Live Review: Trentemøller - Cologne 2024

Essigfabrik, Cologne, Germany
16th November 2024
Trentemøller - “Dreamweaver Tour” 2024 - Special guest: Sakura

TRENTEMØLLER has mesmerised his live audiences with his unique soundscapes and memorable melodies over the last two decades. With more than 500 shows worldwide, he has established himself as a true master of his craft. His music represents a continuously evolving series of themes and ideas, and his shows consistently push the limits of what we expect from live music. So, a lot of long-time fans as well as newbies found their way into the Essigfabrik to experience the magic for themselves.


Sakura

The task of opening up the evening fell to SAKURA, a talented singer-songwriter from Hongkong, who came to with the reinforcement of her guitarist. SAKURA has released her debut album ‘Skin’ in 2022 and is ready to conquer the world with her melancholic, yet at times dynamic interpretation of Indie pop. https://encoremusicians.com/Sakura-Katsuura



Music & Performance
Arriving early paid off that night, as SAKURA opened the evening already at 8 pm sharp. SAKURA Katsuura Chow (as her full name) and her fellow musician walked unceremoniously on stage, and presented their sparsely instrumented, yet captivating version of Indie Pop with the opener. The duo won over the hearts of the audience slowly but surely, as they showed their incredible talent alternating between guitar and synthesizer, all while singing. SAKURA handled their set in an incredibly sovereign and charming way. The only downside was that the volume of their set was turned so low that the few announcements which SAKURA made during the songs were drowned out but the murmur of the chatting crowd.

Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 8
Sound: 6
Light: 7
Total: 7 / 10

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Trentemøller

Anders Trentemøller, the Danish Indie / Electronic Music composer / producer, and master mind played a packed Essigfabrik in Cologne that night. Mostly made up by people in their thirties and forties, the audience was drawn by the promise of complex soundscapes. The band features Disa Jakobs on vocals, guitar and synths, Silas Tinglef on drums and guitar, Brian Batz on guitar, Jacob Haubjerg on bass, and Anders Trentemøller on synths. https://www.trentemoller.com



Music & Performance
The atmosphere crackled with anticipation as the crowd, a mix of ages and backgrounds united by their love for non-linear compositions, filled the venue. The change-over this time was over surprisingly quick, as only 30 minutes after SAKURA left the stage, the lights went low again, and the anticipation levels in the crowd reached sky-high levels. The crowd erupted into applause, as the musicians arrived on stage and kicked off the opener ‘I give my tears’. The band - guitarist Jeppe Brix (standing in for Brian Batz), Icelandic vocalist Disa, bass player Jens Hein (standing in for Jacob Haubjerg) and incredible drummer Silas Tinglaf put on a spectacular, memorable show.



The band was silhouetted much of the time by monochrome projections and TRENTEMØLLER himself barely addressed the crowd all night. But instead he made time for smiles, nods and waves to the amped crowd through the show, and whizzed back and forth on stage to join his band mates, revving them up to keep up the spectacular performance. The whole set was awash with 80ies references. Not only Anders’ hairstyle was reminiscent of Pop’s most spectacular decade, but the musicians managed to splice in nods to the great Dak Wave icons of the time, such as THE CURE, JOY DIVISION, and NEW ORDER by weaving in conic riffs into the song compositions. The audience was there for it. The energy, though laid-back, was infectious, drawing the audience into their world of cool sophistication.



TRENTEMØLLER’ show at Essigfabrik was an unforgettable experience. It was a night of musical mastery, where familiar tracks were reborn as something new and captivating. The intimate atmosphere, the smooth sounds, and the band's undeniable charm made for a truly special concert.

Setlist
01. I Give My Tears
02. Behind My Eyes
03. Still on Fire
04. Dreamweavers
05. One Eye Open
06. Deceive
07. River In Me
08. Dead or Alive
09. Nightfall
10. Vamp
11. Moan
12. Cops on our Tail (The Raveonettes cover)
13. Take Me Into Your Skin
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14. Miss You
15. Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go!!!

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: 8
Total: 8 / 10

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All Pictures by Andreas Klüppelberg