Unhappybirthday

unhappybirthday, a German threesome, draws from an extensive array of post-punk sources that encompass darkwave through to sophisti-pop. Emerging initially via the lo-fi noise-pop found on their 2012 release Sirup, the outfit progressively honed their approach, shifting from propulsive and melody-driven new wave toward a more seductive variant of downtempo Balearic pop, as evident in efforts such as 2020's Mondchateau. Prior to establishing unhappybirthday in 2012, vocalist and programmer Daniel Jahn alongside guitarist Tobias Rutkowski had been members of the minimal wave outfit goJA moon ROCKAH, which was based in Wismar, Germany. Their first full-length, Sirup, came out on cassette via Crash Symbols during 2012, followed by a broadened vinyl version on LebensStrasse Records in the subsequent year. Early in 2013, the EP Kraken saw release on tape through Night People. Following a move to Hamburg, Schauer emerged in 2015, once more as a restricted cassette on Night People, while a long-playing edition was put out by Kingfisher Bluez in 2016. In 2017, Wave Tension Records, a Dutch imprint, provided a vinyl reissue of Kraken. That same year, bassist Diana Kim became part of the lineup, prompting the ensemble to depart from their coarser, more abrasive initial aesthetic. The Hamburg-rooted indie pop imprint Tapete Records put forth the band's third album, Schaum, in 2018, which was produced by Jonas Meyer. Mondchateau surfaced in 2020, again under Meyer's production and incorporating guest vocal appearances by Andreas Dorau and Zwanie Jonson.