German Music @ SXSW 2024 Announces Three Dates Of Showcases Presented By The German Music Export And Initiative Musik
Modern Classical Music From Germany (March 12) And Electronic Music From Germany (March 13) Featuring Grandbrothers, Lisa Morgenstern, Sofi Paez, Malugi, Nils Hoffmann, Sofia Kourtesis, And Session Victim Live
German Music @ SXSW BBQ Set For March 15 Featuring Ätna, Lie Ning, Meagre Martin, Orbit And Willow Parlo
(February 21, 2024) - Today, German Music @ SXSW 2024, a project managed by Initiative Musik - the German Music Export Office - is dedicating programming to various genre-specific events to spotlight its rich musical output.
German’s Music @ SXSW’s 2024 programming will kick off with an official nighttime showcase on Tuesday, March 12th displaying the innate power of modern classical music at the Central Presbyterian Church and continue the next evening Wednesday, March 13th with an official showcase rave at the Coconut Club Rooftop spotlighting the diversity of Germany’’s electronic industry.
In addition to the music showcases German Music @ SXSW will also host an exclusive invitation-only luncheon at the Uptown Sports Club on Wednesday, March 13th. US music business professionals wishing to attend the Luncheon on March 13 can reach out to the project manager at max.domma@germanmusic-sxsw.com.
Later that week, on Friday, March 15th German Music @ SXSW will host an official daytime party spotlighting Germany’s exciting newcomers across a diverse representation of genres including indie and electronic music further encompassing the country’s unique musical prowess. This showcase will be accompanied by a BBQ and free drinks which is free of charge and offers primary access for music industry professionals with RSVP. More information can be found here: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/events/OE44489
Complete programming for the showcases is as follows:
Tuesday, March 12th, 8 PM - 11 PM: Official SXSW Nighttime Showcase: “Modern Classical Music from Germany”. Lineup: GRANDBROTHERS, LISA MORGENSTERN, SOFI PAEZ @ Central Presbyterian Church
www.initiative-musik.de/en/german-music-at-sxsw/
GRANDBROTHERS: Grandbrothers have made a career out of spurning tradition. Formed in Düsseldorf, Germany, more than a decade ago, the piano duo creates richly textured music that straddles the boundaries between ambient, minimalism, and electronic music. The result is always different, yet always centered around the unique collaboration between German-Turkish pianist Erol Sarp and Swiss engineer/software designer Lukas Vogel. Across four albums—2015’s Dilation, 2017’s Open, 2021’s All The Unknown, and 2023’s Late Reflections—the duo has drawn peculiar inspiration from what others may regard as a limitation: every sound, every note, somehow originates from one instrument, the grand piano.
LISA MORGENTERN: Lisa Morgenstern is a Berlin-based composer, singer, pianist, vintage synth devotee and orchestra arranger. Most recently she co-composed the film score for NETFLIX's international EMMY winning drama series THE EMPRESS in 2022.
SOFIA PAEZ: Sofi Paez is a pianist and composer born in San José, Costa Rica. She experiments with piano, voice and electronic elements in search for new ways of expression in her roots, using both the Spanish and English language. Sofi's pieces are often inspired by daily life and the nature that surrounds her. In 2023 Sofi garnered widespread interest upon releasing her EP ‘Circles’, firmly putting her on the map as an artist to watch. Later in the year she was handpicked to perform at Ólafur Arnalds’ OPIA launch event - where it was announced Sofi will be the first signing to his OPIA label. Her first album Silent Stories will be released in May 2024.
Wednesday, March 13th 7 PM - 2 AM: Official SXSW Nighttime Showcase: “Electronic Music from Germany”. Lineup: SOFIA KOURTESIS, MALUGI, NILS HOFFMANN, AND SESSION VICTIM LIVE @ Coconut Club Rooftop
www.initiative-musik.de/en/german-music-at-sxsw/
SOFIA KOURTESIS: When she began work on her debut, Kourtesis was seemingly unstoppable. A string of rapturously received EPs and singles made her one of the fastest rising stars in the electronic world and beyond. Her debut album, Madres, was released on Ninja Tune in October 2023. She has graced the cover of Mixmag, released a brilliantly energetic and moving Resident Advisor ‘RA Session’, and Madres appeared on many 2023 ‘Album of the Year’ lists including Pitchfork, The Guardian, NME, Mix Mag, DJ Mag, Clash, and Billboard. She has played sell-out shows at London’s Islington Assembly Hall and Manchester’s Canvas as well as standout performances at Glastonbury, Green Man, Wide Awake and Primavera and tours supporting Caribou and Bicep. Kourtesis’ music is the melding of her Berlin home and her South American upbringing, two cultures that really couldn’t be further apart.
MALUGI: You can't miss MALUGI. The Berlin-based artist is the vibrant force who blends glitzy pop, trance and house in the shadowy enclaves of nightclubs worldwide, exuding warmth, charisma, and joy across the dancefloor. With tours spanning Europe and Australia, the DJ and producer has shared his elated sounds in spaces like Munich's Blitz and London's The Cause and has performed several B2B sessions with Marlon Hoffstadt.Closer to home in Germany, MALUGI is a MELT festival regular and hosts his party Club Heart Broken at Watergate, adding fun and sparkle into Berlin's techno-heavy scene. Unapologetically zany as a producer, MALUGI's tracks like 'Reach Out' and 'Really Happy' landed on the BBC Radio One airwaves and received plays from Gerd Janson and Tiesto. Following his Boiler Room debut in December last year, 2024 marks MALUGI's launch of Club Heart Broken as a record label, alongside more milestones in the making. The imprint is another facet of MALUGI's multi-coloured world, affirming his passion for producing boundary-pushing dance music and supporting artists who want to join the loud and luminous world of MALUGI.
NILS HOFFMAN: Hailing from Berlin and molded by German electronic music and culture, Nils Hoffmann has always found solace in music. As a classically trained pianist, Nils grew up listening to producers like Paul Kalkbrenner and Trentemoller, and was inspired to start producing melodic, deep, and progressive house. Now as one of the most exciting up-and-coming electronic artists in the world, Nils has his sights set on following in the footsteps of some of his favorite musicians and leading the charge as the next generation of electronic producers and live acts. To date, the 27 year old producer has racked up over 100m streams across all platforms. In 2022, Nils released his sophomore album 'A Radiant Sign’ through Anjunadeep. To date, the album has gathered over 15m streams across all platforms, reached #1 on the itunes dance/electronic charts, received radio play on BBC and Sirius XM, and DJ support from Maceo Plex and Above & Beyond. Nils has also released remixes for artists including Odesza, San Holo, Emmit Fenn, and Eli & Fur. Nils has toured extensively across Europe, North America and Australia playing venues including Tomorrowland, Printworks, Brooklyn Mirage, The Gorge Amphitheatre and has supported artists like Ben Bohmer, Gorgon City, Franky Wah, Stephan Bodzin, Tiga and more.
SESSION VICTIM LIVE: Session Victim, among Germany's foremost house music production duos, boasts a prolific career marked by a decade-long journey. Comprising composers Hauke Freer and Matthias Reiling, they've crafted an unparalleled body of work, including three groundbreaking triple LPs on Delusions of Grandeur. Their downbeat concept album for Late Night Tales/Night Time Stories garnered acclaim, as did over twenty EPs on vinyl-only imprints like Retreat, XK, Pen&Paper, Toytonics, and Rhythm Section. The duo's remix prowess extends to artists like Kink, Midnight Magic, Folamour, and Khruangbin, making a Session Victim track a contemporary collection essential. Their vinyl obsession kindled a friendship over two decades ago, rooted in a shared love for DJing—still a central pillar in their musical relationship. Their live show, unique and unmatched, features unconventional gear like cheap USB controllers, a half-dead 707, and a road-worn bass guitar. The result is an electrifying performance reminiscent of Nick Holder, Armand Van Helden, The Clash, and Fugazi simultaneously Session Victim, the self-proclaimed Two Man House Band, approaches their craft with rare devotion and passion, creating an exhilarating experience that transcends the ordinary.
Friday, March 15th 1 PM - 6 PM: German Music @ SXSW BBQ Featuring ÄTNA, LIE NING, MEAGRE MARTIN, ORBIT, WILLOW PARLO @ Shangri La
www.initiative-musik.de/en/german-music-at-sxsw/
ÄTNA: Among Germany’s most exciting newcomers, ÄTNA have already played festivals throughout Europe and performed in cities as diverse as Istanbul and London. Like Fever Ray meeting Grimes in London’s Royal Opera House, ÄTNA focus their shows around piano, with analogue sounds mixed in directly with loops, effects and delays.
LIE NING: LIE NING, Berlin-based musician, model, dancer, art director and LGBTQ+ & POC ambassador is looking at an impressive career so far, with appearances at SXSW, Fusion, Reeperbahn Festival, support slots for Raphael Saadique, Milky Chance and many more. The artist seamlessly navigates indie, soul, and R'n'B, delivering timeless pop moments with their debut album "utopia" (April 2023) receiving critical acclaim, while the headline tour in May 2023 featured sold-out shows in Berlin and Hamburg. Singles like "error" and "i see you" earned global playlist placements, and with their November 2024 "sweatshop" EP they marked history as the first German musician selected for Spotify's GLOW Spotlight Artist, featuring on the global GLOW Playlist cover and lighting up New York Times Square.
MEAGRE MARTIN: Berlin-based songwriter-turned-trio Meagre Martin was founded in the summer of 2021 by the African-American musician and songwriter Sarah Martin (guitar, she/her) and quickly joined by Federico „Freddy" Corazzini (drums, he/him) and Max Hirtz-Wolf (bass, he/him). Blending together elements of lo-fi and new-Americana, Meagre Martin is a culmination of experience rooted in healing, through lyricism that gives nostalgia new layers and harnesses the power of grief. Their debut GUT PUNCH (out November 10th via Mansions and Millions) create a sound inspired by shoegaze, 90’s indie, or 'faux country,' as the band calls it, and juxtaposes these beautifully light soundscapes with lyrics that belie the sweetness of the sound with their vulnerability and depth.
ORBIT: orbit is the electronic indie project of 28 year old producer and songwriter Marcel Heym. After becoming a music producer in his early twenties and moving to Berlin, Marcel realized he could not find happiness in the noise of the metropolitan jungle. Some weeks after escaping the city and going back to his hometown he launched his first own music project in nostalgic dedication to his roots, releasing his Debut EP „Perspectives“ in 2020. With a soundscape of raw acoustic sounds and atmospheric synth leads Marcel found a way to express his immersive dream world and combine it with imagery of life in the countryside which organically found great resonance. With a collective of creative friends Marcel started to realize more music releases, self-made merchandise and a DIY tour, building the orbital universe. Now, four years later and just shortly after his first and sold out Europe Tour, orbit is playing a variety of international festivals and going overseas for SXSW and DIY shows with his community in Mexico.
WILLOW PARLO: Like the soundtrack to a summer that must never end, the dreamy indie romances of Willow Parlo wash over your soul. Willow Parlo has successfully played her way into the heart of the indie scene over the past year. As support for artists such as Philine Sonny, Roller Derby (...) and appearances at the Dockville Festival and the Reeperbahn Festival, Sonic Visions Festival in Belgium and Waves Vienna in Austria.
MORE INFO ON THE GERMAN MUSIC EXPORT AND INITIATIVE MUSIK
German Music Export by Initiative Musik is dedicated to strengthening the presence of German music internationally. Through a range of international activities — including collaborations with international showcase festivals, active membership in international networks like EMEE and ESNS EXCHANGE, and the development of its own funding programs (International Tour Funding, DO! Export and GO! Export) — German Music Export provides musicians and music professionals based in Germany with diverse opportunities to enhance their visibility abroad and expand their international networks.
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For more information, please contact: Rebecca Shapiro, Grace Fleisher, and Alena Joyiens at GermanMusicPR@shorefire.com