The Release Radar is a monthly selection of single releases from the pop/rock/electronic sector made in Austria.
Efeu – „Teer & Gras“ (Assim Records // VÖ 08.10.23)
„Bicycle cellars are the new attics“, is the appendix under the current video for “Teer & Gras” by the Vorarlberg rock band IVY, and gallantly guides the listener towards the underground.
Like bad luck to brimstone, “Tar & Grass” are part of the exalted lifestyle of a young person who, with the help of it, knows how to enjoy every breath and seals off solipsism from the disturbing influences of everyday life. But that can’t be the case in the long term. The transition into real life and, less often, busy life requires adaptation, which is often accompanied by change and consequently worries. And so, in keeping with the elegiac season, comes a song about the fear of losing enthusiasm for each other after various substances no longer have such a regular and glossy effect on the limbic system.
If sober everyday life is too cruel for you, we recommend the EP release show on October 19th, 2023 at Flex.
IVY
Julia Zischg – “Imaginary friend” (Julia Zischg // Release October 6th, 2023)
Children talk to him loudly and naturally. Preferably in the form of a doll. Later in life, although often unconsciously, this friend always remains your ally. He sees everything we do, or unfortunately don’t do. It drives us and gives us energy. As a constructive force, it is, so to speak, the partner of the person we would like to be and helps us become a better person.
Julia Zischg therefore wrote a song for her “Imaginary Friend”. A soulful love hymn with jazzy modal piano accompaniment and at the end it states “I can’t ignore you”. Because otherwise the antagonist would take over. The destructive power of the opponent – the so-called “inner bastard” – and about him you could probably only write a sarcastic Gaudi song, which would literally be pearls for the… given Julia Zischg’s excellent vocal skills.
Julia Zischg
Anthea – „5AM“ (Anthea, Edition Dolphin Dance // VÖ 06.10.’23)
Anthea Schranz is a person rooted in the queer club scene. It is therefore obvious that they are related to elements of the Rave Culture from the nineties served, which knew how to celebrate the currently proclaimed values such as tolerance and solidarity in the most colorful way. Reason enough to show musical solidarity with this movement.
Eurodance developed into, among other things, the current hyperpop. And in the catchy choruses, the formants in the syllables da-dada-da rush through the colorful frequency range like Teletubbies on drugs.
“5AM” is reminiscent of the Italian group’s global hit “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”. Eiffel 65 with an extra pinch of melancholy à la “Better off alone” by Alice DJwhose album title “Who needs guitars anyway?” from 2000 is certainly also for Anthea could be elevated to a production technology paradigm.
Anthea
Culk – „Generation Maximum” (Siluh Records // VÖ 05.10.’23)
“Generation Maximum” is the title song and second precursor to the Viennese band’s third album Culk and sounds picturesque for our time marked by crises.
Danceable, uplifting or fantastic are not exactly the attributes of the music of a band that is dedicated to the social hurdles and even the existential problems of our human existence. A Spotify playlist with the sober title “Apocalypse” provides a comparatively calming listening experience. The descending harmonic sequence accompanies the falling melodic line of the interpreter Sophie Löw’s character voice, which always sounds slightly like resignation.
Percussive industrial sounds mark the first part of the song. After ninety seconds the song transitions into a completely new part. Now hope shimmers through the poetic lyrics of the musical protest, which no longer sounds like a funeral march. Sometimes it takes drastic changes, and not just small adaptations, to achieve certain goals.
Culk (instagram)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEu002du002dEZV-REQ
LAIKKA – „Echo“ (Fabrique Records // 09.29.23)
The two electro poppers announce their release with the new single “Echo”. LAIKKA from Vienna announces their third album. Metaphorically, in the name of the title, as well as musically, the previous work resonates as a consistent continuation. The cool instrumentation of melancholic club music is clearly in the foreground.
In the verses, the bass drum twists around the synthesizer sequence in a very playful and syncopated way. The chorus then presents itself in a danceable two-step groove.
Only towards the end does the drum machine drive the guitar solo to ecstatic heights for a brief moment of detachment with the technoid quarter bass drum. Almost symbolic.
Laikka
Werckmeister – “The Database” (Earth Equal // Release September 28, 2023)
Werckmeister is the formation around David Howald, who released their second long player “Maruschka” on October 6th, 2023. “The Database” was the last single before the album and lyrically deals with the topic of artificial intelligence.
How do you teach a machine to have a memory and why do we supposedly know before the question is even finished that this is the answer and the solution to all our problems.
And because the topic is so complex and anything but clear, David Howald leaves every second measure blank as a short pause for thought. Except for the ostinato snare on beat three, which marks the not exactly gentle but five-minute mediation like a pendulum or gong.
The arrangement, like the instrumentation, is so elementary that a stylistic classification is hardly possible. The attention is cleverly drawn to the sung lines of text.
The album will be presented on October 20th. took place in the Radiokulturhaus.
Werckmeister
ORYMA & Pasquale Racca – “Freedom” (release 09/27/23)
“FREEDOM” – A track against violence against women. This powerful song stands up against oppression and advocates for a life without fear and violence.
That’s what the description below says Youtube-Video by the Hard Techno producer ORYMA. It has been scientifically confirmed that music therapy has an anti-anxiety effect. The extent to which a song can advocate for a non-violent life probably still needs to be researched.
If so, we would like a whole album from ORYMA with the songs “Peace”, “Freude” and “Eierkuchen für aller” (Eierkuchen for all), ideally before the end of the year.
ORYMA
SOVIE – “Weightless” (SOVIE // Release 09/22/23)
A reverberated, triolic delay in the piano treble and soulful choral singing paint the title “Weightless”. Appropriately, the lead vocals of SOVIE in their first German single the feeling of letting themselves go. A subtle appeal to at least give the self-optimization trend of our constantly competitive society a break here and there.
The two-minute song is as relaxing as a whole meditation session, without being casual at any point.
SOVIE
Ben Clean – “Tell me everything is good” (BouncyBen // Release September 21, 2023)
Under the name of BEN CLEAN The two young, motivated musicians write (Benjamin Klien) and produce (Maxi Nagl) single after single in their teenage bedroom in order to throw them into the seemingly endless streaming ocean as bait. Hoping for a big catch, of course. In any case, you get a feel for the streaming world and feedback in the form of click numbers. “Tell me everything is good” stylistically fishes in indie waters and sings about the eternal dilemma of the seemingly incompatible basic needs for security and freedom.
Hear it live on Friday (September 29th) in the backdrop of Vienna.
Ben Clean
Prohaska – “Stewardess” (schneckrec. // release 15.09)
Stereotypical role models from Hollywood films shape our everyday lives. Of course, it is easier to project an existing image than to “paint” a new one. But every generation redraws its heroes. And so the sexist and contemptuous images are gradually freed from people’s minds.
Die Band Prohaska With her current single, she not only decouples this image, but also the antiquated and sexist image of the “stewardess”, and moves it straight towards the present with an emphasis on the attributes of stress-resistant and confident. The sound is funky as usual
Prohaska