Hamburg's brash quartet Die Sterne have been an integral part of the German music scene since the days of the "Hamburg School," a creative explosion in the city's music scene in the early 1990s. Each of their new albums, released regularly every few years, is an event in itself, full of ironic commentary on life as a German bohemian, always catchy, entertaining, and smart, and usually featuring one or two minor hits. Musically, their sparse sound is rooted in 1960s garage rock, which they elegantly blend with their own version of laid-back, rumbling funk. The ten little pop anthems on Wenn es Liebe ist, the band's tenth album, don't change this formula and show singer Frank Spilker and his bandmates in top form.
Jisr, the ensemble founded in Munich in 2016 by Moroccan musician, singer, and linguist Mohcine Ramdan, sees music as a unifying force. Musically, this is reflected in a mixture of traditional Arabic music, polyrhythmic sounds from North Africa, jazz, rock, and classical influences. Instruments as diverse as the gembri (a three-stringed bass instrument covered with skin), accordion, trumpet, drums, vibraphone, and violin create a unique musical language. The pieces on Hasrar, the new album, place groove and melody on an equal footing, with improvisation meeting precise ensemble work. Even beyond the studio, Jisr remains committed to exchange. In concerts, the group always works with local musicians and understands its music as a global, fluid language—one world, many paths, one shared sound.
Jeff Clarke is a singer-songwriter with Canadian roots living in Berlin, and he has been active in the alternative music scene since the early 2000s. Starting out with garage rock, he found his way to intimate folk, dealing with everyday realities and inner conflicts. He records his ideas with his trusty old 4-track recorder wherever they strike him. While the production of his last album, Locust, took place in a single open-air session in the woods north of Berlin, his new work, Miracle after Miracle after ... (2025), was created in a studio, albeit in just ten days. It is his abstract contribution to the world of gospel—melancholic, painful, and carried by the optimistic hope for ever new miracles.
The Hamburg duo Extrawelt, known to fans of minimal club music worldwide for their immortal 2005 Soopertrack have just released Dystortion, a mature, focused album whose detailed, sometimes grandiose techno works not only in the club. The (almost always) straight bass lines are particularly reminiscent of the old days of minimal techno, which they played a key role in shaping 20 years ago. Otherwise, the sound is broader and richer, with dark, distorted synth bursts and all kinds of exciting and playful details that spiral into light heights in sprawling tracks. But this is no background music: there is much to discover, and the album demands attention, rewarding it with atmospheric depth.
On their new album Strandbad Eldena, Berlin-based Von Wegen Lisbeth refine their organic, smart pop with precise observations of everyday life and melancholic reflections. Lyrically, they always maintain an ironic distance from their subjects; they are observers of a hostile world, unassailable thanks to their keen sense for catchy melodies, memorable songs, and flawless production. Loud statements are not their thing; they remain smooth and subtle, charming and reserved, and musically, too, there are no overly loud tones or solo efforts; the five musicians always put themselves at the service of the cause. Thus, the listening experience remains a thoroughly pleasant but also slightly detached one, like a sunny Sunday afternoon after a long night.
