Who | Ulrika Spacek

When | Thursday, October 6

Where | ACUD Macht Neu

For fans of: Sonic Youth, Happyness, Deerhunter

While alt-rock quintet Ulrika Spacek may be as British as they come, their hearts are right here in Berlin. In 2014, the Reading rockers joined forces in the German capital to begin working on what would eventually become their debut LP, The Album Paranoia. Released in February of this year, this album pieces together elements of shoegaze, kraut and psych-rock, with a fuzzy, distorted sound that emanates an intoxicatingly gritty energy. On the flip side, it’s also not without its softer, dreamier moments, featuring songs steeped in an otherworldly, echoey reverb. Ulrika Spacek‘s music hits that indie rock sweet spot; I think it’s safe to say that they’ve had a pretty solid start.

Who | Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation

When | Wednesday, October 12

Where | Kantine am Berghain

For fans of: Spiritualized, Fever Ray

Swedish collective Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation are doing their damnedest to push genre boundaries to carve out their unique sound, and if last year’s critically-acclaimed debut Horse Dance was any indication, they’re well on their way. Taking cues from their nearly namesake inspiration, the avant-rock band Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes (who’d made a name for themselves in French psychedelic rock circuit in the early 70’s), the Stockholm-based outfit is now making waves in the modern-day psychedelic scene with their twist on the traditional. Though their upcoming album Mirage is not out until October 14th, the new singles are a promising taste of great things to come. Being the kind of music that already sounds epic while listening at home on Spotify, its immensity is best experienced live, so give Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation a few hours of your life, and they’re sure to make you feel liberated.