Liv Toerkell

The term Pop is slippery like water. Its wide range exceeds definition yet it is used ubiquitous. Shaped by a hegemonic discourse, what is considered pop often moves within a narrow realm. Berlin's alternative pop festival, Pop Kultur, questions the definition of pop and the tastemakers by curating an inclusive, diverse, and critical line up of artists and speakers at their eighth edition earlier this year.

The Australian singer Kat Frankie released her new record "Shiny Things" via Groenland earlier this year. Now, the artist started her extended Germany tour and we met up with the Berlin-based musician to find out what shaped her songwriting over the pandemic. Between political unrest, melancholy, and radical hope Kat talks us through her musical mindset following the ultimate question: what is the responsibility of art?

The Berlin-based singer and songwriter Minoa, aka Ina Klos, just delivered her debut record "Forward, Backward, Start Again" with the confidence of an artist who is records deep into their career. We got to know the singer, her approaches to songwriting, and updated our Introducing Playlist with some of her gems.

The Australian singer and songwriter Stella Donnelly follows her acclaimed debut record "Beware of the Dogs" with "Flood". Grown out of the confinement and the new habits the artist picked up during the pandemic, the album is as political as it is personal and as serious as it is fun. Stella sat down to talk to us about new hobbies and perspectives.

Hatis Noit is not a singer in the traditional sense of the word. She is an experimental voice artist merging various influences from different vocal traditions to a record full of surprises and emotions. "Aura" finds its music in the embodiment of emotions through vocals as sounds and not as words. We met the artist to speak about language, tradition, and her approach to music making.

'Maliba' the new EP of the Mali-born singer Fatoumata Diawara is a special release. It was created as part of the 'Mali Magic' heritage project highlighting the art and the tradition of the north African country. Following its release, we caught the singer on zoom to chat about the project and her role in the Malian music tradition and contemporary scene.

Just before the End of the World, loosely translates the title of Ami Warning’s new record 'Kurz vorm Ende der Welt'. It is the fourth record of the young Munich-based artist and the first one that she entirely self-produced. Over the course of the pandemic, she crafted songs that are uniquely hers and fuses the various genres that influence her style topped with the coolness of the German lyrics.

Change cannot be achieved by a single person. It takes a community, it takes a village. For the Berlin-based artist Noah Slee community plays a special role when it comes to dealing with personal and collective trauma. We spoke to the singer about inspiring change, healing, and the role of community in his music making.