FERGE X FISHERMAN | German hip-hop/rap duo live in London and Brighton this week to promote new album 'Good Mother' (out now)
FERGE X FISHERMAN
UK LIVE DATES
16.05.24 LONDON Juju’s @ 19:00 INFO
Free Entry
17.05.24 BRIGHTON Patterns @ 15:20
18.05.24 BRIGHTON Jubilee Square @ 18:15
Brighton shows as part of The Great Escape 2024
German hip-hop/rap duo Ferge X Fisherman released their current album, ‘Good Mother’, in March. A concept work about embracing various life stages, it saw them deploying gospel choirs, vintage strings, soulful Rhodes chords and wah-wah guitar pedals to give their jazz-infused music a distinctly ‘70s soundtrack vibe.
The album includes four singles, including the melancholic ‘What Have We Become’, featuring US rapper Mick Jenkins on a gorgeous slice of alternative hip-hop VIDEO. It also contains the pulsating ‘Adults’ (featuring the soulful voice of London-based R&B singer Jerome Thomas and unique jazz trumpet playing of Takuya Kuroda) VIDEO, the uptempo ‘Racing’ (which draws inspiration from BLK ODYSSY, Goldlink and Kendrick Lamar) VIDEO and the laid-back vibe of ‘Lace Up’ VIDEO.
FXF will be promoting the album this week with UK showcases in London (free entry at JuJu’s in E1 at 7pm) and Brighton (as part of The Great Escape festival).
FERGE X FISHERMAN
biography
FXF are deeply influenced by jazz, with their casual, subtle complexity allowing the freedoms of the genre to shine through in their music. Every sound element lands precisely where it belongs: a piano figure suddenly fills the gaps; a clever chord change momentarily shifts the harmonic structure; a snare hit arrives a millisecond late, creating the unmistakable laid-back feeling of FXF. As is often the case, it is the small details that transform something good into something magnificent.
Above it all is Fritz Fisherman, rapping like a jazz instrumentalist would solo. With his fresh approach to the English language and introspective lyrics (as well as his slightly smoky, slightly nasal voice), he forms the lyrical core of the band. The project began with him and producer Ferge meeting as teenagers while skateboarding in their home city of Nuremberg. An immediate chemistry between the two swiftly extended to involve crack jazz quartet Nujakasha, who have become an integral part of the FXF set-up both live and in the studio.
From this circle of friends, their own record label emerged with the six musicians handling almost everything themselves (videos, merchandise, finances and more). This team spirit is also evident in the music made by FXF: the delightful crackling of old vinyl samples blends with crisp drums, smooth E-piano chords and adventurous basslines. It is a partnership that has already seen the release of ‘Gone Fishing’ (2018), ‘Blinded By The Neon’ (2020) and ‘Duality’ (2022), on which the likes of Noah Slee, Black Milk, Takuya Kuroda and Hunter Rose have also guested.
‘Good Mother’ now kicks things up to another level, boasting a reappearance from Kuroda plus features from Mick Jenkins, Jerome Thomas and Ceeopatra on a multi-dimensional coming-of-age album that explores the complexities involved in the process of growing-up; formative experiences, evaluation of past decisions, sexual insecurity, financial and emotional concerns, as well as the acknowledgement of universal fears as time ticks by.
FERGE X FISHERMAN
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