FRUKT GLOBAL SCENES #6a - CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPECIAL - DORTMUND's NEW MUSIC

Dortmund is a city that lives and breathes its football. Borussia Dortmund, or the BVB as they are often known by, unites the people in its famous yellow and black colours, and the team’s march to the Champions League Final this Saturday night will turn the town into a wild carnival, which will likely last for days should they do the unthinkable and actually beat Real Madrid…

But music has traditionally been less of a cultural asset for the post-industrial city, with only a small number of artists breaking through into the wider German mainstream, and even less gaining international recognition. But the city is seeing a new wave of artists emerge as part of an energised cultural ecosystem of new events, festivals, and grassroots venues, although one such local DIY-scene institution Rekorder was sadly forced to close its doors recently due to rising costs. 

Here are eight local acts to introduce you to the current Dortmund music scene, and two established heroes from the city that rose to huge prominence in their homeland. Check our our playlist below and read more about them below.

Miami Yacine

Rap has become the dominant sound of mainstream German music in recent years and Miami Yacine proudly represents Dortmund with a strong connection to the football team, even recently launching next season’s strip. He's the biggest act from the city currently.

Larse

An established name on the vocal house scene with productions on high-profile labels like Defected and Peppermint Jam, collaborating with the likes of soul legend Candi Staton.

FLØRE

Inspired by pop/guitar acts like Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and Paramore, FLØRE has some very hooky cuts and over 13m Spotify streams.

ARY

A rising German rap talent with over 360k social and streaming followers and over 140m Spotify plays, his music is accessible and growing in profile.

Juliet Sikora

An established DJ and producer in the house scene, recording for the likes of Toolroom. Her DJ sets are known for their high-energy and groove-based kick.

Per Pleks

Like much of Germany, especially in its industrial heartlands where warehouse and clubs spaces pump out heavy sounds till late, Dortmund loves its heavy electronic music. Per Pleks is a rising star of this scene, with bruising production and head-wrecking DJ sets, and a growing online audience of nearly 80k followers.

Walking With Rivers

One of the few bands from the local bustling indie scene to break out to other cities, they recently supported US band The Happy Fits on their European tour.

SP-Mato

From one extreme to another, with this upcoming Dortmund beatmaker, who has quietly managed to accrue over 30m Spotify plays and fans from around the world (his main audience base is actually USA with 35% of his fans coming from there).

Tic Tac Toe

A girlband with a similar bratty vibe to the likes of The Spice Girls, Shampoo and B*witched, Tic Tac Toe burst into the German music scene in the late 90s with #1 and #3 albums, selling millions of records. They continued for another decade and reformed in the 2010s to tour.

Philip Boa

Celebrated by one of Germany’s Top 20 most influential artists, Boa has been crafting indie-pop for nearly 30 years, and continues to win over new fans, even hitting #3 in the German charts with his most recent album in 2018.