Postpunk that resonates in the ear, in the foot and also in the head.
The remarkable thing about Messer is its Janus-headedness: Hendrik Otremba and his fellow musicians send out pop in the sense that there is a lot running across the surfaces, their songs glitter like ice illuminated by neon lights. It’s an aesthetic that can be skated on.
At the same time, this ice surface is criss-crossed by a thousand scratches that contain trace elements of dub, (no) wave, and shoegaze, and in which other musicians have made themselves at home: the guest list ranges from Mille Petrozza to his parents by drummer Philipp Wulf, who is responsible for brass sections in some places.
It’s amazing that this diversity only frays in a controlled manner. A few casually thrown “eo-eos” and a background vocal that seems to come from the next room in the jam-happy “Der Atem”. Jagged feeling in “Oswalth (1 2 3 4)”, an equally jagged “Hey” in “Taucher (Für Smukal)”. But also: wavering astonishment in “In the False Dream” and gravitas in “Grabeland”: all of this flows into one another in total coherence and intertwines with Otremba’s whimsical slogans to create music that reaches your ears, your head, your feet. Exhilarating.
You can find out which albums will be released in March 2024 via our monthly release list.
