Düsseldorf Now: The current music scene as a mixtape

#10: Mass defect

Düsseldorf has a lively music scene. If you want to get an up-to-date overview, check out our Spotify playlist "TSOD Mixtape" - curated by Julian Janisch from the concert agency KKT.

Every week we present an artist or band from the playlist. In this way, we would like to help "The Sound of Düsseldorf" get the exposure it deserves, even during the pandemic. As long as no concerts can take place, it is even more difficult for new artists* to find an audience. Support your favorite local bands now. Play it loud for your neighborhood! Here now the profile of Massendefekt:

Where in Düsseldorf did you play your first concert?
Our first concert in Düsseldorf was shortly after the band was founded in 2002. In that year we played four concerts. Starting with the opening of the Rhine bridge (A44 airport bridge), one month later we played on the city hall square at the season opening of the Fortuna. In autumn followed two more concerts in the (old) Haus der Jugend. That was a good year for us!

And where was your last one?
Our last concert to date was in 2020 on the Rhine Tower at a height of 170m, as part of the WDR Rockpalast (Corona Session). When we received the request it was immediately clear to us that we needed a special location for it. We were very happy that the WDR made this unusual concert possible for us.

Which song do you listen to when you feel homesick for Düsseldorf?
The Altbierlied

Which Düsseldorf band should you build a statue to?
Of course, it's hard for us to decide on a band. Considering its musical history, we would rather argue for the Ratinger Hof to be listed as a historical monument and to establish it as a cultural center for artists. We think this place would be a nice location to tell living music history and to combine concerts with a small museum. Without the Ratingen Hof, the careers of some bands would certainly have been different.

Where in Düsseldorf would you definitely like to play?
Since we've never actually played at the Ratinger Hof, that would definitely be a dream we'd like to fulfill. Otherwise, we are also fans of rather unusual locations, of which there are still some to discover in Düsseldorf.

More about Mass Defect can be found here.

Listen now:

The curator

Julian Janisch observes the Düsseldorf music landscape for Visit Düsseldorf and curates the Spotify playlist "TSOD Mixtape". The 33-year-old has worked in Düsseldorf for years as a concert promoter and booker for the FFT, zakk and New Fall Festival as well as for the cultural office. Since 2018/19, he has been working for the Berlin concert agency KKT, which is part of the Toten Hosen record label. He looks after bands like the Donots and Kavka and works on tour planning for the Toten Hosen and Die Ärzte.

Cover image: © Christian Thiele
Julian Janisch: © Thomas Tiefseetaucher

The Sound of Düsseldorf

Influential and successful pop music has always been created in Düsseldorf. Everything about "The Sound of Düsseldorf" can be found here.