Mascha Qrella (Berlin) is an East Berlin cult figure. She played concerts at the Volksbühne, HAU and Sophiensaele, revolutionized "indie pop" with bands such as Contriva and Mina, and then took off as a solo artist. She spans the aesthetic arc from Brecht's resident composer Kurt Weill to the British performing arts collective Gob Squad. Companions and concertgoers alike appreciate her understatement, which doesn't match the musical force with which her melodies can sweep listeners away. Sometimes listening to Qrella is like surfing a wave with depth. In her scene, she is both a star and an anti-star. "Suits us", the makers of "Greys Anatomy" must have thought, and licensed a Qrella track for the series' soundtrack. Qrella also writes film and theater scores. She has also worked extensively with Brecht and Weill. "Woanders" is her first concept album in German, with which she docks onto Thomas Brasch. The singer, who was born in East Berlin in 1975, finds fragments of her own story in his poetry.

© Fabian Schreyer

Recording and streaming as part of BRECHT DIGITAL. Supported within the framework of "dive in. Program for digital interactions" of the German Federal Cultural Foundation, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) in the NEUSTART KULTUR.&quot program;