A band whose influences range from old-school pop and classic alt-rock, to the heavy days of grunge, hip-hop, metal and practically everything in between including (as they’re name might suggest) films scores and operas, Die Kleine (Avant-Garde) Hardchor Operette are quite unlike anything you would have experienced before.
Armed with a seemingly endless list of icons and inspirations, the unique collective of Mme Szabina Schnöller, Maik Pehrsson, Wulf Bergen, and Jack 'duRippha' released their aptly titled album ‘An Album’ back in 2022, but it has only just recently drifted on to our radar. A vibrant collection of styles, inspirations, and wild creative moments, the album itself is as pure an illustration of the Swedish band as you can get, distilling their free-flowing energy and unyielding originality into one expansive experience.
When sharing the album, the band were kind enough to walk us through each track, diving into the meanings behind the collection. They shared, “'Uma Gopala': The song is a prayer; a spiritual calling. 'Eskimonogamy': The German verses deal with karma and fate: can it be changed, or is destiny predetermined? The English text is the voice of a goddess, seducing a lonely loner out of his igloo and into a world of bliss. 'Shukra, Shukar!' is a Hungarian song about a mysterious, enticing young gypsy girl; it's a dancey party song basically (with Hardcore breakdowns!) 'Ave Lucia' is an ode to Saint Lucy (Santa Lucia), the bringer of light; yet she is cognate with Lucifer, her dark counterpart. The song is about turning to the dark when we feel the light has failed us.”
“'Saved' is a song in German, Swedish and English (we like to flaunt our international attitude). On the surface it’s a song about being led astray by a church or a religion, but the underlying theme is one of alien abduction and invasion. '(no reason)' chronicles the musings of a sexy lady who's fed up taking shit from everyone around her. But she has moments of calm when she realises that all-in-all is all we are (a little Kurt Cobain nod) and that we all exist together....alone. 'Plant The Vine' is about having sex while shrooming. 'Bee2Bee': this song is sung by Mother Nature, or something like that. Now stranded, she remembers when she used to be Queen of all that was…”
Recorded between Brighton and Zurich throughout the global pandemic, the album was produced by D Sulmaya and Maik. The mixing and mastering was undertaken by metal maestro Wynter H. Prior from Sphynx Studio in London. Jean E. Krieger from 'Baikanour' also did a remaster of the album which the band have since used for the CD release.
A creative and spiritual release that deserves all the attention it can find, ‘An Album’ is a brilliant introduction to Die Kleine (Avant-Garde) Hardchor Operette’s world. For more from the band, including their new double single ‘My Boy Lollipop / Since I Don’t Have You’, be sure to check out the band’s links below.
Connect with Die Kleine (Avant-Garde) Hardchor Operette,
