December’s here, and with it a fresh stack of new releases to soundtrack the end of the year. From long-awaited albums and surprise singles to standout collaborations, Austrian artists are closing out the season with plenty worth pressing play on—at home and abroad. Austrian Music Export is once again rounding up the key releases (plus a select few concerts, tours and festivals) you’ll want on your radar. Dive into this month’s AUSTRIAN MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS for what’s new, what’s next, and what deserves a spot in your listening queue.
Release Radar
Over 10 million streams and two years later, Siamese Elephants released “doomscroller, moodkiller” on December 5th, 2025 on Millshake Records. Previously, the band released three albums plus a handful of singles between 2019 and 2023, which charted on radio charts in the German-speaking region and saw the band perform internationally. “doomscroller, moodkiller” now marks the announcement of the group’s new EP, which will be released in spring 2026. The single combines the group’s characteristic sound with a sexy guitar riff and poetic lyrics: “A hundred years ago, it was the strangest time of all, they were barking for fame. Review with your peers, I know that science made it clear, there’s too much plastic in the brain”. In the video by Paul Vincenth Schütz and David Bosnjakovic, frontman Alex is the main protagonist, blindfolded: “… a calm counterpoint to digital sensory overload.” If you want to see the Siamese Elephants live, you can do so with their spring tour ’26 in Berlin (May 20), Würzburg (May 21), Munich (May 22), or Vienna (May 28). Translated from mica – music austria’s Release Radar (German).
With “feel it coming,” (released November 21, 2025 on RAIN Records) sanna frankie teams up with Filiah for a tightly wound pop cut that thrives on urgency and emotional release. Clocking in at just under three minutes, the track pairs high-tempo momentum with expressive vocals, balancing club-ready energy and introspective intensity. It’s a collaboration that highlights the natural chemistry between the two artists, blending sanna frankie’s emotionally driven songwriting with Filiah’s complementary presence to create a song that feels immediate, charged, and forward-looking—an understated but confident statement of artistic alignment and shared sensibility. As sanna frankie says herself on her Instagram account: “this is one of the most important songs of my album.”
With “You Won”, My Ugly Clementine expands its emotional palette, pairing biting guitar lines with a sense of restrained urgency that simmers beneath the surface. The song leans into the aftermath of conflict—where surrender isn’t weakness but clarity—balancing frustration, resolve, and hard-earned self-awareness. It’s a tightly crafted statement that feels both intimate and confrontational, reaffirming the band’s knack for turning personal tension into cathartic, forward-driving indie rock.
VOGELLETTNER is the name of a duo consisting of the two eponymous musicians, composer and pianist Georg Vogel and drummer Andreas Lettner. Their debut album “Ohhnett” was created in a very special production process: spontaneous improvisations were recorded, transcribed, reworked, arranged, and finally re-recorded. In doing so, the two brought together two worlds that are usually difficult to reconcile: free improvisation and precision music production. Georg Vogel spoke with Markus Deisenberger about the joy of improvisation and his devotion to “groove concrete.” (Translated from the original interview on music – mica austria. Read it (in German) here.)
A little more joy here, a little less bullshit there – that’s all the three minds behind the band of the same name want. With their second EP, “Zwischenwelten” (released November 14), Freude offers a first sneak peek at their second album. And as always, Austria is not yet ready for joy. Clemens Neumeister, Nina Schwarzott, and Johannes Riegelspberger are the figureheads of this euphoria-driven band in a vacuum of ambivalence – somewhere between Austrian broadcasting laziness and collective joylessness, between TikTok fans and sold-out concerts, between life and death. Neumeister discusses all this and much more in an interview with Ania Gleich. A small revolution for the worlds in between begins here. (Translated from the original on music – mica austria. Read it (in German) here.)
There are artists who shape their environment – and those who challenge it. Tyrolean rapper Spilif does both. In a scene where women are still underrepresented, the musician not only sets the tone, but changes the pitch. Her rap is not attitude, but stance. The music of the rapper, whose real name is Bettina Filips, is a groovy declaration of love, a warm embrace from which one only breaks free to nod in agreement to the beat. Two years ago, she released her debut album “irgendetwas das du liebst” (something you love), a work that already revealed her musical signature with its mix of rap, spoken word, and jazz. In October of this year, her second album “Elouise” was released, showcasing a confident and authentic artist who is here to stay in thirteen songs and around 37 minutes. (Translated from the original interview on music – mica austria. Read it (in German) here.)
“Believe me, I’m not going anywhere.” – Spilif
To everything, tour, tour, tour
PIPPA will kick off her upcoming Germany tour in January 2026, bringing her compelling live presence to three intimate venues. The run starts on 8 January at Milla in Munich, continues on 9 January at Kohi cultural area e.V. in Karlsruhe, and concludes on 10 January at Slow Club in Freiburg im Breisgau. Across these dates, Pippa will translate her emotionally resonant songwriting into close, atmospheric performances, offering German audiences a focused and personal live experience.
Camo & Krooked are closing out 2025 and charging into the new year with a run of high-profile international dates across Europe. The duo kick things off in December with a DnB edition of EXIT In The Hall in Brno, followed by a late-night showcase in Budapest with Bladerunnaz, before ringing in the new year at Brussels’ FCKNYE Festival. January 2026 sees them moving through some of the scene’s most respected club nights and festivals, including Beyond160 in Lucerne, the Korsakov Indoor Weekender in Rotterdam, and the Hospitality Weekender in Bognor Regis, before wrapping up the month with a daytime appearance at WAH Bristol. The schedule underlines their continued presence at the forefront of drum & bass, connecting major cities, trusted promoters, and dedicated crowds across borders.
Festivities
On Tuesday, the 20th of January, DSILTON will perform at Opus Jazz Club as part of the Transparent Sound New Music Festival 2026. Taking place at 20:00 within the festival’s j(A)zz! program strand, the concert promises an exploratory set that moves fluidly between jazz, contemporary sound, and experimental approaches, highlighting Dsilton’s distinctive voice within Austria’s new music scene. Transparent Sound New Music Festival 2026 is the 2026 edition of Transparent Sound (Hungarian: Átlátszó Hang Újzenei Fesztivál), an independent contemporary / “new music” festival in Budapest, Hungary that presents concerts plus cross-disciplinary programs (talks, workshops, film-club events, etc.) across multiple partner venues.
At the Ultraschall Festival in Berlin, a special premiere is on the program: the Spanish, Austrian-based contemporary composer/multimedia artist duo Belenish Moreno-Gil and Oscar Escudero will present the world premiere of a new joint work. Once again, the festival offers a stage for current voices in contemporary music—and for a piece that takes public shape for the very first time in performance. The festival will also feature a work by Mirela Ivičević—continuing its focus on striking, current voices in contemporary music.
Arianna Alfreds