Smerz is the Norwegian duo of Henriette Motzfeldt and Catharina Stoltenberg, based in
Oslo and Copenhagen. The duo is set to release their sophomore album, Big city life, on
May 23 through Danish label Escho.
Using collages to capture moments of everyday life and dreams, Smerz tell stories lived
and imagined—of apathy, loneliness and internal monologue, love and friendship. Smerz
operates at the intersection of genres, drawing inspiration from compositional techniques
in classical music, the experimentation of computer music and the immediacy of pop
music, in the palettes of girly existentialism.
The duo’s discography includes the critically acclaimed debut album ‘Believer’ on XL
Recordings, EPs ’Have fun’ and ‘Okey’, released through XL and Escho, as well as pop
fantasy project ‘ALLINA’ and choir piece ‘Tidligere den dagen’ with vocal ensemble GAEA
on their own label Shopping.
Notable past performances include Tate Modern, MOCA Geffen, Berghain, Volksbühne,
MIRA Festival with Weirdcore, KODE with the Norwegian National Company of
Contemporary Dance, and Club To Club. From their choir performance at the MUNCH
Museum to fashion runway soundtracks, throughout their work, Smerz have been known
for their ability to navigate and create new sonic worlds.