Swiss Artists perform at c/o pop Cologne 2013
Swiss Music Export, The bianca Story and Dagobert at the tenth anniversary edition of c/o pop in Cologne.
Founded to fill the vacuum left by the defection of Popkomm to Berlin, c/o pop has since forged a strong reputation as a festival where discoveries are made. Taking place this year from 19 to 23 June, the festival will feature 150 international artists performing in 35 venues. Attached to c/o pop is C’n’B, the Creativity and Business Convention. For two days – Thursday, 20 June and Friday, 21 June – this forum for the creative industries is one of the liveliest and therefore most important in Europe. Talks, panels, interactive sessions and workshops will be discussing the ins and outs of „Being creative in a disruptive world – Knowledge, Inspiration & Networking“.
Swiss Business Mixer Thursday 20 June, 11.00h, at Wohngemeinschaft (Richard-Wagner-Str. 39)
As is a popular C’n’B tradition by now, Swiss Music Export in cooperation with Fondation SUISA will once again be hosting the „Swiss Business-Mixer“. This will take place on Thursday, 20 June 2013 between 11.00h and 14.00h at Wohngemeinschaft, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 39, 50674 Cologne. There will be a brunch buffet and – of course – the best coffee in town. It is a fine opportunity to meet Swiss artists and their representatives as well as other business professionals from Switzerland and elsewhere. There will also be a showcase performance by one of the most exciting and versatile Swiss bands around at present, The bianca Story 12.30h. The bianca Story as well as up-and-coming Dagobert will also be appearing in the official c/o pop festival program.
Wednesday 19.6.2013, 22.00h, STADTGARTEN SAAL: The bianca Story http://www.thebiancastory.com
Saturday 22.6.2013, 21.00h, MONSIEUR COURBET: Dagobert http://www.dagobert-musik.de
The bianca Story, a quintet based around the voices of Anna Waibel and Elia Rediger, describe their music as „art-pop“. Signed since 2011 to the German Motor label, their second album „Coming Home“ was recorded at the Abbey Road studios in London, no less, and released early in 2012. With influences ranging from the B-52s to the Human League and from Brian Eno to La Roux and Arcade Fire, the band combines a rich sense of melody, especially in their vocal arrangements, with a subtly textured blend of electronic and „organic“ instruments. With their recent „M & the Acid Monks“ project, the Bianca Story offered an impressive demonstration of the wide range of their talents. With various band members also involved in multi-media performance and installation art, all the different strands of their work were brought together in a piece of music theatre based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story „Die Elexiere des Teufels“. After a series of successful performances in Switzerland, the music-play was performed in March at the Deutschen Oper in Berlin. It contains twelve new songs from the band which are now available on vinyl and as a download.
Dagobert sings love songs. Ballads usually. And in German. It sounds like a recipe for gloopy „Schlager“ songs, dripping with sentimentality, pathos and all too easy- on-the-ear choruses. Strangely, however, Dagobert’s love songs are different. The lyrics are sharp, for starters. When he does use a cliché, he uses it for that very reason, to subvert the cliché. His melodies, meanwhile, are supported by 1980s style synth swathes and seem more closely related to the French chanson than any German Schlager-history. And then there is the voice – ever so slightly tremulous, reaching for notes he can very nearly not reach, holding the big notes just a touch longer than he can really hold them. Is it all an ironic act, Dagobert’s love songs have a strange and beautiful allure, as if they came from a world beyond internet, reality tv and, perhaps, irony.
Back to the News
