When »Believe in GERDA« hit the German rap scene in mid-March, the GERDA collective relied on an often overlooked element of hip hop: momentum. In other words, the moment when art and craft become magic. On closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that the GERDA project did not come out of nowhere. It was created by members of Seeed and The Krauts, who have been influencing German pop music for years through their work with artists such as Marteria, Peter Fox and Adel Tawil. It could have been worse.
»Believe in GERDA« was released overnight as a secret major project. Featuring the likes of Marteria, Kryptik Joe, Xatar, Shacke One, Sazou and Nepumuk, it was sure to attract attention ranging from the Spotify Top 100 to the rap underground. Over the course of two years, GERDA gathered, in their own words, »the best MCs in the country« behind the microphones. (Legend has it in a castle in Brandenburg, believe it or not).
Apart from the big names, the appeal of »Believe in GERDA« lies in the 13 compositions. Unlike conventional producer albums, GERDA focuses on instrumentals. The beat is the star here, probably due to the anonymity chosen by its creators. With the boom-bap attitude of US icons like Tha Alchemist or Conductor Williams, GERDA throws thick loops full of Easter eggs and obscurities—guitar solos, field recordings, radio play samples, you name it—into finely balanced sample nerdiness and weighty live instrumentation. For all its musicality, GERDA retains its casualness and never surrenders to its own ambition. Yes, this is a superlative project from a noticeably professional hand. But above all, »Believe in GERDA« is a beautiful example of never losing (childish) faith.
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