Playing without boxes
Some bands are genre-bending — Sheebaba is genre-ending. This Luxembourgish-German art-school duo creates multilingual wave music that evokes something different in every generation: some hear echoes of Bauhaus or Sonic Youth, others think of Boy Harsher or Drahla. But there’s always that unmistakable ’80s vibe running through it: angular and danceable, driven by drum machines, samples, and synthesizers. Sheebaba doesn’t limit itself when it comes to influences — instead, they build their own world from them. On their latest EP, they just as easily drop a Britney Spears quote as they sample a jackhammer.
Visually, there’s plenty to explore too: their aesthetic draws from expressionist and early surrealist cinema. Think harsh overhead lighting, deep shadows, and costumes and makeup that wouldn’t be out of place on a catwalk.
And it’s precisely in that unboxed playfulness that something hopeful emerges: an act that tears down walls, connects generations, and invites you to unleash your best goth moves.
This performance is made possible in part by De Popfabryk, part of the Excite network — a European network of music organizations and festivals that annually exchanges a selection of talented artists and bands.