Cologne Music Week: Tape Head & Noni / xena

Between big city melancholy and exuberance, introspection and ungrateful reckoning, an eye for the small and big emotions, the newcomer Tape Head manages to break down complex thoughts to the bare essentials with his powerful voice: The feeling. After the inspiring support shows for Goldroger and Blumengarten at the beginning of 2024, what remains above all is his tireless stage presence with a surprise factor, which he shares with his producer Noni.

// It's 24 degrees, I'm wrapped up door swings open, see them standing at the champagne reception there's no gray my vision is already gone black or white, three eyes on the ARM //
ARM is the current indie rock hip-hop board from xena that is flooding the headphones and speakers of the republic. Quiet and relaxed to jazzy guitars and a relaxed drum machine groove, it starts off dreamily and without you really understanding what's actually happening, you find yourself in front of a beautiful indie rock guitar wall.
xena's latest number is a very skillful mixture of groovy beats, indie rock and RnB sound, which - as with the previous numbers - lets musical idols such as Dominik Fike, Bakar or Steve Lacy shine through. But somewhere along the way you can also hear a distant indictment of the Pixies or Dinosaur Jr.