C’est Karma | Hearts on Windows
Single release: 1 December | EKIP
After receiving much love at her recent shows, C’est Karma gives love back on her new single “Hearts On Windows”, a loving, warm refuge in these cold times. Karma, who was awarded the Kultur | lx Global Project Grant for 2024, says: “Hearts on Windows is about ideal love. It is about closing your eyes and dreaming of taking over the world with that person, in this dream there is no pain or heartbreak. I don’t want to think about whether such a world is possible or not but I want to cherish the dream and savour the thought, hoping it will never burst. Idealism gives me hope and that’s what this song is about.”
Them Lights | YD
Single release: 24 November
Them Lights is a dark electro-pop project from singer and producer Sacha Hanlet that sounds like a reunion of 80s reminiscence flashes and modern electronica. “YD” (YesterDay) is the fourth single release since the beginning of his residency at the Kulturfabrik in Esch-sur-Alzette. “The track is about an unexpected phone call in the middle of the night from a long-lost acquaintance with the manifest of desperation and the will to end it all. There isn’t a lyrical resolution, mirroring life’s tendency to provide comfort without definite solutions or resolutions to its origins. Remarkably, the music doesn’t just offer comfort but also delivers resolution, capturing the intricate complexities of our existence”, says Sacha Hanlet.
EDSUN | Finally Alive
Single release: 17 November | Beast Records
“Finally Alive” is EDSUN’s official entry for the national preselection to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. In the track, Edsun reflects on his journey as a musician and performer, stating that no one in this world can stop his inner motivation to make the impossible possible. “Finally Alive” was written in collaboration with songwriters Jana Bahrich (Francis of Delirium) and Sergio Manique.
Francis of Delirium | Blue Tuesday
Single release: 14 November | Dalliance Recordings
“The track was a chance to go back a little bit to our original sound, heavy guitars, uptempo, in your face music. We are a band that really loves to play live, sweaty, messy and physical music, so it felt important to have this song be part of the album”, says Jana Bahrich about “Blue Tuesday”, the third single release of her upcoming debut album “Lighthouse”, out 22 March 2024. The trio will promote the album with an extensive 21-date tour around Europe and the UK in April and May 2024.
Scarlet Anger| Martyr
Single release: 10 November
“Martyr” is the third single and also the title track from Scarlet Anger’s forthcoming new album. The trash metal band around vocalist Joe Block reveals the idea behind the song: “The lyrics explore the concept of martyrdom and how one sacrifices to achieve personal goals. It encourages facing the pains and challenges of life and overcoming one’s fears and emphasizes the need to free oneself from negative influences and the past in order to step into the future”.
WazToo feat. Émilie Rachel | You Don’t Know Me
Single release: 10 November | Gahara Records
For more than 20 years WazToo has been on the road as deejay. He himself describes his style as “progressive house with EDM elements”. In addition to his live performances, WazToo has also gained recognition as a producer, releasing a number of successful tracks that have earned him a dedicated following. “You Don’t Know me” was produced in collaboration with London-based singer Émilie Rachel. He has also recently started a career as a radio presenter on Eldoradio with his show “WazToo Dance” where he presents 100% electronic music with a focus on Luxembourg productions.
Alex Uhlmann | Rainy Day
Single release: 3 November | Hoernsenmusic
“Rainy Day” is the new single by singer-songwriter Alex Uhlmann, frontman of the Italian electronic band Planet Funk. The track is being released on Berlin-based Hoersenmusic label. “Rainy Day is a song I wrote some time ago with Subsonica’s Luca Vicini,” says Alex. “It’s basically about everyday fears and paranoia that we often tend to worry about disproportionately. Stepping outside oneself to see the bigger picture can help one realise that in the end it was just a rainy day. And there might even be beauty in that”. The track, with its tasty 80s retro style, marks the transition from the sounds of Planet Funk to the intimate dimension that will characterise “Home”, Alex Uhlmann’s first solo album, due out in 2024.
SAY YES DOG | 3 (Home)
Single release: 27 October | Diskodogs Records
Say Yes Dog’s electro-pop is usually made to be danced to. At the same time, their melodies are capable of sinking into sometimes gentle, sometimes throbbing melancholy. Just like with their latest single “3 (Home)”. “This song is one of the most important to us on the album. When we wrote it, the number 3 kept magically appearing again and again throughout the song. The measure is in 3/4, the lift in the last chorus goes up a 3rd step and we finally ended up with a length of 3:33 minutes. It’s a song that lyrically and sonically shows a deeper and more vulnerable side of us. It deals with self-doubt and finding yourself struggling in a world full of distractions and chaos. Looking for clarity and a sense of belonging through another person who gives the feeling of home, no matter where it might be“, the three band members say about the track.
All Reitz Reserved | Elemental
Album release: 27 October
“Elemental” is a compilation of musical tracks that reflect the scenic impressions that Chris Reitz gathered while travelling through the wild natural landscapes of Iceland in 2022. It breaks down the complex emotions and experiences of an environment known for both its boundless, calm and open Nordic landscapes and its rugged, noisy and wild sceneries of waterfalls and rock formations. Humbled by his experiences, Chris Reitz uses his electric violin along with electronic music and field recordings captured during his journey to create a blend of soothing soundscapes and danceable grooves embedded in a captivating landscape.
Alfalfa | Alfalfa
EP release: 27 October
The self-titled EP “Alfalfa” by creators Charel Geimer and Bert Jung showcases their ability to craft infectious, indie-tinted electronic-pop tracks adorned with creative production. Comprising seven tracks, “Alfalfa” explores both the light and darker side of the band’s sound, – from dance beats and uplifting melodies to moments of reflection and melancholy. The project serves as a poignant diary, encapsulating the myriad emotions experienced during the tumultuous pandemic era. The band explains: “The EP is kind of a musical diary, capturing emotions, challenges, and growth we faced during lockdown times. We want to express our creativity, resilience, and the bond we share that fuels our passion for making music together.”
Culture the Kid | Insolente
Single release: 27 October
Culture the Kid is a 20-year-old rapper of Brazilian origin. In 2019, he released his first single “Living in the Clouds” which was followed by an impressive 15 more before his latest track “Insolente”. “Now that the song is out, I want to take the opportunity to say that the rhythm I’m using in this sound is that of baile funk, which was and continues to be a marginalized cultural movement in Brazil despite being one of the most listened. It’s important to do the work necessary to give back to the communities whose culture we enjoy and value the people at the root of it. You cannot profit from the sounds of a people without acknowledging the often painful context that englobes it”, says Culture the Kid about the song. 2023 was an amazing year for the young artist: he won the prize for best live performance at the “Screaming Fields Festival”, performed as opening act for Belgian singer Selah Sue during her show in Wiltz and had his first appearance outside Luxembourg with a concert at the “Pelpass Festival” in Strasbourg where Culture the Kid surprised the festival crowd and consolidated his status as an energetic and captivating performer.
Rome | Live in Kyiv 2023
Album release: 6 October | Trisol
In February 2023, Rome embarked on what Jérôme Reuter calls “the most important, and by far the most dangerous, live mission in the band’s history“. Exactly a year earlier, in February 2022, with Putin’s thugs already on Ukraine’s doorstep, Reuter had ignored travel warnings and played several solo shows in Ukraine. He had also given his Kyiv fanbase his word that he would come back with the full band as soon as possible. This happened just days before Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, and a year after, with the war still raging, Reuter played two shows in Ukraine, despite travel restrictions and regular rocket attacks on the country’s capital. This made Rome the first foreign act to perform a full-length show in Ukraine during the war. This historical recording captures that unique moment in the band’s history.
Georg Ruby & Sascha Ley | The Laughter of the Red Moon. Dedicated to Hildegard Knef
Album release: October 12, 2023 | JazzHausMusik
Georg Ruby and Sascha Ley allow a wide range of musical parameters to take effect, creating original reinterpretations of the chansons and lyrics of the great German actress, singer and author Hildegard Knef (1925-2002) without imposing any stylistic boundaries.
Dock in Absolute | [RE]FLEKT
Album release: October 13, 2023 | Cam Jazz
Piano trio Dock In Absolute are perhaps the leading lights of a tremendous recent resurgence of creative music in Luxembourg, a territory that punches well above its weight in musical terms. The group’s previous work for CAM JAZZ established a distinctive voice, energised by pianist Jean-Philippe Koch’s compositions but realised by the energetic and thoroughly musical contributions of bassist Arne Weigand and drummer Victor Kraus. With roots in the vast literature of jazz piano trios, but with eyes set very much on the present, Dock In Absolute offer a music that is unmistakably contemporary and fresh but aware of tradition as well. Recorded in CAM JAZZ’s signature bright, responsive sound, [RE]FLEKT is set to be one of the must-have jazz records of the year. (Liner notes by Brian Morton)
Shauli Einav | Living Organs
Album release: November 18, 2023 | Outside in Music Europe
After six albums as a leader with only acoustic instrumentation, Shauli Einav, an Israeli saxophone player based in Luxembourg, explores more electronic and electric soundscapes. The music is inspired by both jazz and music from outside the jazz idiom. Einav aims to revive the sounds he was listening to in the 1990s: British artists such as Jamiroquai, The Prodigy, Simply Red or David Bowie, mediaeval folk music, and modern jazz-influenced harmonies.
“In a way, this is my homage to my teenage years where I aim to bring more audiences to jazz music, by building a bridge from the younger generation’s popular aesthetics to today’s mainstream jazz.”
For this new project, Einav’s band was selected for a week-long residency at opderschmelz, a week dedicated to getting deep into Einav’s new compositions and tightening the band! Einav teamed up with some of the rising stars of the European jazz scene: Dutch guitarist Eran Har Even, French organist Laurent Coulondre as well as Luxembourg drummer Paul Wiltgen.
Michel Reis | For A Better Tomorrow
Album release: December 1, 2023 | CamJazz
If jazz remains the “sound of surprise”, Luxembourgish pianist Michel Reis still cleaves to that hoary definition of the music. While still attractively accessible, Reis’s solo improvisations constantly take unexpected directions. He plays the piano “straight”, but still somehow manages to make it sound deliciously unfamiliar, as if it was only invented yesterday.
On his second recording for CAM JAZZ, Reis dedicates his music For A Better Tomorrow. There’s no clear political agenda in that title, but simply a dedication to the notion that in constantly reinventing itself, jazz is inherently progressive and committed to a human desire for improvement and self-development. Not a fiery showman, Reis is more like a close-up magician. One can hear everything he does, but it isn’t always quite clear how he does it. The magic of a music that never stops moving forward… (Liner notes by Brian Morton).
Under the supervision of music producer Ermanno Basso, For A Better Tomorrow was recorded and mixed in January 2023 by Stefano Amerio at Artesuono Recording Studio in Cavalicco (UD), Italy, and mastered by Danilo Rossi.
CHAiLD & MAZ Univerze | Night Call
Single release: November 3 | Beast Records
“Night Call” is CHAiLD and MAZ Univerze’s official entry for the national preselection to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. “This song is as passionate as our friendship since we met just over 12 years ago. Since then, we’ve been through the ups and downs of our personal lives and careers together. From helping each other in school to writing and performing music together, from overcoming our greatest struggles to celebrating our greatest successes. We are proud to call each other best friends and great colleagues”, MAZ Univerze explains the reasons why we decided to enter the competition together.
The Cookie Jar Complot | Lobster Knife Fight
EP release: October 27
The instrumental duo The Cookie Jar Complot takes a step forward with their second EP “Lobster Knife Fight”, exploring heavier, faster and more danceable themes in music and in imagery. Consisting of eight melodic tracks, it is made up of quality songs with post- and math-rock accents combined with avant-garde and eclectic overtones for immediate effect. The songwriting duo Sven Schmeler and Gilles Glesener have been behind this endeavour since 2020, with Philipp Colling on bass and Miko Buraczyk on guitar during live performances.
RAFTSIDE | Midnight Sun
Single release: October 23 | Grzegorzki Records Berlin / Emptypop Records
“Midnight Sun” is RAFTSIDE’s official entry for the national preselection to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The brand-new song is a vibrant tribute to the pop culture of the 1980s. By blending an infectious rhythm with delightfully surreal lyrics, RAFTSIDE offers us a captivating electro-pop journey. The group manages to capture the essence of this iconic decade, evoking a time when electronic sounds and boundless creativity were celebrated. One of the unique aspects of this song is its connection to Filip Markiewicz’s painting work. The artist has developed the visual aesthetics of the video combining combines painting, 3D animation, and artificial intelligence, creating a deep connection between music and visual art. “Midnight Sun” thus becomes a multidimensional work where music, technology, and art come together to offer a new form of artistic experience.
Turnup Tun | Nuit Blanche
Album release: October 13 | Beast Records
After the album “Realtalk” in April and the EP “Schlëmme Summer 2” in August, “Nuit Blanche” is already the third longplay release of Turnup Tun this year in which he shows a very emotional side:“You lie in bed at night and just can’t fall asleep. 1000 thoughts circle in your head and don’t leave you alone. You keep trying, and eventually you fall asleep. The next day you are completely cranky and unmotivated. That’s exactly how I felt quite often and this is exactly what my new album “Nuit Blanche” is about: the topics I have to think about in the evening when my head won’t let me sleep. I am very happy to finally be able to share this song with my audience. I hope they feel the same way as I do”.
DasRADIAL | LIEBES_DRANG
Single release: October 6
DasRADIAL grows out of the absurdities of our digital age: a being, not man not machine, walks between dream and reality. Musician and actor Max Thommes, who spent 10 years as a drummer in the band INBORN! produced by acclaimed producer Ross Robinson, has been going his own way since 2019, creating a dystopian cosmos with DasRADIAL. After several works for the German State Theatre, he also produced the title track of the Arte documentary “UNTERM_RADAR”. With his electronic beats and sharp-tongued lyrics, DasRADIAL now seeks the symbiosis of art figure and musical live performance. DasRADIAL is representing Luxembourg in the EXCITE network in 2023 and performed recently at Sŵn Festival and Reeperbahn Festival.
Francis of Delirium | First Touch
Single release: October 4 | Dalliance Recordings
“The core of “First Touch” is about looking back at love with a sense of nostalgia and idealism. I wanted to capture the youthful feeling of being completely consumed by someone and believing everything would work out, even if that is naive. But, I also wanted to emphasise the beauty of that sentiment, the hope and trust that come with really believing in the authenticity of love”, says Jana. The track, produced by Catherine Marks (boygenius, Wolf Alice, The Killers), follows on from previous single, “Real Love” and makes a slight detour from the dark lyricism of the grunge-inspired songs of her first three EPs and reveals a softer, more open, hopeful and vulnerable sound palette. She adds: “It was a bit of a departure from our usual approach of writing with heavy electric guitar and drums. Instead, Chris and I decided to start experimenting with acoustic guitar and drums. During that time, I started listening to a lot of Sheryl Crow ‘s music, particularly her song ‘Soak Up the Sun’, which became a source of inspiration for the song. I wanted ‘First Touch’ to have a kind of ‘sun-rock’ vibe”.
When Airy met Fairy | Lovebomb Me
Single release: October 2
After a three-year pause, musical duo When ‘Airy Met Fairy is back with an enthralling new single. “Love Bomb Me” showcases the duo’s ability to combine haunting melodies with heartfelt lyrics. Built upon a foundation of longing, the lyrics highlight the emotional journey of the narrator who discovers newfound strength amidst heartbreak. Listeners are immediately immersed in the world of When ‘Airy Met Fairy, as the duo creates a sonic experience that reflects the conflicts and vulnerability present in relationships. Through their unique blend of folk and indie-pop, they weave a tapestry of emotions that is both relatable and cathartic.
Dreadnought | The Fire Within
EP release: October 1 | Recorded and mixed by Jeff Schmitz
The EP “The Fire Within” features three different tracks ranging from more melodic, epic moods to straight Thrash Metal, capturing the diverse inspirations that make up Dreadnought. Recorded and mixed by the band‘s own Jeff Schmitz, it is both a return to the DIY roots as well as an exploration and expansion of the quintet‘s sound.
Drogher | Hawara
Single release: September 29
After the release of a debut EP “The Last Wave” in September 2022, Drogher released their latest tune “Hawara” with the same modern death metal sound. Inspired by a broader spectrum from the metal genre, Drogher finds its harbor within a melodic death-thrash current provoking a lot of movement in the pit.
SAY YES DOG | Not Your Thing
Single release: September 8 | Diskodogs Records
Along with the announcement of their third studio album “DRÄI”, SAY YES DOG has shared the first single “Not Your Thing” from it. The upbeat track works perfectly as a mood elevator for the upcoming dark season and comes with a wacky music video directed by Tun Biever (Two Steps Twice). In November, the trio is playing several small club-shows across Europe under the label “Mini Gigs in Mega Cities”. The album release is scheduled for March 1st 2024 and will be accompanied by a tour, starting with shows in München, Köln, Hamburg and Berlin.
ARTABAN | Rec. Play. Rewind.
Album release: July 21 | Muaaah! Records
15 years ago, the duo Charles and Max Nilles released their first album “Landscapes”. Some music critics praised it as a unique fusion of the styles of Röyksopp and Boards of Canada. Following their 2013 release “Flow,” the Nilles brothers dedicated a decade to perfecting their cinematic masterpiece, “Rec. Play. Rewind.” This latest record was signed under the banner of Muaaah! Records, an ambitious new Luxembourg-based indie label. This label was established by a trio: Marc Hauser, a programmer at Rotondes; Yann Gelezuinas, the technical director at Rotondes; and Nicolas Przeor, who is also a programmer at Rotondes and notably a guitarist for the math-rock group Mutiny on the Bounty.
Lara Grogan | What Was Mine
Single release: July 7 | Recorded and Produced by Charles Stoltz
Inspired by the Beatles, 19-year-old Lara Grogan began writing songs when she was 11. At the age of 13 she started participating in local song-writing competitions and then in music festivals such as the Screaming Fields Festival. In 2022 she performed the song “City and its People” which she wrote exclusively for the Opening concert of Esch 2022. In July 2023, Lara released the song “What Was Mine” for which she wrote the lyrics, music as well as the string arrangement. She writes from her own experience and expresses questions and thoughts about the world around her. Lara loves to experiment with interesting chord progressions and her music has elements of pop, jazz and classical music.
Dreamcatcher | Live – Under a blood red ground
Album release: June 9 | jazzhaus records
In 2018, the musicians of Dream Catcher invited their fans to an extraordinary concert to celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary at an even more extraordinary venue: the Rumelange National Mining Museum, some seventy meters below ground. The three sold-out nights were recorded and filmed to produce a double live album: “Under a Blood Red Ground”. “The album is a tribute to all the women, men, children and also animals who have worked in the mine of the “Minette”. And sometimes, unfortunately, gave their lives. Our existence, our human rights, our existence, which we like to take for granted, is based on these people and their sacrifices. As a gift to us, for which we should always be grateful”, says singer John Rech. Dream Catcher creates a beautiful connection between pub folk rock and timeless acoustic pop ballads that come from the heart.
Arthur Possing | ID:entity
Album release: August 25th 2023 | Double Moon/Challenge Records
ID:entity, the first solo album, draws a deep and intense introspection – both musically and humanly – into the world of pianist and composer Arthur Possing. The singer-songwriter format has always had an impact on the artist and the essence of songs has been the essential guideline for this new record. By using multiple textures of the piano, Arthur creates a very personal and intimate universe, combining originals with covers of influential songs and free improvisation.
Listen to ID:entity album
Listen to ID:entity’s first single : The Essence of Joy
Jambal | Enterprises of great pith and moment
Release: September 15th
Jambal and L.A. based composer/producer Tristan de Liège teamed up last summer to record a new full-length collaboration album called Enterprises of Great Pith and Moment.
After one week of songwriting, composing, arranging and rehearsing, they started putting the album together at Unison studios in Differdange.
The result is a very intimate insight into the unique band-sound of Jambal, which has evolved considerably since their first EP release in 2021. A blend of experimental textures, modern grooves, and shifting harmonies, as well as improvisations, heavily influenced by contemporary jazz. The album also features a string quartet, played by L.A. based musician Gregory Allison and Luxembourgish artist Claire Parsons. Sound engineering as well as mixing was done by Eric ‘Slunnes’ Slunecko, the mastering has been made by Nate Wood.
Their first single Uncertainties just recently got a spin on John Osborne’s show on JazzFM UK.
Listen to Jambal:
04.08. : release of Uncertainties
01.09. : release of Collisions of Light
15.09. : album release
VictorKrausGroup | Canto Ostinato
Album release: October 7th | Donemus Records
For Canto Ostinato, Victor Kraus (playing the marimba) is joined by eight of the best musicians from the Luxembourg and international music scene: Kae Shiraki (piano), Aniela Stoffels (flute), Anik Schwall (cello), Max Mausen (clarinet), Guy Frisch (vibraphone), Emre Sevindik (electronics), Michel de Souza (voice) and Pit Brosius (conductor). In collaboration with this team, performing as the VictorKrausGroup, he has developed a hybrid project around the 1976 piece Canto Ostinato by Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt. Other projects are currently being planned and will follow in 2024/2025.
The project began in 2017 as part of a production by German broadcaster NDR at the international festival Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany), culminating in 2023 in the recording of an album to mark the composer’s 100th anniversary during an artist residency at Trifolion in Echternach (Luxembourg). Simeon ten Holt used the term “genetic code” to describe the rhythmic foundation of his piece. It is a quintuplet that develops Canto Ostinato by exploring 106 repeated cells ad libitum.
Victor Kraus presents a brand-new version by adding wind and string instruments, electronic elements and vocals to this magnificent piece, originally written for multiple keyboard instruments. Electronics and vocals play a predominant role in this project, which is conceived as a hybrid project, an artwork and a sensual performance, blending a “classical” work with minimalist transformations, electronic music, singing, lighting and recitation of poems by Fernando Pessoa, Gianni Rodari, Gabriel Marcel and Anise Koltz.
Maria Miteva | Golden Lights
Album release: October 22nd
Flutist Maria Miteva’s new album Golden Lights features works by four Luxembourgish composers and five Bulgarian composers – Boris Schmidt, Alexander Müllenbach, A. Petrovic-Vratchanska, Ivan Boumans, Miroslav Danev, Dimitar Bodurov, Milcho Leviev, Antoni Donchev, Valeri Kostov. After her last album Ways, Maria Miteva shows a new face of her work, merging jazz and classical music together along with world-renowned classical and jazz musicians.
Maria Miteva -Flute
Eugenia Radoslava -Piano (contemporary pieces)
Antoni Donchev – Piano (jazz pièces)
Boris Dinev – Drums, Tupan, Percussions
Boris Schmidt – Doublebass
Luc Hemmer – Vibraphone
Josip Dragnić-Gitarre
Olivier Dartevelle – Clarinet
Mariya Parashkevova – Voice (recording)
The album was recorded at the Luxembourgish Studio Tonstudio Schlim.
With the support of Ministry of culture, Fondation Independance by BIL, and the SACEM
Claude Lenners | Hôtel à insectes
Release: September 15th | NEOS Music
Carried by contemporary music and works, the CD Hôtel à insectes explores the extraordinary and abundant of insects through a 25-piece cycle with texts by Shakespeare, Kafka, Grass, Neruda, Virgil, as well as Schlechter. It is a collection of texts with insects as a central topics, addressed on different points of view.
The works are recorded by the Noise Watchers Ensemble:
Marie-Reine Nimax (soprano),
Max Mausen (clarinet)
Hany Heshmat (guitar)
Francis of Delirium | Real Love
Single release: 20 July | Dalliance Recordings | Producer: Catharine Marks
With her new track “Real Love”, Jana Bahrich aka Francis Of Delirium expands the darker, grunge influenced sound of earlier releases into a softer, more fragile scenery. The song is about being in love with your best friend for years without finding the right timing and suddenly it worked out. Asked about the song writing process, Jana says: “After writing our last EP ‘The Funhouse’ which was all about darkness and the feeling of being engulfed by the chaos of the world, I just couldn’t write anything super dark and heavy at the time, it just wouldn’t come out. My body and brain were just guiding me to writing lighter, more open music. If there’s a motto to the song, it’s about finding the nerve to be honest, even if circumstances don’t always seem to be in your favour”.
Englbrt | Odes to Everything
EP release: July 14 | Listen Records
ENGLBRT is the collaborative duo of Georges Goerens and Niels Engel. The astonishing partnership sounds effortless thanks to the chemistry between two of Luxembourg’s most prolific and respected musicians. Like a well-adjusted science experience, they carefully draw from a vast field of source materials to achieve genre-defying results. After being active in acclaimed projects within the Luxembourgish music scene, both musicians retreated into renowned culture hub Kulturfabrik to eventually come up with ENGLBRT’s distinctive sonic palette, laying the groundwork of future recordings with their first EP ‘Odes to Everything’.
Josh Island | In My Head
Album release: September 15 | Josh Island
Josh Island’s debut album ‘In My Head’, produced by Portugal-based producer Nelson Canoa, will be released on September 15th. The first four singles, ‘Make It’, ‘Pennies From Heaven’, ‘Rewind’ and ‘Patio Blues’, are teasers of an album showcasing Josh’s love for catchy earworm melodies, guitar-based grooves and intimate ballads that pull on your heartstrings. Josh is this year’s recipient of 2023 Glonal Project Grant which he wants to use to promote the album – including a European tour in fall 2023.
ROME | Gates of Europe
Album release: August 25 | Trisol Music Group
“Gates of Europe” starts off with a burst – a haunting collage of the sounds of February 24th, 2022, the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine – and proceeds almost chronologically through the first year of war via meticulously crafted songs. The album blends traditional song writing craftsmanship with more radical arrangements, carefully combined with intricate and obscure poetry. The 14 songs are captivating glimpses into the inner life of a country that is facing the storm with resolve and courage. With more than 50 official releases, including circa 20 albums, live sessions and various other official releases, ROME has managed to create a world of its own entirely and built a strong and devoted following in Europe and the world.
Seed to Tree | A Little Life
Album release: September 8 | popup-records
On their upcoming album “A Little Life” Seed to Tree returns with a welcome change-up, as they move away from their trademark indie sound, experiment with electronics and write from a more mature perspective. On the single releases “Overhyped”, “Major Lydian” and the title track “A Little life”, Seed to Tree is taking a new turn on their musical journey, walking down the memory lane of new wave and dream pop, loaded with pop-cultural references hinting at David Bowie, The Talking Heads or 90s cult movie Trainspotting. But besides being an homage to all the influences that have been part of the band’s history, the album is mainly a realisation that the band Seed to Tree has become more than the sum of all their inspirations. After playing music together for more than a decade, the four musicians are finding their comfort of a home town in creating songs together that have an identity on their own. The record release concert will take place a den Atelier on September 16th.
Scarlet Anger | Hunger
Single release: June 4 | Scarlet Anger
“Hunger” is the second single of Scarlet Anger’s upcoming album “MARTYR” that will be released at the end of this year. The Thrash Metal band was founded in 2007 by vocalist Joe Block and guitarist Fred Molitor who explain the song’s content like this: “The song title refers to the central theme of the song, which is the insatiable greed and inner hunger that drives us. The term ‘Hunger’ symbolises the intense longing and desire for more, whether it be material or immaterial.” Their previous albums “Freak Show” (2016) and “Dark Reign” (2012) earned lots of respect and appreciation among critics and fans in the Metal scene.
Iceleak | Name
Single release: June 2 | Soave Dusk
The latest single “Name” of the Italian-Luxembourgish DJ and producer Filippo Gorla aka Iceleak, adds another notable track to his release list that reached more than 10 million streams on Spotify. Iceleak’s songs have received support from the biggest names of house music, like Martin Garrix, Tiësto, Lost Frequencies, Hardwell, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Oliver Heldens, Mike Williams, Sam Feldt, Lucas & Steve, Morgan Page, Breathe Carolina, Borgeous, ARTY, Swanky Tunes, Yves V, LVNDSCAPE, Leandro Da Silva, Provenzano and many more.
NOSI | Home
Single release: July 27 | Beast Records, distributed by ADA Benelux, part of Warner Music Benelux
DJ and producer NOSI has gone from playing small venues in Luxembourg to performing at the biggest clubs abroad in a short period of time, and releasing several singles that all achieved chart success including a number one in the Luxembourg national charts. NOSI has made a name for himself receiving international recognition for his DJ sets but now his focus is more as a producer with his own songs and varying music styles. “Home” is just another step on this journey and he’s currently working on a lot of new music to be released in the near future.
Fusion Bomb | Fusion Bomb
EP release: June 30 | Fusion Bomb
Fusion Bomb’s new EP acts as a bridge, connecting the raw intensity of their critically acclaimed debut album, “Concrete Jungle”, to their upcoming second album, scheduled for release still in 2024. The four tracks “Personality?”, “Confessions”, “Consolidate” and “Fifty One Fifity” from the EP got “all the thrash and groovy shit ’Concrete Jungle’ have and a crossover attitude that welcomes many other influences”, so Luc and Scott from Fusion Bomb about their EP.
EDSUN | Live at the Rockhal
Release & video release: August 18 | Beast Records, distributed by ADA Benelux, part of Warner Music Benelux
EDSUN is a multidimensional force combining contemporary dance and R&B to create bold and uplifting art. His abundant creativity and artistic direction are best expressed in his live shows and visuals. His inspiration comes from energy sources like SZA, Janelle Monàe and Beyoncé. EDSUN strives to be remembered as a performer that stood up for something, a badass risk taker incorporating social issues deeply into his art, effectively creating a discourse around those subjects. The three live tracks are taken from EDSUN’s legendary live show at the Rockhal least year and arranged by none other than Sergio Manique Jr.
Ryvage| Les Nuits I
EP release: July 28 | Independent Little Lies
Initially composed for a geo-localized nocturnal soundwalk project combining voices, sound-layers and electronic compositions to be listened to while walking around post-industrial sites in southern Luxembourg, the three tracks on the “Les Nuits I” EP are the brainchild of a collaborative effort by electronic musician Ryvage, actress Elsa Rauchs, whose voice can be heard on two of the three tracks, and a team of sound technicians. “We approached the tracks and lyrics as if they were the soundtrack to an imaginary film, each piece corresponding to the musical setting of one or more scenes from a fictional story describing the inner monologue and nocturnal wanderings of a young woman in the near future,” explains Ryvage. He adds: “In 2020, we began surveying working and idle steelworks sites in southern Luxembourg and capturing the industrial sounds and noises of the town of Esch-sur-Alzette. These samples served as starting points for the compositions and as raw material for some of the sounds”. The “Les Nuits I” EP thus invites us into the inner world of a young woman who has decided to accept her condition as an insomniac, defying the daytime laws of the society she inhabits. We’re not in 2023, but in a near future, from which we learn little beyond a few fragmented textual indications. It’s a dark journey through time, marked by a sometimes melancholic, sometimes oppressive atmosphere, and interspersed with moments of light and driving energy.
Greg Lamy, laureate of the Global Project Grant 2023 in the category of Jazz/World music, has released his new album, Letting Go, with Flavio Boltro on 8 June 2023 via Igloo Records.
Letting Go marks a clear evolution in the guitarist’s playing, distinguished by the care taken with the colours, the play with space, the increasingly refined sound, and the lightness of the accompaniment that avoids overload. Above all, they emphasise the importance of listening to their partner. This is an album of spellbinding spontaneity – all the themes are first takes! – and a natural fluidity at all times.
Greg Lamy enlisted the help of a digital communications agency to raise awareness of his album, develop a conversation with his fans and attract new ones, as well as generating excitement for his new album through the creation of high-impact content.
As well as raising his profile at a European level, he has developed his international reputation, leading him this autumn, in addition to numerous dates in Europe (Italy, France, Germany), to perform solo in Canada and in Taiwan with Flavio Boltro.
“Wonderful” – Alice Leclercq in Jazz News
“You want to let yourself go to the indolent rhythm of this music, like in a boat abandoned to the slow current of a wide river in which you feel so comfortable that you wish the river would never reach the sea.” – Jean-Claude Vantroyen in Le Soir, ****
“he lets his guest do the honour of taking his piece to the top, in the kind of letting go that refers to the title, which is a key feature of the art of improvisation, of which the album is a sparkling example.” – Ismaël Simeon in Jazz Magazine, ***
About Greg Lamy
“A guitar player whose refreshing and pure guitar sound gives birth to multiple melodic climates, underlined by a most fluid style, a musician with a promising future. ” Such is Lionel Loueke’s praise of the American-Luxembourgish guitarist and composer Greg Lamy, one of the most talented artists of the European jazz scene.
After studying jazz guitar in Boston at the Berklee College of Music as well as in London at the Trinity College, Lamy was quickly noticed when showcasing with various bands in clubs and at festivals across Europe and the United. He plays and has played with, among others, Lionel Loueke, Gretchen Parlato, Flavio Boltro, Bojan Z, Marco Massa, …
For Lamy, a tour follows hot on the heels of another. Europe, United States, Brazil, China – his music goes around the world. He released numerous albums with different projects, most notably, with his quartet, “Meeting” in 2013 and “Press Enter” in 2017, both on Igloo Records and both highly praised and among the label’s bestselling albums. In 2016, Greg Lamy won the Export Artist of the Year Award (music:LX) in the Jazz category. In 2020, he was offered an endorsement deal by the renowned guitar manufacturer “Westville”
About the Global Projet Grant
Created by music:LX and taken over by Kultur | lx, the Global Project Grant is awarded to a musician of each genre (pop/rock/electro/hip-hop, jazz/world, classical/contemporary). It allows to support the artist in the development of a project that aims to stimulate his/her career. Kultur | lx follows the artists and their teams in each stage of the project.
More information about the Global Project Grant can be found here
Applications to be submitted by September 18, 2023
2023 Global Project Grant Laureate (pop/rock), Josh Island is releasing his first album In My Head, on 15 September. Recorded by Portuguese producer Nelson Canoa (Sara Tavares, Carminho, Mariza) at his studio in Torres Vedras, he was accompanied in the studio by The Black Mamba (Eurovision 2021). His two singles Fire In You and Love Don’t Come Easy, released in 2022, have been broadcast in Germany and the Benelux countries and are available on numerous streaming platforms.
The Global Project Grant offers Josh Island the opportunity to raise his profile abroad through press relations in targeted territories, digital campaigns and give him a chance to tour abroad with his band rather than alone. This fall, Josh will embark on a twenty-date European tour.
About Josh Island
Josh Island is a true European. Born in the British roundabout town of Milton Keynes to a Dutch family, he moved to Germany and the Netherlands before eventually settling in Luxembourg. This natural curiosity for cultures and people is reflected in his music, with the ability to go beyond geopolitical boundaries.
As a vocal powerhouse, soulful songwriter and engaging live performer, Josh Island has been steadily growing a loyal fan base across Western Europe. He draws inspirations from Sting, Jamie Cullum or John Mayer, a dynamic blend of catchy singer-songwriter pop with strong influences of soul and folk. But at its core lies Josh’s unique ability to connect with the crowd – his interactive shows breakdown invisible barriers between audience and artist.
Since starting out playing local bars in Luxembourg in 2015, he has opened for James Morrison and Passenger, toured the Benelux and Germany and released two EPs.
Josh Island is represented by booking agency Dox Live since August 24.
About Global Project Grant
Created by music:LX and taken over by Kultur | lx, the Global Project Grant is awarded to a musician of each genre (pop/rock/electro/hip-hop, jazz/world, classical/contemporary). It allows to support the artist in the development of a project that aims to stimulate his/her career. Kultur | lx follows the artists and their teams in each stage of the project.
More information about the Global Project Grant can be found here
Applications to be submitted by September 18, 2023
Michel Meis 4tet, Lollipop Moment
Release: May 25, 2023
The quartet around the Luxembourg drummer Michel Meis is back with their third opus Lollipop Moment.
The record features three new compositions (Puff Puff Puff, Silberfell and The Madness) embedded in a freely improvised session. The musicians remain Meis’s usual fellows: Alisa Klein on trombone, Cédric Hanriot on piano and Stephan Goldbach on double bass. In contrast, the instrumentation moves towards a more electronic sound with the addition of synthesisers and effects.
While improvisation is the common thread of the album, the new hybrid acoustic and electronic sound enhances the band’s sonic spectrum. In contrast to smooth transitions between these two poles, hard cuts underline the band’s career-spanning explosive, edgy, and slightly provocative character.
Through its diverse moods and complex yet never arbitrary structures, Lollipop Moment offers music that is as elaborate as it is spontaneous, giving jazz a fresh touch by breaking down genre boundaries.
Inspired by Drew Dudley’s definition of a lollipop moment, where someone said or did something that fundamentally made someone else’s life better, Michel Meis wants to touch people with his music and accompany them on their journey.
Singles to discover:
21/04/2023 – Puff Puff Puff
02/05/2023 – Silberfell
12/05/2023 – The Madness
Triana y Luca, Fragmentos del Olvidos
Release: June 2023
Triana y Luca’s goal is to transcend the barriers between the old and the new. They aim to reconnect listeners to their roots, wherever they may lie buried. As children of first- and second-generation immigrants, their project explores origins and identities. They emphasise the importance of tradition, even in modern times where it may seem obsolete, to encourage listeners to come on the journey of reunification with cultural knowledge and lost stories.
Their upcoming EP, Fragmentos del Olvidos, was recorded at Tritone Studios (LU) and produced by Mike Butcher (producer of Black Sabbath, Rod Stewart, Jaco Pastorius) and is set to be released in June 2023. The EP is a collection of stories and sonority recompiled in five songs of different styles and rhythms. Earlier this year, the duo released their first two singles Raíz and Recuerdos de Tánger. On April 21st, they published Malinche, a letter dedicated to one of the most important women in the history of the Americas.
Tele-Port, Please Disperse
Release: May 2023
From hypnotic minimalism to fully improvised supernovas to powerful groove songs, this energetic quartet blends European tradition, American jazz and Eastern influences to create an exciting modern sound. The band is composed of leading figures of the Luxembourg jazz scene: Pol Belardi (bass), Jérôme Klein (keyboards) and Jeff Herr (drums) who have teamed up with Zhenya Strigalev, an adventurous saxophonist from London. Their new album, “Please Disperse”, will be released in May 2023 by Double Moon/Challenge Records.
Markus Brönnimann, Bachs, Benda And Brönnimann
Release : June 15th, 2023 (Toccata Next)
Markus Brönnimann, Jean Halsdorf, Léon Berben, Ensemble Pyramide
Solo flutist of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Markus Brönimann is about to release a CD dedicated to flute works by the Bach family, Franz Benda and his own composition. Combining works from different times, the album seeks to reflect on the posterity of ancient music works and our contemporary relationship to this music.
Nik Bohnenberger, d|ecken
Nik Bohnenberger presents his last composition d|ecken on YouTube. d|ecken combines textile processes – graphic conception, cutting and fabric sewing – with electroacoustic experiences. The result of this is an Instrument that associates the childish concept of a castle with the idea of the tent. Fabric strips from the installation form a semi-permeable surface between the internal and external worlds. The interaction between textile and electronique can be perceived, heard and seen by the visitors themselves.
MAZ | Emo Season
EP release: 5 May | Beast records
“EMO SEASON” is a collection of songs reminiscent of early 2000s emo rock and dealing with a state of mind specific to the artist’s generation. It explores, among many other themes, a newfound confidence in queer expression, coming-of-age insecurities, body image, love and heartbreak. Throughout the seven tracks, Maz confronts his own vulnerability and paints a very human picture of the ups and downs of self-esteem.
“Hope’, the final single from the EP can be streamed here:
CHAiLD | Urgent Care EP
EP release: 14 April | Beast records
“This world just seems a bit too heavy sometimes. I seek shelter in my inner world, my dreams and my imagination. As I close my eyes, my mind slows down and I feel myself fading away to peaceful places. “Urgent care” is a collection of songs about vulnerability and healing from trauma through honesty with oneself and others. I wrote it in a time where I felt hopeless, and in which songwriting was my way to cope with my anxiety. In a way, making this record was my “urgent care” – CHAiLD
Judasz&Nahimana | Meu Inferno
Single release: 24 March | Cotard Collectiv
“A beautiful lost soul pursued by an entity from her inner terrors and wandering through vast, misty meadows, seeking a way through the most deceptive forests to get close to her. She has dared to enter the sacred place from which there is no escape, finding herself in a space frozen in time, for eternity…”
Turnup Tun | REALTALK
Album release: 28 April
Among the 11 songs on the album, some have already been released as singles, including “Mamacita”, “Nach e Kuss”, “Hook”, which was created in collaboration with Skinny J, and “Camouflage”, on which CHAiLD sang in Luxembourgish for the first time. The album also includes new tracks, such as “Stratosphere”.
Josh Island | Rewind
Single release: 17 March
Album release : 15 September
With “Rewind” Josh calls on listeners to take a step back when things don’t work out: “We all have moments that we worry about what’s next, a fear of failure. Sometimes you’re not comfortable with a situation, things don’t go to plan or you’re simply unsure what steps to take. Take a step back – and start over again.”
This theme not only comes up in the lyrics, but also in the song’s arrangement, with lots of reverse effects and repetitive riffs. Rewind is a pop-rock track full of driving guitars, rhythmic vocals and a massive, crescendo finale. The single was produced once again by Nelson Canoa (Sara Tavares, Carminho), who also produced Josh’s last EP and upcoming album. Musicians from The Black Mamba (Eurovision 2021) formed his studio band during recordings.
Implemented in 2020 and awarded every year to Luxembourgish musicians from all genres, the Global Project Grant allowed its laureates to release tremendous new albums: we remember the ambitious integral of Ligeti’s Piano Etudes by Cathy Krier, Michel Meis with his album Kaboom, Francis of Delirium, as well as Francesco Tristano’s on early music.
This grant supports artists in the development of an ambitious project on the mid- or long-term to stimulate their career through promotion, marketing and touring, as well as the acquisition of know-how on the music industry. Kultur | lx gives advice to the artists and their teams at each step of the project.
In May 2023, new projects will arise, sometimes after several years of development and work, showing to which extent the Global Project Grant seeks to support long-term projects and ideas.
Stay tuned for 2024’s call for applications!
Tuys – Global Grant Laureate 2021
Album release: 28 April 2023
Tuys, laureate of the Global Grant 2021 in the pop/rock category, went through countless adventures before releasing their new album REALITY MANAGEMENT LTD on April 28th, to listen here. The album release had to be pushed because of the pandemic but they reached the end of it. This record deals with alternative truth in times of polarization and echo chambers.
Composed in Berlin in 2020 and produced in 2021 with Jan Kerscher (Ross Robinson, Karnivool, Like Lovers, A Tale Of Golden Keys), the band captures a feeling of control loss of the reality which characterised the creative process of this album. The music is accompanied by a short-movie in which TUYS transforms into Reality Management Ltd, a company that sells realities to frustrated customers. The truth becomes a mysterious merchandise, crafted by a company who reveals to be more and more fraudulent as the film progresses.
You can watch the first part of the short film below:
All parts from the short film can be watched here.
Since last year, TUYS clearly showed their intention to mix their music to audiovisual art, thus creating an immersive multimedia experience. The band will also be back on the road in May. Don’t miss them!
05.05 Cairo | Würzburg (YUUN Support)
06.05 Messtival | Reckange-sur-Mess (LU)
19.05 Irgendwo | Bremen (DE)
23.05 Blue Shell | Cologne (DE)
25.05 Glockenbachwerkstatt | Munich (DE)
26.05 Kramladen | Vienna (AT)
30.05 Glocksee | Hannover (DE)
11.06 Francofolies | Esch-Sur-Alzette (LU)
17.06 Fête de la Musique | Dudelange (LU)
The Aquatic Museum – Claire Parsons & Laurent Peckels – Global Grant Laureates 2022
Album release: 25 May 2023
A genre-breaking project, The Aquatic Museum skilfully combines the colour palettes of jazz harmony, the delicacy of a chamber ensemble, and the energy of a pop band. Carefully crafted compositions take us on a journey that reinvents the sound of pop delicately weaving moving lyrics with a spectrum falling between the poles of minimalism, the epic, and everything in between. This is chamber pop.
The collective – founded by singer-songwriter Claire Parsons (UK), musician and app developer Laurent Peckels (LU) and in praise of folly violist Nicole Miller (US) – extends beyond European borders bringing together an arsenal of individually accomplished musicians and multimedia artists to bring the album, live concept and app to life striven by the determination to go beyond conventional ways of creating, releasing and performing music.
First singles Large Pleasure Watercraft, Trash Tub and Entrance are to be found here.
Greg Lamy & Flavio Boltro, Letting Go, Igloo Records – Global Grant Laureates 2023
Album release : 8 June 2023
After Bojan Z, guitar player Greg Lamy presents a project with trumpet player Flavio Boltro: since the beginning of the 1990s, the Piemontese has established himself as one of the most sought after trumpetists of the European jazz scene. He was part, among others, of Michel Petrucciani’s sextet, Michel Portal’s and Stefano di Battista’s quintets, not to mention his own projects such as the recent BBB that caught the attention of Greg Lamy due to its modernity and the research on effects.
Flavio Boltro took a huge part in the conception of Letting Go. With him, Greg Lamy found a complicity they had the chance to deepen during numerous concerts in Europe before considering a recording. “I knew we would end up playing together in a studio”, Flavio says. This need to refine automatisms and live emotions on stage is clearly depicted through the band’s cohesion and spontaneity. It is also reflected in the sharing of the compositions: six are coming from the guitarist, three from the trumpet player and the last one, Pino Daniele’s Chi Tene O’Mare, was chosen by Flavio Boltro.
Letting Go marks a clear evolution in the guitarist’s playing, which is distinguished by the care taken in the colours, the way he plays with spaces in an increasingly refined sound, and the lightness of the sidemen that avoids overload. Above all, the whole is designed to emphasise the partner’s listening skills. It is an album of bewitching spontaneity – all the tracks are first takes! – and natural fluidity at all times.