Boutique Feelings @ BETTY on Sa., Sep 19 2026, 9:40 - 10:30pm

At its heart here sits the pulse and attitude of hip-hop, acting as a central hub, if you like. But from there, the directions that influences and ideas branch out into are entirely wide open.

Under his alias Boutique Feelings, Karim Lakhdar blends his way through a whole spectrum of experimental timbres never heard before in this form. Alongside the improvisational power of jazz, he conjures up shadowy trip-hop, while funky synthesisers cosy up to neon-coloured psychedelia. A common thread of analogue, electroacoustic production methods is evident in the structure and layering of the individual tracks, which contrast raw rhythmic energy with cinematic melodic peaks. Quite often, this is reminiscent of Funkadelic or even Outkast, of Tyler, The Creator as well as Tricky. Just as wild and non-conformist as the auditory experience are the lyrics, which see the DIY rapper battle his way through a devilishly thorny thicket of topics ranging from US warmongering and media disinformation to doomscrolling and platform capitalism, imposter syndrome and bleak observations of today's world. It’s no surprise, then, that his debut album ‘Shwaya, Shwaya’ (2025) is being hailed by connoisseurs of the Canadian underground rap scene as a larger-than-life statement from an exceptional talent. Anyone still in doubt should come to Hamburg in September and see for themselves.