MRCY

In the organizer's words:

Presented by Rolling Stone, MusikBlog.de and Bedroomdisco.

For producer Barney Lister and singer Kojo Degraft-Johnson, who make music together as MRCY, what they do is a place where they belong. Despite their differences - they come from different parts of England and different cultures - they have found a common language with which they create a shared space of soulful self-expression. The character of their music is characterized by a timeless musical warmth that finds nostalgic references to Marvin Gaye, but also modern sensibilities such as Khruangbin, Anderson .Paak or Sault. They have worked hard on their vision to create a work with their own voice. The effort has paid off: Over the past five years, Barney has established himself as one of the UK's most sought-after, cross-genre young producers. Let's briefly explain how this came about. Times were unusual in 2021, but there was still an opportunity to get to know each other: online. When Barney sent Kojo a message after discovering him on Instagram, they met at Barney's studio in Brixton, where the chemistry was instant. This feeds off the belief that "the world can feel pretty shitty and we're just trying to find peace in the madness," says Barney. Emotions are not neglected with MRCY. Although their songs are inevitably characterized by social and political chaos, MRCY is also about the need for common ground. In both sound and ethos, MRCY pay tribute to the communities that help shape their worldview. Barney started out playing drums and found his artistic calling thanks to the melting pot soundsystem culture of the Yorkshire city. Growing up in South London with legends like Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke, Kojo absorbed the choral music of his father's Catholic church as well as the raw gospel of his mother's Ghanaian community. MRCY not only gives Barney and Kojo a place to belong, but also a space for their audience to be themselves. The power of music once again takes on a very special meaning for the duo. Their live experience now includes a successful tour with the Black Pumas. Anyone who wants to be convinced of the depths of their musical expression will have the unique opportunity to do so at their show with band in Berlin in November. Another performance in Germany will take place as part of Rolling Stone Beach at Weissenhäuser Strand.