The energy was high right from the start. At 8.30 pm sharp, even right in the back of the sold-out Exil, the bass was there, and the sound was top-notch. The atmosphere was welcoming, rooted in a sense of togetherness and excitement.
MzumO, 3RES and Débikatesse diving deep. Credits: Lukas Leonhard, Jess Baumgartner, Shayenne Moll
With 3RES by his side and producer Fireonblack (F.O.B), MzumO kicked off the audience interaction from the very first second, and this continued throughout the entire set. The floor came alive, and the audience felt just how important it is that they are there and all seen. Right in the thick of it was creative director Benjamin Dütschler, who produced the short film 24 Hours in Palestine for the album, enthusiastically capturing the evening.
No matter where I walked or looked, there were musicians and music lovers everywhere. You didn’t just hear the music; you could feel it in every room. You could sense that there is a large team behind it all, a Swiss creative collective with tremendous team spirit and solidarity. A mutual support among the artists, whether on stage or behind the scenes.
One of those moments that really stuck with me was when MzumO enthusiastically handed over the stage to Débikatesse—who can also be heard on the album with their track Blurry Memories—and she performed her then-unreleased song Sport, which was published the next day. I would highly recommend checking her out if you haven’t already, as I believe she is a class act in this scene as well.
The set also deservedly included the other album’s feature artists, who both individually as guest performers and together as a team demonstrated on stage what defines them as rappers: being authentic in the moment and letting their emotions speak. One of them is Blanco, who features on the track Wer Vice and will support the “Sizzoush Release Tour” in Berne with the band Brokeboys.
With the track Al Aqsa from his 2024 EP Sumud, MzumO looked back on his past projects, and it quickly became clear that the room is full of long-time fans who share MzumO’s world. A world in which he operates as a conflict researcher and musician, both of which are done with his down-to-earth mindset rooted in the challenges and successes in his life. Whether it’s heartbreak, sung about in 10am in Hebron, or systemic dysfunction and oppression, these themes run deliberately through the album, where no two songs are alike, and yet it all feels like a cohesive whole, as it did that evening.
The closing number, featuring Stella & The Fridge and their collaborative track Lava, once again showcased the diversity of the sound and the evening. The light show rounded off the performance, providing just the right highlights—ones that catch the eye without being intrusive, but instead drew me in. Whether it was the volume, vocal dynamics or lyrics, it all worked out seamlessly; the concert made total sense, both literally and metaphorically.
Limited Vinyl Record and Stella & The Fridge with Lava. Credits: Lukas Leonhard and Jess Baumgartner
To be met with such openness and goodwill, being taken right to the forefront, able to witness how MzumO, all the performers and the audience came together to make the evening a shared experience was by no means a given. At the merch stand, they raised a glass and even took the time to chat and take photos.
The crowd carried the energy along, turning the record release show for MzumO's seventh studio album Sizzoush into a night that proved to him and the entire crew that they truly resonate with people through what they do.
