Week
End

Fest XIV

Smerz

Smerz
00:15
Stadtgarten Saal

Smerz are musical omnivores and all-rounders. The spectrum of their interests is almost limitless: on the one hand, you can hear their love for acts like Rihanna or Kendrick Lamar in their music, while on the other, they describe a concert by experimental virtuoso Yves Tumor as the best experience of their lives. The truth does not lie in the middle—as the proverb goes—but moves in waves between two poles. This results in beats and vocals that can be classified as both R&B-ish and (outsider) housey, paired with futuristic, shimmering synths and juicy bass lines. Both Norwegians, Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt, received a traditional musical education and now use their powers to create a sound that is less retro-mania and more postmodern pop for a new generation—their widely acclaimed LP Big City Life is proof of just that.

Funding Partners

Media Partnership