High-flyer

Hidden Gemz: US rap funk, chiseled in Vienna

Vienna's new rap and funk hopefuls Hidden Gemz rely on teamwork and write all their songs together.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Kasper Hiroshi Langeder, Jannis KoehlingV,)

Four young lads find each other in a school on Karlsplatz, combine their love of metal (in the past), funk (now) and hip-hop (anyway) and become one of the most exciting bands in the country. With their "Mixtape" EP, Hidden Gemz are now performing at Lido Sounds in Linz. Reason enough to take a closer look at the band.

Only recently, the renowned culture channel ARTE cast a well-deserved eye on the Viennese music scene in its "Tracks" series and put some interesting acts in the spotlight. Of course, in a quarter of an hour it is impossible to cover all the city's many gems, as it feels like there are more and more every day. One of the hottest and most exciting newcomers on the local hip-hop scene at the moment is Hidden Gemz, who caused a stir with their "Mixtape" EP released in April and are currently capturing the hearts of people all over the country. Their breakthrough came with their first single "Miss Monroe", which saw the light of day in October 2023 and has already earned the band a number of live appearances.

Less metal, more funk
"We've now played all the belt venues three or four times and have had some pretty cool experiences," says drummer Jonas Strondl with juvenile composure in the Krone interview. The quartet got together in a different constellation back in 2018, back then under the name Livercheese and with a slightly heavier sound. But over the years, tastes have changed towards hip-hop and funk, giving Hidden Gemz a pleasantly American old-school touch without copying the heroes of the old days. As frontman Didier Kurazikubone emphasizes, the band doesn't allow itself to be held back by bland mind games such as genres. "Music is music is art - we all agree on that. If it feels good, then it fits. We write the songs together and not solo or in teams of two. I'm responsible for the lyrics, but everything else works thanks to the shared vibe."

The community among each other is an elementary point in the being and essence of Hidden Gemz. The four musicians, aged between 19 and 22, all knew each other from the lower school of a secondary school on Karlsplatz and joined forces to form the band in the upper school in 2020. Rumor has it that their success at school could have been improved, but the quartet is fully focused on music after their bumpy graduation. The four boys were not impressed by the rocket start with "Miss Monroe". "We have absolutely no experience of the music business. We made the song, released it and were delighted with the feedback from outside. But we don't know when something will work and when it won't. Besides, we couldn't force it, because what comes out of us is what wants to come out at that moment."

Always going further
The band name Hidden Gemz basically stands for "hidden gems", but they don't want to define themselves as such, but they do want to define their songs as such. "For us, the name is like a little note hanging in the room that encourages us to keep striving for something. When making music, you quickly reach the point where you rest on something that has worked. But we always want to go one step further." The band once recorded "Miss Monroe" and "Bright Lights" on the same day, yet the song only recently appeared on the EP. "Conceptually, it fits much better on the mixtape, which is why it ended up there." The product captures the band's time together to date. It is intended to bring the listener closer to the Hidden Gemz of the present and past, but also allow a first glimpse of the future.

"Basically, we process our teenage years on the EP. The song 'Outside', for example, is about how we like to hang out together and be outside. We need lots of sun, a jukebox and good friends - that's more important to us than anything else," says Didier, who was inspired by the pandemic. "As teenagers, we realized how important it is not to hang out at home with the family all the time. Technology saved us. We had countless video calls in large and small groups. Corona was sometimes like a house party, I even met new friends virtually. It was kind of surreal, but despite everything, it had a positive effect on us."

A song for satisfaction
A song like "Sunset To Sunrise" also has more profound, thoughtful themes. "Once I was standing on a hill on a warm summer night and saw the lights of the big city. That did something to me. I thought about the future and the people around me. Will everything go well? Will everyone stay healthy? Will I fall out with some people or will the friendships remain? Then I reminded myself that I will be happy and shouldn't have so many fears. When I sing and listen to the song, I firmly believe that all the people who are important to me will be fine in the future." The Hidden Gemz see themselves like children in the supermarket. They want to touch, take and try out everything - which ultimately results in the band's sound.

In the best US rap tradition, the band shines beyond just the music. "Videos, films, our own magazine - we can imagine so many things. We are delighted that so many people are already coming and the more interest there is, the more motivated we are." They know the big stages. At their very first gig in Vienna's Chelsea, 150 people were already there, and they opened for Bilderbuch twice in Germany. "Their fans were extremely open and nice to us. We've heard completely different stories. It was also a casual 'school trip' for us. The five of us with our manager Jannis in a big room, chilling out together. Just great." The diversity of tastes within the band becomes clear when they are asked who they would really like to perform in front of. The answers range from Anderson .Paak to Little Simz and the Gorillaz to Jacob Collier.

Live at Lido Sounds
If you want to see the unbridled power of the Viennese youngsters for yourself, the next chance is at the Lido Sounds Festival at Linz's Urfahranermarkt. They can be seen there on Saturday, June 29, where they will share the stage with Bibiza, Montez and Nina Chuba, among others. Day and festival tickets are still available at www.oeticket.com. Highly recommended!