Smokemaster

Formed in Cologne in 2018, Smokemaster brings together five musicians from the local rock scene around a psych rock nourished by hard rock, electric blues and long, dreamlike forays. The band came together after the departure of Lukas 'Baby' Bönschen and TobMaster from Cunning Mantrap, before being joined by Jerome 'Jay' Holz, then Björnson Bear on vocals and rhythm guitar, and finally Tobias Tack on keyboards. This configuration establishes a sound centered on guitars, organ and supple rhythms, with songs that alternate airy passages, heavier grooves and jam-like developments. After a first track released in 2018 under the name 'Chill Out Rage', later renamed 'Solar Flares', Smokemaster recorded its first album Smokemaster, released in 2020 on Tonzonen Records. The band continued with Cosmic Connector in 2023, in a psychedelic continuity that remains attached to long formats and a vintage aesthetic without being strictly retro. Smokemaster has also been heard on stage at festivals and rock events in Germany, notably at the Rockpalast Crossroads Festival in 2022, confirming its anchoring in the European psych and heavy rock circuit.