Reeperbahn Festival is about to open its gates, and one of its key messages, Let the Music Grow, could not be more on point.
Soon to mark twenty years as a vital cultural player, at the top of the game, it will be a big cause for celebration.
The Hamburg-based event is admired for its wide representation of genre. With a programme that has everything across indie, pop, rock, folk, soul, punk, jazz, electronic, rap and classical, it is difficult to begin to contemplate many competitors.
Music is not the only discipline on offer there, however. A contemporary, multidisciplinary affair, with a broad focus on art and popular culture, the opportunity to indulge in podcasts, readings, attend exhibitions and performances, or participate in conversations that focus on topics like discrimination and sustainability are open.
With hundreds of sets scheduled between today, Wednesday, and Saturday there is something to suit every taste palette and preference. Established bands and artists playing at the festival include Kate Nash, Trentemøller, The Lemon Twigs, Rachel Chinouriri and Efterklang and much more, along with a wealth of new talent.
CLASH hand-picked six bands and artists for you to mark in the Reeperbahn festival app.
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Master Peace
For those who are keen to look ahead, look to the future, London-born indie singer and rapper Master Peace is a bold, standalone artist to check out. Truly eclectic, the genre-defying musician has tracks that are written and produced with ease and cool, current flair.
Having released the highly acclaimed ‘How To Make A Master Peace’, his first full-length record earlier this year it’s clear that Peace Okezie’s future is deserving of brightness, and Reeperbahn could be the important springboard in his early career, so he can embrace the next chapter. He is destined for great things.
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BÆNCH
A critic’s’ favourite post-punk outfit BÆNCH is making waves. The Horsens-bred act has been busy this summer, playing festivals across Denmark. Respected and admired for their energy on stage, they are solidifying their reputation as a pulsating live band with a growing following, a dedicated fanbase.
With darkly textured songs and melancholic atmospherics, tracks like ‘Skipped A step’ and the freshly released single ‘Fall Behind’ are indicators of the band’s unique potential. It will be interesting to see what’s next for them, as this is just the beginning of their story.
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Dolores Forever
Indie-pop writers Dolores Forever are an enticing force. The duo is made up of close friends Hannah Wilson and Julia Fabrin, who met at a house party in London, bonding over a shared love of Sharon Van Etten, Stevie Nicks, Mitski and The Spice Girls.
With origins in Copenhagen and Yorkshire, the two cultures could be what fuels the creative partnership, and moments such as ‘When I Say So’ and ‘Conversations With Strangers’ have already enjoyed popularity.
Following appearances at high-profile summer festivals in the UK and Europe and debut album, ‘It’s Nothing’, due for imminent release, nothing seems to stand in their way. Hamburg might just be the precise live setting they need now.
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Easy Easy
New wave influenced collective Easy Easy is responsible for writing music of a jangly, infectious quality. But there is more to the group, what they are about, than that. Led by strong DIY ethos, the Cologne-bred band are believers in raw, honest songwriting.
Taking some inspiration from The Cure and Joy Division, songs such as ‘king kazi’, ‘200’ and ‘hier raus’ are great introductions to their sound. With lyrics in English and German, their dual-language approach may well work as routes to a global audience and be the recipe needed to achieve success.
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NewDad
The sound of Galway’s NewDad is alluring. The Irish rock and punk influenced band have been caught up in a whirlwind of action and excitement. The quartet’s timeless record ‘Madra’, a stunning debut, represents the start of something novel, something that stirs, and the world has not stood still since its release.
Following an abundance of live activity and festival appearances over the past year, their calendars have just been full of gig appointments. With absorbing songwriting and an authentic voice to match, it is obvious they belong on the international stage, and Hamburg will be a perfect place to catch them.
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Rasco
Psychedelic folk band Rasco offer hazy, soothing numbers. The trio has been together for little more than three years, and have been supremely prolific in that time. With two albums behind them, their self-titled debut came out in 2021, and they put out ‘DMAOT’, the follow up, earlier this year.
The sunny, feel-good vibes of the band’s music is partly what’s compelling. The use of a plenitude of sources as inspiration, taken from artists as varied as Julee Cruise and The B52s, shows what they seem so capable of. An education shown through the slickest of style blends.
