Smerz is a Norwegian electronic music duo consisting of Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt.[1] The duo splits their time between Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark.[2] Their music has been described as “deadpan, vividly detailed electro-pop pulsating with personality, sensuality and dry humor.”[3] Their name comes from the German word herzschmerz, meaning “heartache”.[4]
History
Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt met at high school in Oslo and moved to Copenhagen in 2011.[5] In Copenhagen, Motzfeldt studied composition at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, where she was classmates with several artists who would form part of a broader Danish alternative pop scene, including Erika de Casier, ML Buch, Astrid Sonne, and Fine Glindvad.[6]
Smerz released their debut single, “Because”, on SoundCloud in 2016. Later that year, they followed it with the EP Okey, released on Escho in Denmark and HardUp in the UK. In 2017, the duo signed with XL Recordings and re-released Okey under the new label. Their next EP, Have fun, arrived in 2018, also through XL. In 2021, Smerz released their debut studio album, Believer, on XL Recordings. That same year, they released the mixtape Før og etter on their own label, Shopping.[8]
Smerz have been hosting a monthly radio show on NTS Radio since 2017.[9]
