Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt are childhood friends, growing up in Norway, moving together to Denmark to study and then forming a duo to make music.
The duo have said that the name Smerz is derived from the German word herzschmerz, or heartache in English. As of itself, schmerz translates as pain. In the best tradition of Scandi pop, Smerz songs are infectiously catchy whilst simultaneously unsettling. The videos only enhance the mood.
Third album Big City Life has been joined by an album of edits called, appropriately enough, Big City Life Edits, with Erika De Casier delivering a slowed down, after hours take on floorfiller Feisty.
You Got Time And I Got Money is the song that grabbed Hifi Sean and it takes things down even slower. And the video is just brilliant.
Of the two edits of You Got Time... on the album, the closing VVTZJ Edit featuring Boston, Massachusetts artist Clairo aka Claire Cottrill is the pick for me.
In a stroke of luck, whilst getting the You Tube links to post these videos, I discovered that Smerz are playing three UK dates in April, including one at the Lantern Hall in Bristol. Ticket duly purchased!
You can find this and previous Smerz releases on Bandcamp. I'd also recommend that whilst you're there, you try and buy music by Clairo and Erika De Casier too.
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