It’s August baby – heat’s rising, while the motivation for the daily grind: diminishing, at nearly the same speed. What to do with your time, mind and body in this “Sommerloch” (“summer lull”)? You guessed it: music – make it, take it, absorb it like a warmed-up towel after a cool Danube dip. And, we’ve got you covered with our AUSTRIAN MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS this month.
Festive
Within the framework of ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Four Compositions on Francis Alÿs’ Children’s Games will take place 12–14 September 2025. At this year’s Ultima Festival, four composers—Kim Myhr, Pierre Slinckx, Aleksandra Gryka, and Angélica Castelló—present new works inspired by Francis Alÿs’ film series Children’s Games, performed by the renowned Cikada Ensemble. Since 1999, Alÿs has documented children at play in diverse global settings—flying kites in Afghanistan, racing snails in Belgium, dancing with oranges in Denmark. His films reveal how play allows children to momentarily transcend the hardships of their environments through imagination and resilience. These new compositions explore the structure, emotion, and fleeting seriousness of childhood play. Angélica Castelló contributes “Juglariceando”, a work likely reflecting her signature blend of electroacoustic textures and poetic storytelling. All four pieces will receive their world premieres on 12 September 2025.
The Unsafe+Sounds Festival 2025 returns to Vienna for its 11th edition, taking place from September 2 to 7, 2025. This multi-venue festival celebrates experimental, electronic, and club music intertwined with socio‑cultural discourse. Across venues like Porgy & Bess, the former Postsparkasse, AIL, Pratersauna, and Fluc, the program spans concerts, DJ sets, performances, readings, installations, screenings, artist talks, keynotes, and panel discussions.The lineup boasts a rich mix of international and local artists, with early confirmations including Coby Sey & Continue, Nkisi, Rosa Anschütz, Elijah, as well as a special two-day Editions Mego 30th anniversary showcase featuring Finlay Shakespeare, Hüma Utku, and Nik Colk Void. Unsafe+Sounds remains a transformative platform—one where sound, art, and critical dialogue converge to push boundaries and reshape how we experience music and meaning.
KLANGSPUREN SCHWAZ: Tyrolean Festival for New Music (September 11–27, 2025) goes by the theme “Rewind · Play · Fast Forward” this year. In its 32nd edition, the Klangspuren Schwaz festival explores the complex relationship between humans, machines, and music, investigating how old and new technologies shape this connection and what sonic worlds emerge from it. The dialogue between human creativity and technological potential runs like a red thread through the program, which this year brings together renowned performers and composers such as Klangforum Wien, Christoph Prégardien, Susanne Blumenthal, Johannes Maria Staud, Sara Glojnarić, Tiroler Symphonieorchester Innsbruck, Oxana Omelchuk, Synesthetic4, Juliet Fraser, Pierre Jodłowski, and many more.
One part of the program is dedicated to rediscovering historical technologies, for example by reconstructing medieval “speaking machines” or reviving forgotten instruments like the “trumpet tree.” The direct interplay between musicians and technology puts new forms of interaction at the center. How does artistic control change when conductors use motion sensors to control real-time electronics? The festival becomes a starting point for experimental artistic processes. Klangspuren Schwaz 2025 understands music as a continuous process shaped by historical and future influences. The festival highlights the dynamic relationship between humans and machines and shows how technology can be used to expand musical languages.
To Everything, Tour, Tour, Tour
Endless Wellness, the Austrian indie rock band, is extending their “Was für eine Tour 2025” into end of August and October, bringing their introspective lyrics and dynamic performances to audiences across Germany and Austria, including venues in Kassel, Bonn and Graz, among others.
These performances follow the release of their debut album Was für ein Glück and are part of a tour that has already seen sold-out shows in Berlin and Munich, as well as appearances at notable festivals like Reeperbahn and c/o pop. Known for their blend of indie rock and pop, Endless Wellness continues to captivate audiences with their emotionally resonant music and engaging live shows. To find out more, visit their website.
In mid‑September 2025, Austrian electronic duo HVOB—the mesmerizing duo of Anna Müller’s ethereal vocals and Paul Wallner’s minimalist, hypnotic production—embarks on their “The Silver Cage” international tour. This visually striking performance series launches on 11th of September at Arena Wien in Vienna, followed by standout dates across Europe, including 17th of September in Segrate (Milan), 19th of September in Madrid, 20th of September in Barcelona, 23rd–24th of September in Hamburg and Cologne, and wrapping up this stretch with the 25th of September in London, 26th of September in Amsterdam, and 27th of September in Paris. Each show pairs their signature melodic electronica with a self-designed, immersive light show—elevating the sensory experience to new heights.
Anda Morts, the indie-punk artist from Linz, is hitting the road for his “Jetzt aber wirklich!” tour across Germany this September 2025, coinciding with the release of his debut album ANS on September 19th. Fans can catch his energetic and raw live performances at key venues including Z-Bau in Nuremberg (September 25), clubCANN in Stuttgart (September 26), Conne Island in Leipzig (September 27), and Groove Station in Dresden (September 28). For more information and ticket purchases, visit the official tour website.
ATZUR, the Austro-Spanish alternative pop duo, is set to embark on their most extensive international tour to date this September and October 2025. Following their debut album STRANGE RITUALS and the recent single “NOW I’M HAPPY,” the band is bringing their high-energy performances to audiences across Europe, such as Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland between Sep. 18 – Oct. 4. Known for their fusion of dreamy and wild elements, ATZUR’s music has been compared to artists like Florence + The Machine and Woodkid. Their performances are characterized by anthemic guitar pop and captivating stage presence, making this tour a must-see for fans of alternative pop. Tickets for all shows are available through the official ATZUR website.
Camo & Krooked, the renowned Austrian electronic music duo, are set to embark on an extensive international tour during September and October 2025. Their performances will showcase their signature blend of drum & bass, electro, and house, captivating audiences across Europe. Highlights of their tour include appearances at major festivals and venues, such as the DNB Allstars Festival in London on September 14, and a performance at OC Styla in Bratislava on October 3. Additionally, the duo will collaborate with Christian Kolonovits and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra for the “Red Bull Symphonic – Johann Strauss 2025 Edition” at the Vienna Konzerthaus on September 18 and 19, 2025, blending classical music with their electronic sound. For a full list of tour dates and ticket information, visit their official website.
special
The highly anticipated North American premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas‘ monumental concert installation 11,000 Strings brings Klangforum Wien to the city of the composer’s tenure at Columbia University. For six performances, the Drill Hall of the Park Avenue Armory in New York will be transformed into an immersive sonic experience. 50 pianos and Klangforum Wien will envelop listeners in a variety of sonic environments, from chillingly tender melodic motifs to the thunderous roar of a looming weather storm. This unforgettable experience showcases Haas’s focus on the human dimension in his experimentalism while creating a new way of listening. There are 6 performance dates scheduled between September 30 – October 7. Get more info here.
I shall be released
“Ed Hardy Walzer” by Verifiziert, released on July 28, 2025, spins her signature blend of dreamy cloud pop and German-language lyricism into something playful yet bittersweet. Built on airy synth layers, understated beats, and her intimate vocal delivery, the track waltzes between irony and sincerity—its title juxtaposing the flashy, tattoo-inspired kitsch of Ed Hardy with the romantic, old-world elegance of a Viennese dance. Lyrically, Verifiziert plays with contrasts: confidence and vulnerability, glamour and mundanity, nostalgia and the present moment. The result is a song that feels both tongue-in-cheek and deeply personal, continuing her knack for crafting pop that’s as self-aware as it is emotionally resonant.
Released around late May 2025, “Stranger” marks the first single from SLADEK’s upcoming album — part of their anticipated project Things Gotta Change, set for release on October 24, 2025. A soul-infused soundscape, this approx. 5 minute single comes as a two-track release lasting approximately. Its rich production was recorded, produced, and mixed by Mischmaschine9000, with mastering done to tape by Sam Irl. The official music video—filmed and edited by Rea Djurovic with distinct color grading—compliments the track’s moody aesthetic.
Cousines Like Shit have joined forces with Vienna-based indie pop artist Guave for their bright and infectious new single “Goosebumps,” released on August 8, 2025 via Sad Wellness Records. Built on catchy guitar riffs and a sun-soaked pop-rock melody, the track captures an uplifting, feel-good energy that instantly pulls listeners in. Already featured on several curated indie playlists, “Goosebumps” is available on all major streaming platforms and marks a fresh highlight in both artists’ evolving sounds.
Teresa Rotschopf’s single “O Please My Soul (Rest On My Back)”, released on July 17, 2025 as the lead-in to her second solo album Currents and Orders (out September 12, 2025 via Martin Hossbach), is a haunting blend of experimental pop, ambient textures, and modern classical influences. Recorded in June 2023 inside a stalactite cave in Styria, Austria, the track captures the cave’s natural resonance through an unusual ensemble of bassoon, tuba, vibraphone, marimba, gongs, and more. Its accompanying 16 mm music video, directed by Antoinette Zwirchmayr, features Rotschopf holding a real owl—a striking image that encapsulates the song’s mystical, introspective tone. At 4 minutes 45 seconds, the piece immerses listeners in a richly atmospheric world that merges sound, environment, and visual poetry.
Anda Morts’ debut album ANS is set for release on September 19, 2025, via Phat Penguin. Known for his raw blend of indie-punk and Neue Deutsche Welle influences, the Linz-based artist channels youthful urgency and emotional candor into 12 gritty, honest tracks including “Heute oder Morgen” and “Kaputt und Weg.” Following two EPs and a growing reputation for compelling live shows, ANS captures Morts’ lo-fi spirit and DIY roots in a striking full-length debut, available on vinyl and now up for pre-order.
Anda Morts hits the road this fall for an extensive live tour across Germany and Austria, kicking off on September 1, 2025, at radioeins Parkfest in Berlin. The tour includes over 25 dates in cities like Leipzig (Conne Island – sold out), München (Strom – sold out), Wien (Arena), Hamburg (Knust), and Berlin again at SO36 (sold out). Spanning from club stages like clubCANN in Stuttgart to iconic venues such as Kassablanca in Jena and Rockhouse in Salzburg, the tour supports his debut album ANS and showcases his raw, lo-fi indie-punk energy live.
“Modern Smile” by Farewell Dear Ghost, released on August 8, 2025 via Ink Music, blends the band’s signature anthemic indie pop with a sleeker, modern production. Driven by shimmering guitars, crisp percussion, and Lukas Maletzky’s emotive vocals, the track captures a bittersweet tension between optimism and longing. Lyrically, it reflects on fleeting connections and the quiet ways people try to hide vulnerability—conveyed through the metaphor of a “modern smile” masking deeper truths. With its soaring chorus and polished yet heartfelt arrangement, the song feels equally ready for intimate headphone moments and expansive festival stages, marking a confident new chapter in the band’s sound.
Arianna Alfreds