Große Kunst

Betterov's second studio album, Große Kunst, documents his protagonist's struggle with internalized feelings of home—and a bittersweet homecoming. At the same time, it tells of what happened before—of serpentine biographies, of escape, of barbed wire, of binoculars, of a self-proclaimed peaceful state that rose from ruins and left ruins behind. Instead of singing about great art, Betterov sings about its absence—and about the deep rift between the proletariat and the cultural class. It's all pretty heavy stuff, but it's simply the foundation of Betterov's artistic persona, which sounds the way it does and sings the way it does solely because of the life story described—growing up in the provinces in post-GDR Germany, the wealth of experience of his parents.

With “Große Kunst,” Betterov has created a masterpiece and taken a giant leap out of his safe cocoon. Betterov is still an unmistakable indie act that, despite its harshness, seems to sparkle solemnly, contrasting cool dark wave elements with grand, ceremonious melodies and convincing with its sad yet beautiful dynamics. In 2022, Betterov released OLYMPIA, a widely acclaimed top-5 album, followed in October 2023 by the expanded OLYMPIA (Ehrenrunde Deluxe), featuring new tracks and guest appearances by Paula Hartmann, Blumengarten, and Provinz, which brought Betterov to prominence beyond the German indie scene. Once again, Betterov recorded the new songs in collaboration with producer Tim Tautorat, who has had a decisive influence on his sound from the very beginning.