Klarstein.rocks – “Demos ’96”

Klarstein.rocks, based in Freiburg, pulled out old cassette tapes from 1996 that were recorded back when they were just starting out and brought them back to life.

The opener “Ling Lu” sets the tone with guitar-driven warmth and a totally stripped-down feel. It’s got that homemade charm that hits if you grew up on ‘90s indie or European pop. “Someone” comes in more structured and song-focused, which is pretty impressive considering how early this was in their journey. But my favorite track is definitely “When I’m Burning Matches”, what began as a serious take turned into this chaotic, unfiltered jam full of stops, mistakes, and laughter. It’s raw in the best way and weirdly honest, which you don’t get often in polished releases today.

“Demos ’96” is really one of my favorite EPs I’ve heard in the past 10 days. If you’re into unique music with a story behind it, give “Demos ’96” a listen, and follow Klarstein.rocks on social media to catch what they’re planning for the rest of 2025.