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Think global, sing local – new Bavarian music scene from brass music, indie electro pop to punk.
Anyone who thinks of Bavarian culture often has the image of beer-drinkers sitting on a cosy beer bank swaying to traditional Bavarian brass music in mind. The music scene in the Free State of Bavaria has much more to offer, though, than just yodelling and “Schuhplattler”, a type of Bavarian folk dance performed by male dancers – from hip-hop to electronic beats to indie bands, the scene is successful beyond the borders of the state.
That successful bands from Bavaria are conquering the German charts stopped being a secret with the band Sportfreunde Stiller or the hip-hoppers Blumentopf, even if the latter have now split up – of course not without giving a sold-out farewell concert in their home town. Current examples include the indie band Kytes who are riding on a wave of success and who accompanied us this year to the SXSW in Austin, the singer-songwriter Jesper Munk and the Rapper Fatoni who is concentrating on his solo career after the split of his band Creme Fresh.
Bavarian performers have even made it all the way to Hamburg. At the Reeperbahn festival this year, Bavaria was represented by, among others, the already mentioned Kytes, Nalan 381 and William's Orbit. One of the highlights at the North Sea this year was also the punk band Friends of Gas, which once again proves that Bavaria is full of surprises when it comes to different sounds.
The 2012 five-member electro pop band Claire from Isarvorstadt also made it to the SXSW digital conference in Austin in 2014. During a rather adventurous last tour of the UK, the band was on the brink of collapse after the band bus including all the equipment was stolen. Soon after came the happy ending, when the stolen property was found in the Lithuanian provincial town of Raseiniai. The quintet used the experience as an inspiration for their last EP and a four-part short film spontaneously called “Raseiniai”.
Of course one does not have to travel too far north to hear these bands, since you can also get to know the Bavarian newcomers and established local heroes on your doorstep. For example in Regensburg, where Achim Schneemann, better known as “Maniac”, and his band Demograffics hosted a hip-hop open-air concert in October, where all those with a name for themselves in the industry came together, including Roger&Schu, who Blumentopf fans can be expected to know. In addition, Regensburg also plays host to an unusual formation – hip-hoppers often come into contact with punk bands and singer-songwriters here.
In the meantime, folk music has also managed to polish up its dusty image. This is due not least to bands like LaBrassBanda from the Chiemsee, the CubaBoarischen from Upper Bavaria and Kofelgschroa from Oberammergau, who are adding new influences to old traditions with their new folk music. All musical genres have a home in Bavaria – so fans of electronic music will also get their money's worth. Did you know, for example, that one of the pioneers of electronic sounds – Harald Bode – temporarily lived in Neubeuern and “strained” the hearing of his neighbours with his new sounds?
Especially during summer, the numerous open-air venues in Bavaria offer the perfect opportunity to celebrate the summer and music – for example at BurningBeach in Brombachsee or at Brass Wiesn in Eching.