Hailing from Munich, Isabel Leila Gütlein has established herself as an outstanding new voice on the German music scene in recent years under the name Gündalein. She took her time over releasing her debut album, Always Crazy, a stylish fusion of old-school rap,trap and soul. Just as she looks ahead musically without turning her back on the past, the album addresses current issues such as empowerment and today's political circumstances, as well as her personal journey from being a shy girl to becoming a self-assured woman. This transformation is vividly captured in the album's lead single, Dear Isabel, which is essentially a letter to her younger self set to music, and in the track Mary Sharon, which is addressed to her mother.
In November 2025, Berlin-based visual and sound artist Rosa Anschütz released her fourth album, Sabbatical. A dark, thoughtful and introspective work, it focuses on personal healing, freeing oneself from excessive demands and overcoming stressful situations. Restrained vocals are mixed at the forefront and accompanied by blurred guitars and synthesiser touches that seem to lose themselves in the depths of endless halls. This evokes memories of 1980s gothic pop or 1990s art pop. Anschütz played all the synthesizers, guitars, and basses herself, with another musician playing the drums. The album title alludes to the temporary suspension from capitalist spectacle that was crucial to its creation. In this sense, it is ultimately a positive work and a summary of a new beginning.
Dominik Eulberg is one of the most prolific DJs on the German electronic music scene. A music-obsessed ornithologist and nature lover from the Westerwald region, he is known for his minimalist, expansive tracks which attempt to translate his experiences of nature into sound. His recently released seventh album, Lepidoptera, is themed around the “order” of butterflies. Eulberg dedicates one track to each of the 3,700 butterfly species native to Germany, many of which have curious names, such as swallowtail, mourning cloak and kidney vetch (Schwalbenschwanz, Trauermantel oder Wundklee). This strict focus on specific content and minimalist music is the secret to his success, as Eulberg believes that while the possibilities of making music are absolutely endless, one could otherwise lose oneself in them. In his typically lengthy compositions, which evolve through calm loops and pulsating techno into grand ambient spaces and orchestral grandeur, he presents himself as an ambassador for nature. He studied the topical species in detail during the preparation phase, and the various stages of development of these beautiful insects provided the inspiration for the compositions. He is also involved in various nature projects, and the album's promotional tour will consist of scientific workshops and talks in environmental centres, accompanied by music instead of just club shows.
On her debut album with Belgian label Meakusma, Cologne-based house DJ, filmmaker and producer Viola Klein refines the concept she has developed in recent years, fusing minimalist house sounds with Senegalese percussion. Just as her 'Bring Your Ass' parties in Cologne celebrate reflective house music, her profound tracks explore the social impact of this music, including dancing, drumming and a wide palette of intercultural and multi-perspective elements. Her knowledge of music theory and experience in film editing enable her to utilise the limited resources at her disposal with precision and effectiveness.
The Berlin-based duo Donna Regina, consisting of husband-and-wife team Regina and Günther Janssen, have recently released their tenth album, Lilac, on the Cologne-based label Karaoke Kalk. This collection of eleven ethereal indie pop gems is artfully arranged. Poetic and full of detail, the album's lyrical eloquence is embedded in an extremely charming arrangement. The delicate interplay of various keyboard instruments, guitars, electronicpercussionand Regina Janssen's dreamy vocals creates a superficial lightness that conceals a loving homage to the wondrous qualities of urban life, which, as Regina says, “unites so many people under one sky”.
