The Hidden Cameras, whose only permanent member, the Canadian Joel Gibb, moved from Toronto to Berlin some time ago, have realised a consistent nocturnal vision of disco with Bronto. Gone are their earlier forays into indie pop, goth and even folk — always characterised by plucking sequencers. This latest incarnation of The Hidden Cameras takes place in a queer, club-hopping continuum in the vein of Arthur Russell, the Pet Shop Boys and Hercules and Love Affair. A hedonism revival as a house remedy for dark times. It won't last long, but it's just perfect for a while!
They've released two brightly colored EPs produced by Olaf Opal (The Notwist) and Chris Cody (Beach House). They've played the finest festivals in Germany, such as Immergut and Fusion, and toured England with the Sleaford Mods. Lawn Chair has prepared well for their optimistically titled debut album, You Want It! You Got It! And it delivers on its promise. With catchy, driving songs and almost frightening perfection, the quintet, led by frontwoman Claudia Schlutius, expresses its anger toward late capitalism, patriarchy, and toxic masculinity. It's alternative rock for the present.
Berlin-based Londoner Sasha Perera, aka Perera Elsewhere, is known for her experimental rap, minimalist grime, and avant-pop, as well as her seemingly effortless blending of these different influences. Supported by handpicked collaborators such as the brilliant Ivory Coast rapper Andy S, Perera presents herself as confident, serene, and reflective on her fourth album, Just Wanna Live Some. The album title directly reveals the sad truth that, for too many people, satisfying the lower levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs has once again become their life's work—the hustle is existential. However, the 12 short tracks are more than a manifesto for urban survivalists. Perera Elsewhere's nervous melancholy has the subversive energy of a new beginning—a utopian hope whose optimistic power can be read between the lines.
Die P, queen of Germany's rap scene, has released five albums in the past four years, two of them this year alone. One might think that fatigue would eventually set in at this rate. But with her, it's different. Magazin, her latest album, feels like the culmination of her work over the past few years. She sounds fresher than ever, and her impetuous rhymes and old-school flair have matured into a state of absolute timelessness.
On his third album, Munich-based composer and percussionist Simon Popp, along with Flurin Mück and Sebastian Wolfgruber on drums, embarks on a meditative exploration of rhythm, repetition, melody, and sound. Drawing from the centuries-old traditions of drumming, singing, movement, artistic expression, and human connection, Trio is a playful act of improvisation. Traditional percussion instruments are the exception in the enchanting arrangements, where tiny fragments of melody emerge from rhythmic loops, circle briefly around the groove, and then disappear without a trace. As with his fantastic last album, Blizz, Popp defies categorization. The trio moves freely between jazz, tonal experiments, and African and European traditions from the last ten thousand years.
