Music tips from around the world for the Vienna Waves Festival 2023

The Waves Vienna Showcase has a huge program with many new names from 7 to 9 September 2023: here are some tips from the international Waves line-up.

Written by Kathryn Seidler

The Parade Festival means discovering the bands. The Waves Festival, or Waves Vienna, as it’s known in the long form, has remained true to that motto since its founding in 2011. You have to rehearse the program a little in advance, especially since there are plenty of extra acts playing here whose names you might hear on many occasions. often only in the coming years; Or let yourself get carried away, trust the festival organizers, and then, quite serendipitously, find a potential new music favorite at Waves Weekend.

For those who fall into the former category, we’ve rounded up some music tips from Wave 2023’s once again comprehensive lineup. At this point, Lisa Schneider recommends local artists—and here we’ve rounded up a few international favourites:

Gunner Conner (Germany)

Jagged drum machine beats, simple synthesizers, blaring DIY guitars, as well as lyrics performed in Turkish, German and English: with Turkish-German newcomer Güner Künier, these components immediately form a very convincing organic whole. Konyere will release her first album in the winter of 2022/23 “Ashk” (Turkish for “love”), and it doesn’t get any cooler as it combines acoustic waves, punk, dark psychedelic pop, and industrial elements. For fans of Anika, Le Tigre and Cosey Fanni Tutti.

Ada Oda (BE)

Pop music from Belgium, you might first think of Stromae, 2many DJs or maybe Jacques Brel. with Ada Oda A new duo is now appearing on the horizon, who are sure to win hearts in droves with their slick and easygoing indie pop. It’s no coincidence that the band surrounding Italian-Belgian singer Victoria Paratato recently supported Wet Leg at a concert in Belgium, because their guitar anthems strike the same energetic and relaxed mood.

Chalk

Black and white, hard post-punk and rock noise from Belfast, this is the first thing that comes to mind when hearing about an Irish band called chalk He listens, and indeed the expectation doesn’t disappoint: Chalk has so far released one EP called “Terms,” ​​on which you’ll find five delicate distillates pumped soberly as a search for meaning in a crumbling world structure: “And I was looking for something to do, just to keep myself right.”. For fans of Gilla Band, Shame, Early Die Nerve.

Airu (ES)

In Basque Quartet airu Airy, washed-out synthesizers meet dark concrete basslines, over which airy singer Irune Vega weaves poetic lyrics as if lost in a dream; Texts about taking time, listening carefully, putting one foot in front of the other, and dealing with disappointments. Their slick pop is reminiscent of the Spanish version of acts like The Smiths or The Cure in their most post-punk moments, then echoes the airy, soulful songwriting of King Krule.

Major Martin (English)

the name Mitten Martin Chasing line-ups at quite a few parade festivals this year, praise is pouring in for the trio everywhere. Although based in Berlin, the band is made up of three Americans whose melancholic, anthemic pop songs are designed around the dark voice of songwriter Sarah Martin. Fans of works such as Beach House or Big Thief will be delighted.

smoking

Feminist, left-wing, raw punk and hardliners from Hamburg with a thick groove and a handful of stubbornly numbered EPs: smoking They, while they have really good merchandise, are much more than just a “shirt soundtrack” (Instagram self-description). For Friends of Gas fans, for example.

Too loud, too quiet, too hysterical
Very dangerous for your manhood
be honest
it scares you

shelf life (UK)

Canadian Duo – South London Levi’s shelves Shiny, danceable Electro-Artpop makes after school of bands like Le Tigre, LCD Soundsystem or Peaches, and there’s no doubt that it should be a lot of fun.