Smerz

Smerz, a Norwegian duo formed by Henriette Motzfeldt and Catharina Stoltenberg, divides its time between Oslo and Copenhagen. On 12 April 2026 they will perform at La Gaîté Lyrique in Paris. After their debut album, the duo released Big City Life in 2025, extending their minimalist songwriting and off-kilter rhythms.

Their music assembles fragments of everyday life and dreams into sound collages. Smerz tells lived or imagined stories of apathy, solitude, inner monologues, love and friendship. They operate at the intersection of genres, drawing on classical composition techniques, experimentation in computer music and the immediacy of pop, within an intimate and direct aesthetic.

On stage, the duo has performed at Tate Modern, MOCA Geffen, Berghain, the Volksbühne, the MIRA festival with Weirdcore, at KODE alongside the Norwegian National Contemporary Dance Company, and at Club To Club. In Paris, the date at La Gaîté Lyrique will showcase this blend of bare vocals, angular beats and electronic textures.