blend reflects the band members' diverse migration backgrounds. However, on their second album, Everything Possibbong, which is now being released, they take it even further. The band has adopted the Korean pop style 'Bbong' (also known as 'Trot'), an outdated genre dating back to the Japanese colonial period in Korea in the first half of the 20th century. The German composer Franz Eckert, among others, worked in the Far East, specifically in Japan and Korea, and expanded the influence of Western music. For some of the band members with roots in Korean culture, this closes the cultural circle. During performances, the band also wears costumes they have made themselves to 'confuse' their audience and engage them. They are a total work of art, embodying attitude, style and demeanour, and eluding the usual quality criteria of the pop market.
Although Martin Stimming works like a purely 'electronic' musician, his sources are often organic in nature. The Hamburg-based artist works with field recordings that he has made himself, original sound sources and acoustic instruments that he has sampled himself. He lovingly pieces together bleeps, plunks and whirrs. More than ever before, his new work explores the emotional depths of what is aptly called deep house. It buzzes, breathes and pulsates across expansive surfaces, underpinned by a solid foundation of bass. Friedrich is a harmonious and exploratory gem of semi-electronic music for this millennium whose calmness radiates more power than a wall of guitars.
Hailing from Cologne, the band Grenzkontrolle is led by the poet and actor Don L. Gaspár Ali. Their lyrics take a critical view of everyday life in Germany, with the rise of right-wing radicalism at their core. Rather than adopting the posturing, distorted guitars, aggressive drumming and wild screaming typical of punk rock, the quartet channels its angry energy in a more restrained way. Instead, they arrange their tracks sparingly and tastefully, much like the post-punkers of the early 1980s. Everything seems well thought out and executed with skill: no note is superfluous, grand melodies are absent, and the only exaggeration lies in the lyrics, which are harsh and uncompromising and are less sung than shouted, fitting the band's radical stance on the social issues the world is facing today.
On her third album, Sonor, Mongolian singer Enji strives to perfect her signature mix of traditional folk music from her homeland and fragile, minimalist jazz arrangements. This time, she is accompanied by a full jazz ensemble led by her long-time guitarist and collaborator, Paul Brändle. With effortless control, the Munich-based singer navigates a range of styles, from jazz standards such as Old Folks to Mongolian pop such as Eejinhee Hairaar, and her own compositions, demonstrating her maturity and depth as a composer. A standout piece is Unadag Ugui, with lyrics in German, in which she addresses the peculiarities and challenges of her intercultural life. Overall, this album marks another significant milestone in the career of an exceptional artist whose potential appears boundless.
Erobique & Jacques Palminger
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@ Anne Backhaus
Two Hamburg musicians, Erobique and Jacques Palminger, who are familiar to local audiences in various roles as comedians, musicians or actors, called on their websites for people to send them lyrics and song ideas. They rented a studio and waited to see what would happen. The response was huge, with over 300 ideas coming in. They selected the best ones, invited a number of collaborators, and got started. Disco, easy listening, bossa nova and chanson – Songs For Joy Auf Der Veddel is exuberant, cheerful, sad, kitschy, cool and everything at once. Each song offers a glimpse into a different world of thought and is always held together by a small group of musicians, dozens of guests, and a lot of fun. It is also a valuable testament to what people can achieve when they listen to each other, take each other seriously, and create together.
