The month of May arrives with a strong wave of new releases, highlighting the breadth of Austria’s contemporary music scene across pop, electronic, jazz, experimental, indie and new music. Alongside a packed festival calendar in Austria and abroad, the month is shaped above all by fresh singles, albums, and collaborative projects from emerging and established artists alike. Dive into the latest edition of Austrian Music Highlights for a curated overview of the records, tracks, and musical discoveries shaping the sound of May.
Release Radar
MIRA TAYLOR is honest, melancholic, and has a reliable penchant for constant digital presence. The Belarusian-born artist moved to Vienna at age 13 and began building an international fanbase there with her sensitive indie pop. Now in her early 20s, she’s bringing her most intimate diary entries straight to the big stage: This September, she’ll headline her first solo show, where she’ll boldly shift her comfort zone from the screen to Vienna’s Gürtel. And she hopes that, in the end, we’ll at least dance to all those deep emotions. Read the full interview here (German).
“It’s just social media, it’s not that serious” – MIRA TAYLOR
Under the project title “The Long Now,” two of the most profound representatives of experimental audiovisual art in Austria have joined forces as ex-cava. Marco Döttlinger is an Austrian composer and sound artist, a member of NAMES (New Art and Music Ensemble Salzburg), a lecturer in electroacoustic composition at the Mozarteum, an artistic researcher at the mdw–University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and a co-initiator of the “Sweet Spot” series. Patrik Lechner works in the fields of experimental music and real-time video art and teaches at institutions including the mdw–University of Music and Performing Arts (where he is also active at the Artistic Research Center), the University of Applied Sciences Salzburg, and the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten. To find out more about the project and artists, read the full interview here (German).
“Live coding is a versatile and open-ended paradigm that isn’t tied to a single genre or aesthetic niche.” – ex-cava (Marco Döttlinger and Patrik Lechner)
My Ugly Clementine return with their new single “Confidence” — a sharp, energetic track balancing catchy hooks with the band’s unmistakable mix of wit, attitude, and indie-rock power. Following a string of acclaimed releases and electrifying live shows, the trio continues to carve out their own space between feminist punk spirit and irresistible pop sensibility. Alongside the new single, the band also announced an upcoming tour, bringing “Confidence” and more new material to stages across Europe.
Soia – “Boss for a Day” (Soia // Release Date: April 30, 2026)
With her new single “Boss for a Day” from the upcoming album “Lullabies for Misfits,” Soia takes a powerful stand against war and apartheid. Despite the heavy subject matter and lines like “so much pain,” the song surprises with an almost uplifting melody and varied sounds. This deliberate contrast makes the track a unique form of resistance, where gentleness and soul replace classic protest songs. In it, Soia tackles the big questions of power and belonging, yet remains sonically minimalist and accessible. A release that demonstrates how powerfully quiet tones and a positive underlying mood can serve as a response to exclusion. Discover more releases in the original Release Radar from mica – music austria (in German).
For more than two and a half decades, Nenad Vasilic has been one of the defining voices of European jazz. With “Non-Artificial,” the double bassist and composer now presents his 16th album as a bandleader—a work that rejects any form of superficiality. Blending jazz, Balkan traditions, classical musical language, and echoes of 1970s rock, a warm, vibrant band sound unfolds that relies entirely on the immediate musical interaction. In an interview for mica – music austria, Nenad Vasilic discusses his refusal to think in musical categories, music as a communal experience, and the special connection between audience and musicians. Read the full interview here (in German).
“It has always been important to me that my music can be understood by everyone.” – NENAD VASILIC
Friedrich Cerha: Complete Works for Organ (KAIROS 2026)
Although organists had repeatedly approached Friedrich Cerha with requests to compose for their instrument, he remained distant from the organ for decades. Only later in life did he begin to develop an affinity for its sound world, eventually turning to the instrument in a concentrated creative phase. Beginning in 2011, he composed Nine Inventions, Nine Preludes, Six Postludes, and finally the Toccata in 2020. Organist Wolfgang Kogert has now recorded Cerha’s complete works for organ, having collaborated closely with the composer during the preparation of the recordings before Cerha’s death in 2023.
In earlier years, the organ’s overwhelming sonic force had seemed incompatible with Cerha’s pursuit of clarity and comprehensibility. Toward the end of his life, however, transparency increasingly became a defining aesthetic principle. These late organ works reflect precisely that shift: marked by Cerha’s characteristic precision, economy, and meticulous attention to detail, they also reveal moments of subtle playfulness and unexpected lightness. Kogert brings out these qualities with remarkable sensitivity, shaping the music with a keen sense of balance and nuance. As he himself notes, it is above all the clarity and freshness of the pieces that continue to fascinate him. Moving between elegiac restraint and powerful intensity, the works unfold with quiet authority and unmistakable individuality. (Translated from the original on mica – music austria.)
Mel*E came together as a band two years ago and, on their debut album “Proud,” push the boundaries of jazz toward club music and indie rock through an intense musical dialogue. JUDITH SCHWARZ (extended drum set), VIOLA HAMMER (keyboards, synthesizer), and JUDITH FERSTL (double bass, bass synth) create an exciting sonic space across the album’s six tracks, where acoustic and electronic elements merge into hypnotic, driving music. At the same time, “Proud” stands as an important manifesto for artistic self-determination and for consciously bringing female creativity to the forefront. It is an album that takes a stand while simultaneously inviting open-minded listening. To read more about it in an interview with the musicians, go here (German).
“We all felt like making something loud and danceable for a change” – Mel*E
Chaos String Quartet: Chaos (Solo Musica 2026)
The Chaos String Quartet has made its name the central theme of its new album: On the CD Chaos, the three female musicians and one male musician—who have been named BBC New Generation Artists and are part of the NASOM program The New Austrian Sound of Music, among other distinctions—have compiled works that embody sonic disorder. This ranges from the “Presentation of Chaos” from Joseph Haydn’s “The Creation” to Johann Sebastian Bach’s “The Art of Fugue”—from which “Contrapunctus I” and “Contrapunctus II” were selected—to the cosmic chaos in Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “Zais” and Alfred Schnittke’s Third String Quartet. What unites some of the selected works is that they dispense with themes and feature searching modulations or numerous key changes. The program also demonstrates how Jean-Féry Rebel, in “Les éléments,” causes all the notes of the harmonic minor scale to sound simultaneously, thereby anticipating what would later be called a cluster chord in the avant-garde. In György Ligeti’s Second String Quartet, one delights in whirring sounds, ghostly soft tones, and moments in which each instrument chooses its own tempo, thoughtfully realized by the Chaos String Quartet. All works, culminating in Beethoven’s “Great Fugue,” were recorded in original arrangements for string quartet and linked by interludes for which Samu Gryllus created the foundation. (Translated from the original on mica – music austria.)
Alfredo Ovalles: My memories are precious to no one but myself (Bandcamp 2026)
“My memories are precious to no one but myself”: That is the title pianist and composer Alfredo Ovalles has given to the first of his “Three Intermezzi,” which were re-released in April 2026. And just as memories sometimes press themselves more strongly and sometimes more weakly into our minds, the three pieces also begin with light and airy, rippling motifs, later becoming more strongly varied, conveying tragedy and solemnity as well. The melodies Ovalles develops here always work with the same material—yet they sound completely different time and again. Sometimes a phrase returns warmer, sometimes more fleeting. Ovalles inserts electronic interludes between the piano intermezzi, which process the material in yet another way. In them, connections can be made to what was heard before—and yet, not quite. In “The Wrong Side of the Memory,” they sometimes sound like an echo of the first intermezzo, then like a swelling musical threat. The second intermezzo becomes livelier and more positive; in the next fragment, “What Ran Ahead,” it is again electronically amplified and reverberating. The album concludes with a piece requiring exceptional dexterity, offering an optimistic outlook. (Translated from the original on mica – music austria.)
Farewell Dear Ghost – “weather control” (Ink Music // Release Date: May 1, 2026)
After a decade in the spotlight, Farewell Dear Ghost trade youthful restlessness for radical honesty on “weather control.” With melancholic guitar chords and the disarming line “faking keeping your shit together,” they sketch a compassionate portrait of the present. The song delves deep into the cracks between social facade and mental health, without losing hope. It’s indie rock that no longer needs to please, but wants to be understood. An honest soundtrack for everyone who has long since given up on perfection. Discover more releases in the original Release Radar from mica – music austria (in German).
Rossvanboss – “Ciao, Ciao” (Benebene // release: May 6, 2026)
With “Ciao, Ciao,” Rossvanboss delivers the perfect soundtrack for warm summer days and long nights by the sea. Light melodies, Mediterranean vibes, and a sense of freedom turn the song into a musical getaway. As a gentle breeze moves through your hair and the salty sea air sets the mood, the laid-back indie-pop track unfolds with a feeling of wanderlust and nostalgia. A song that sounds like sunshine, coastlines, and endless summer evenings. Discover more releases in the original Release Radar from mica – music austria (in German).
festiverse
HYPERREALITY returns to Vienna from May 21–23, 2026, transforming the Otto Wagner Areal and Filmcasino into a sprawling site for experimental club culture, electronic music, performance, and audiovisual art. Set within the former industrial kitchen of the historic Otto Wagner complex, this year’s edition once again blurs the boundaries between rave, concert, cinema, and immersive installation.
The 2026 programme features performances and DJ sets by artists including Buttechno, Cortisa Star, KAVARI, Grove x Ossia, Angel D’lite, Tony Njoku, and Inferno London Showcase, alongside interdisciplinary projects such as SUUTOO presents STARFIRE and PXKRW’s film UNBOUND. The festival also expands into cinema with screenings including Joy Boy: A Tribute to Julius Eastman, connecting contemporary club culture with experimental film and musical histories.
Rooted in queer-feminist and process-oriented curatorial approaches, Hyperreality continues to position sound as a collective, bodily, and political experience — creating temporary spaces where performance, architecture, and radical listening intersect.
The Wiener Festwochen officially open on May 22, 2026 with a large-scale free open-air celebration at Vienna’s Heldenplatz, marking the festival’s 75th anniversary under the motto “Republic of Gods.” Bringing together music, performance, spectacle, and political imagination, the opening night features punk icon Patti Smith alongside the Schmusechor and the newly formed Festwochen band Gods Republic, blending gospel, punk, Schlager, and experimental performance into a collective ritual somewhere between concert and ceremony.
Running from May 15 to June 21 across multiple venues throughout Vienna, this year’s edition of the Wiener Festwochen explores myth, belief, and contemporary forms of community through theatre, music, performance, debate, and visual art. Under the direction of Milo Rau, the 2026 programme includes works by Florentina Holzinger, Romeo Castellucci, and Trajal Harrell, as well as exhibitions dedicated to Christoph Schlingensief and a broad discourse programme examining politics, religion, and cultural mythology.
Arianna Alfreds