What is the best way to start a new year, if not with ten discoveries we’ve dug out with the precious help of Hannes Cistota, head of music at WUK, Vienna’s paramount venue which just reopened after its makeover – flaunting a brand new and powerful sound system. It’s 2024, but we’re not losing our good habits: as usual, this Top 10 selection highlights European music diversity, displaying various languages, aesthetics, and energy levels.
You’ll hear voices from another world with Dania O. Tausen (FO), who sings in Faroese, and Дeva (Deva) (HU), mixing Hungarian lyrics with electronica. You can get angry with Leatherette’s post-punk (IT) and ТИСК’s (TYSK) enraged hip-hop (UA). You can chill with Martha Da’ro’s soulful trip-hop (BE), Nealo’s jazzy hip-hop (IE) and TINA’s perfectly crafted melodies (AT). And get crazy with Pearly Drops’ kooky pop (FI), Úlfur Úlfur’s weird rap songs (IS) and Venga Venga’s flamboyant, extravagant, and tribal potions (PT).
This January Top 10 is unequivocally peculiar. Expect eccentric experiments and challenging encounters, balanced with a pinch of reassuring pop music. In other words, the perfect equilibrium!
Martha Da’ro
“ A blend of neo soul, alternative R&B, left-field pop & trip hop ”
ТИСК (TYSK)
“ A melting pot of relevant electro, breakbeat, grime and hip-hop ”
