By Andreas Gstettner-Brugger
You can vote for the top 20 nominated artists for the FM4 Award at the Austrian Amadeus Music Awards until Friday. The choice is really difficult. This year there are also many very young acts, such as Oskar Haag, AZE and Arai. The latter, the multi-instrumentalist who likes to emphasize the drama in “drama pop”, is our sound park act of the month for February.
The summiteer with us at the moment is rapper Gerard, who with his single “what you were to me‘ climbed to number 2 on the FM4 charts.
And we are already looking forward to next Sunday. It will be exciting at the grand finale of the protest song contest in Vienna’s Rabenhoftheater.
Christian Stipkovits
This time the jury consists of Sigrid Horn, rapper Dynomite, Baits frontwoman Sonja Maier, the two hip hoppers Kraiml & Samurai and FM4’s Alexandra Augustin superbe. You can listen to the top 10 finalists here. And on February 12, you will help determine who should win the protest song contest. Either vote as an audience in the Rabenhoftheater or by listening to FM4 and streaming and voting on fm4.ORF.at.
Crush – „Where Flowers Grow“
New beginnings are often slow and careful. Small steps to actively shape togetherness again. The band _Crush(www.crushtheband.at)__ written with “Where Flowers Grow”. A grand pop gesture is performed with sweet melodies and broad sound, evoking the coming spring.
A portion of Abba creeps in between the usual indie, if you want to hear it. At the beginning of the video we hike through misty karst mountains, through dark caves, until we stand in the radiant white music room and the spring-like colors take hold. A single that makes you smell the blossoming buds of the trees. By the way, Crush are beautifying spring with their new album “Past Perfect”, which will be released in May.
Hunney Pimp – “The Possessed”
Also rapper Hunney Pimp has new material. “Die Beseste” EP will be released in April and the title track already reveals the direction it’s headed: fat beats, relaxed power, self-confident expression and revealing lyrics. Hunney Pimp knows how to play with men’s hip-hop clichés and hit us in the face with their critical punchlines in unusual outfits. The beat tinkerers and sound perfectionists Fid Mella & Lex Lugner are responsible for the production. Well, no babble, no big drama, rather coolness and leaning back dominate this track.
Verified – “Suzuki Swift”
Rising star of recent years verified joins the artists who use spring to release their albums. The debut finally appears on March 3rd. Verified has created her very own style with her cloud pop. Verified swings between lethargic chants and euphoric melodies in the great vibe of life. Everything seems to be in flux and easy to handle. “Suzuki Swift” also sounds like discovering the lightness of being. The young musician flew to Japan for this and lets us take part in her journey of discovery under her hooded sweatshirt.
jōshy – „Shawshank“
Making a track with hard lyrics and an experimental sound in less than two minutes is an art. In the case of jōshy, we as HipHop Joshy know, “Shawshank” is a real hit. Producers Melonoid, Vicious C and Schlagobers Duck & Fuzl have let all their beat fantasies run free. An honest and disturbing track about a life in conflict and under difficult conditions. Here jōshy asserts itself with clever, mantra-like lines, while towards the end the track is hard to beat for speed. The experimental video by Fabian Krempus fits in with this. A real total work of art, even with the brevity.
Ivy – “In Vienna”
The label Assim Records has grown. With ivy a band joins the list of artists that alternates between hit aesthetics and indie Austropop. A falco-like coolness can be heard in the timbre of the Vorarlberg singer. Although the band comes from the westernmost state, they sing about the federal capital in their debut single and try to win the heart of the coveted person. Whether they really can’t expect applause on the Viennese stages will be shown at their concerts when they present their debut EP in spring.
Also good and good to know
- The many styles mixes P in the smooth flow of his new single “Airdrop“. Reduced and with deep beats.
- A few weeks ago, but only now discovered: the “Overnight Express‘ by Kame. Fine hip hop track with a very unique sound and idiosyncratic rap.
- Simon Öggl is a musician with the band Drahthaus and has a Brackethead ø_ø started his electropop solo project. A debut EP was released last year and he has since worked with the Viennese artist Tinq Poppy electronic singles released. The latest prank is called “Close‘ and has become a super energetic dance-pop number.
In this weekly column, Lisa Schneider and Andreas Gstettner-Brugger serve up musical appetizers from Austria. New bands and songs, videos and concert highlights across the stylish vegetable garden.
- people need dogs. But vice versa, I’m not so sure. Musician Lil Julez does his new single have the “Humanless Dogs” dedicated. Inside is an extraordinary love song.
- Das Electro-Pop-Duo Neon Neet have released their debut album post-human. Finding great songs like “Urge“. You can read more about this album here next week.
- You’re kind of right, if Skero & BumBumKunst their third album togetherLegendary status” to baptize. The veteran musicians, hip hoppers and producers still have it.
- Soft singer/songwriter sound and a pinch of pop. In her new single, Amelie Tobien sings about the beloved “Friday“.
- Ian Fischer sings in his new album “Burnt Tongue‘ against insignificance. An intimate, embracing work.
- Ex-Wanda musician Christian Hummer has started his solo project with Loeweloewe. Unfortunately, the musician and singer passed away last September. Now his sister has his song “Fly‘ completed and published. a beautiful, melancholic song about relationships that Christian Hummer once again lets shine as a great songwriter.
- Big Fluff are a quirky electronic duo, which got together on the single “Eclectic Toast Machine“ not only plays with the title. Exciting sounds, loop-based arrangement and experimental vocals.
- In the FM4 Soundpark on Thursday, Lisa Schneider introduced us to the top 20 nominees for the FM4 Award at the Austrian Amadeus Music Awards.
- At the Soundpark night last Sunday, Stefan Trischler asked BumBumKunst & Skero for an interview, presenting the best live songs from the FM4 birthday party and the latest singles from Austria.
