The full cultural and economic might of the commercial music industry is about unleash itself across the cobble stoned streets, bars and clubs of Hamburg’s red light district St Pauli. From September 16-19, Reeperbahn Festival, Europe’s biggest showcase and industry festival, will manifest itself in countless panels, keynotes, networking events and over 500 concerts in more than 70 venues on and around Reeperbahn street. This year’s edition chose the motto Forever Legit? – which reads both wondering and reassuring I guess.

Naturally, Team Poule is forever and legitimately gravitating towards the commercial fringes of the line-up. If you feel overwhelmed by the official 19 hour playlist – try the curated Poule d’Or x Reeperbahn playlist weighing in at a commuter-friendly and easily digestible 2,5 hours.

Quite a few names on the lineup stick out: there is Kazdoura from Toronto, playing a charming blend of funk and psychedelic with a poppy heart, soundtracking the spirit of exploration, nostalgia, and groove. Then there is Peki Momés who released a brilliant album last year. She plays a very modern and global take of Anatolian grooves. Another gem coming in from London: Misbah. He makes great laid-back songs in between dreamy synths, Pakistani diaspora culture and a kind of 80s funk.

Make sure to also circle Calid in your calendars. The Hamburg local released a phenomenally nice debut EP this year on Kabul Fire Records. His music floats around classic Afghan poems and melodies, and powerful folky chords. He is set to play Imperial Theater on Wednesday night, 21h30 to 22h00. Find the beautiful love song Deeshab off his debut, attached below.

Maria Usbeck here might make you blink twice but she released a beautiful debut album back in 2016 that firmly placed her in the visual field of those who know. She followed up with two more excellent LPs over the years, the latest from 2025. Now though – she is gearing up to share some more experimental kind of jazzy pop songs that nicely stack up into a five track EP. She managed to create a unique sort of multi-layered sound forest that is both fun and easy to navigate, with her cool vocals and lyrics leading the way – no existe nada, más que está luz.

As a long time listener first time caller, this outlet is very excited that Maria agreed to do a photo-interview for the series, creating visual context to the themes of love, lust, longing, anguish, obsession and acceptance that drive this EP. Canciones De Amor is out September 18th via the charming people of Cascine – find the opening track Luz attached below and dive into the perspectives of Maria Usbeck.

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Sometimes all you need a smooth riff, one catchy melody and the willingness to embrace process as a result. King Towel here recently returned from a royal trip around Japan and brought home this sweet piece of a jam: Redemption. Hit play and just grab a couple of wasabi nuts, put your feet in the zen garden and gaze into the horizon.

You can also find this song – and many more – on the current iteration of the official Poule d’Or playlist, on Spotify and Apple Music.

Délage are a unique group of people from Amsterdam, a trio of minds and vibes. They just released their third album titled Another Day, bridging the gap between monotonous timelines and new beginnings. They sing about generational themes of loneliness, system thinking, early retirement and financial independence. It all comes wrapped into carefully crafted English, German and Dutch lyrics and a dreamy blend of electronically fused indie pop driven by a trademark saxophone that paints an uplifting picture no less. A great treat and brilliant album to lose yourself in, especially during the hot days of summer in the northern hemisphere.

Another Day is out now, and the wonderful opening track You is attached below. They just played a sold-out release show in Amsterdam and are busily finalizing their summer schedules taking them across Europe. The trio of Till Hormann, Carlijn Fransen, Marius Schwarz then luckily agreed to take part in our ongoing photo-interview series, creating its 35th iteration. Hit play and dive into the world of Délage.

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Billion One here by way of Germany’s own Oldenburg might be lurking from the bushes but there is a good reason for this: he just released his new album Hi Cozy Paradise via Berlin’s Woodland Creatures! It forms part of their thematic cluster of records linked to one of Earth’s distinct bioregions and ecosystem types, with this album representing the Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests (TSMF) selection, in case you were wondering. In terms of biodiversity a great match to Poule d’Or.

The album is being billed as a concept album and coming in at more than 80 minutes runtime it actually is quite the heavy weight. However, over the course of 14 tracks he opens up a movie-like journey across sounds and styles, creating a coherent soundscape that is easily digestible and wonderful to enjoy. Get in the passenger seat of this single engine aircraft and buckle up.

Attached below is Some Place I Keep Dreaming About – and it might just be a tropical or subtropical moist broadleaf forest which can be found in large, discontinuous patches centered on the equatorial belt, notably including the Southwest Amazon, the Congolese rainforests as well as relevant parts of the Borneo peat swamps.

You can also find this song – and many more – on the current iteration of the official Poule d’Or playlist, on Spotify and Apple Music.

A fever dream king of haze and blues, Der Assistent has emerged with a new LP under his soft leaves: Ultramarin is going to be his third studio album and the first to be released under his own label, on 19 June. Der Assistent mastered the art of bending and gently shaping the harsh German language into a dreamy narrative of longing and lounging.

The new album again features some of the most exquisite lyrics and songwriting, all wrapped into hazy shades of yacht pop, balearic und downbeat. Across eight songs Ultramarin develops incredible narrative speed, like a vintage James Bond movie sending the double-00 agent to different cities and beaches across the Empire and beyond. And Ultramarin feels like an album that smells really nice too.

His latest single Wenn der Scirocco weht, tells the story coastal grooves and relaxing summer nights and is attached below – and Der Assistent is taking the new repertoire on a grand tour of his own this summer: Berlin June 19 (sold out), Hamburg June 30, Zürich, Düsseldorf, Darmstadt and many more, buy tickets here. Ultramarin is up for pre-orders and a limited run of vinyl records right here on Bandcamp. And while you are here, check out his photo-interview, too.

_{Photo credits by Mr. Maximilian König}