Stories

FAYIM, born Sidney, is a German-Ghanaian singer-songwriter based in Berlin. His music blends R&B, pop, soul, gospel, and jazz, marked by ethereal melodies and effervescent vocals. He has performed with artists such as Noah Slee, K.ZIA, Ian Hooper, Zak Abel, and badmómzjay, and is a member of Berlin’s vocal ensemble A Song for You. We sat down to discuss the release of his debut EP, "FOKUS".

Jazz musician and composer Haggai Cohen-Milo and rapper and poet Stimulus might come from different musical worlds, but together they’ve built something entirely original. In "Gravitations", they channel Mahler, Verdi, and Debussy into a genre-defying project about death, devotion, and reinvention. Anna Grubauer met the duo to talk about how it all came together.

The Vancouver-based rapper Kimmortal makes music that challenges the status quo of the music industry and colonial capitalist frameworks. Their recent release "sunniest of days" is about navigating the tension of witnessing the injustices and genocides being committed across the globe, while holding space for personal happiness. Ahead of their show in Berlin on 17 September, we spoke to Kimmortal about their musical journey.

The rapper Enana and DJ/producer mx.pinky merged their creative energy to create the EP "Becoming." It is the debut release on exude records - a label and event series by and for trans artists. Ilo Toerkell met Enana and mx.pinky to chat about their collaboration, allowing joy regardless of the repressive climate that trans and other marginalized people face, and why we need more T4T spaces.

Hidaiyah "Yaya" Bey is a musician from Queens, New York, whose sound fuses elements of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and dance into something entirely her own. OFFKEY author Alice Vyvyan-Jones had the honour of sitting down with Hidaiyah ahead of her debut Berlin show at Privatklub to speak about her upcoming album "do it afraid".

South African R&B artist lordkez recently dropped her latest album "You, Me & The 90’s". On the record, she explores themes of identity, care and spirituality. We caught up with the singer to talk about the creative process behind the project, her musical roots in the church, and why self-love remains a central theme in her creative and personal journey. 

The New Delhi-based rapper and producer Kinari recently released her new project "BADDUA". Ilo Toerkell spoke to the artist about the diverse range of influences she draws from, including traditional Indian and Tamil sounds, hip-hop and Ballroom beats, her relationship to faith, and how the district Dilli 17 of her hometown has shaped her creative output.

With a sound that slips between jazz, club and experimental, Glasgow outfit corto.alto is hard to pin down — and all the more exciting for it. Headed by trombonist and producer Liam Shortall, the group brings raw energy and genre fluidity to the stage. Ahead of their show at XJAZZ!, Anna Grubauer spoke to him about live shows, creative freedom, and the friendships that keep it all moving.