V.A. – Frust und Frost Sampler

Some projects should not actually succeed, but then do it all the better for that very reason. “Frust und Frost” is a tape sampler that aims to bridge the gap between noisy punk/post-hardcore and quieter pop and indie rap songs. The sampler was curated by Mirko from Uncle M and Josh from Sperling, who seems to be predestined for such a compilation – after all, his band has always played in the border area of stormy post-hardcore and dramatic hip-hop. What at first sounds like an incompatible mix of styles turns out to be a coherent sound that lets melancholic and calm moments shimmer through between desperate passages again and again. “Frust und Frost” is a plea for the genre pluralism of the 21st century and an impressive demonstration of the intersection of seemingly completely contradictory musics.

In addition to established bands such as Van Holzen, The Intersphere or Blackout Problems, the sampler also features numerous up-and-coming artists from the German scene. The A-side opens with a solo song by Heisskalt singer Mathias Bloech. His colleague on the drums, Marius Bornmann, is also included with a solo song that sounds quite different from the material of his main band. Emmerich, the pop-punk project of Blackout Problems guitarist Moritz Hammrich is also represented. The diversity of the tape is furthermore underlined, for example, by rapper Haxan, who had always explored the intersection of hardcore and rap, Kaak, who enforce their post-hardcore with complex and progressive song structures, or Shitney Beers, who released one of the indie records of the year. In total, 22 different bands and artists inside have contributed to the project. Many of the songs appear physically for the first time and are not available on CD or vinyl, but only on the “Frust und Frost” sampler.
The lovingly designed tape comes in a chic folding cover printed on both sides. The white MC has a total running time of 77 minutes.