There’s one fixed date in our calenders each year and that’s Hamburg’s acclaimed Reeperbahn Festival. Germany’s most acclaimed showcase festival for new talent isn’t just the place to be for all music industry folks but also packed with a stunning line-up. The 2017 edition sees old favourites like ALICE PHOEBE LOU, MAXIMO PARK, BETH DITTO and FINK right next to exciting up and coming artists that deserve all of your attention. After following the road to Reeperbahn over the past months we’re happy to give you direct advice in terms of what to witness at the 2017 Reeperbahn Festival. These are our five tips.
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01. Fazerdaze
02. First Hate
Photo by Magnus Bach
Charismatic Danish two-piece FIRST HATE have been on our radar for quite some time. This spring, Anton Falck Gansted and Joakim Norgaard finally released their full-length debut album called A Prayer For The Unemployed. Driven by Gansted’s sinister baritone they manage to team up the despair of their music with a certain element of hope and optimism. There’s something quite hypnotic about these songs and having experienced these two live on stage before we can surely confirm that their live performance is quite intense as well. (Norman Fleischer)
03. JFDR
If her work with PASCAL PINON, SAMARIS and GANGLY wasn’t enough evidence for you of Icelandic musician Jófríður Ákadóttir’s talent, then the arrival of her solo album Brazil this year should put it beyond dispute. It’s a stunning record, with its spiritual blend of fragility, emotion and experimentalism perfectly crystallised in the track Destiny’s Upon Us, which you can listen to below. Having toured extensively with the bands mentioned above and now with JFDR, she’s an experienced stage performer and a must-see at Reeperbahn. (Austin Maloney)
04. Kraków Loves Adana
Photo by Anna Wegelin
Hamburg-based two-piece KRAKÓW LOVES ADANA surely remains one of German’s best kept musical secrets despite we’re constantly trying to change this situation. Robert Heitmann and Deniz Cicek feel the same and following a longer hiatus their ‘sort-of’ comeback LP Call Yourself New from this year feels like the well-deserved door opener to a bigger audience. Still, there’s nothing pretentious in the duo’s deeply melancholic wave pop. It’s honest, partly catchy and deeply captivating thanks to Cicek’s fascinating voice. Join us for a jump onto the hype bandwagon now before everybody does. (Norman Fleischer)
05. Sløtface
Something between a band and a force of nature, Norwegian four-piece SLØTFACE pack pack a nuclear bomb-sized dose of energy into their pop-punk. Inspired by cultural flotsam and jetsam as diverse as 90s teen flick Empire Records and mystery detective Nancy Drew, as well as politics and feminism, their debut album Try Not To Freak Out lands in September. It’s packed with tunes, and having seen them play in their home town of Bergen a year ago, we can confirm they’re a whirlwind live. (Austin Maloney)
Beyond those five recommendations you’ll spot NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION at a few other occasions at the upcoming event in Hamburg. On Saturday 23rd, for example, CEO Norman Fleischer will be running a panel called Please Listen To Me about the changing relationship between media, artists and PR agencies which is probably interesting for everybody from the industry. All music lovers are highly welcome to our very own stage at the Church of St. Paul on the same day. Starting at 8pm LISA MITCHELL, MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS and the one and only KAT FRANKIE will perform at the NBHAP-curated evening. Find additional information about it right here. Looks like another exciting trip to Reeperbahn lies ahead of us, right?
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