Mika Bajinski and Sometimes With Others: A Berlin Noir Chamber Orchestra
Mika Bajinski, who leads the innovative band Sometimes With Others, recently opened up about her artistic goals and current projects. The group began in Berlin in 2018 with cellist Marie Claire Schlameus and later added bassist Yoyo Röhm and lap steel guitarist Kristof Hahn from Swans. Their first album, 'Nous,' came out in 2020 on Grand Chess Records, featuring artwork by James Johnston and recorded live at Candy Bomber Studio with drummer Larry Mullins. They performed at the PopKultur Festival in Berlin in 2021 and the Grauzone Festival in The Hague in 2022. Their latest work is a live cover of The Birthday Party's 'She's Hit,' which will appear on a Nick Cave tribute album due out in July 2026 by Músicasolar. Bajinski finds inspiration in various artists, believing that art connects us and music helps alleviate loneliness.
Key facts
- Sometimes With Others formed in Berlin in 2018 by Mika Bajinski and Marie Claire Schlameus.
- The ensemble expanded in January 2019 with Yoyo Röhm and Kristof Hahn.
- Debut album 'Nous' released in 2020 on Grand Chess Records.
- Album artwork by James Johnston (Gallon Drunk, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Lydia Lunch).
- Recorded live at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin, with Larry Mullins on drums.
- Performed at PopKultur Festival 2021 (Berlin) and Grauzone Festival 2022 (The Hague).
- New live cover of 'She's Hit' by The Birthday Party recorded at Galiläakirche, Berlin.
- Cover features Simon Goff, John Russell, and Tobias Humble.
- Track to be included in Nick Cave tribute compilation 'e s t e a m o r n o e s p a r a c o b a r d e s: Tributo a Nick Cave' on Músicasolar, July 2026.
- Video released May 28, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Mika Bajinski
- Marie Claire Schlameus
- Yoyo Röhm
- Kristof Hahn
- James Johnston
- Larry Mullins
- Simon Goff
- John Russell
- Tobias Humble
- J.P. Shilo
- Steve Shelley
- Mick Harvey
- Edgar Luján
- Michael Gira
- Nick Cave
- Miles Davis
- Prince
- Maria Callas
- Louis Malle
- Sergio Leone
- Federico Fellini
- Sidney Lumet
- Jim Jarmusch
- Andrei Tarkovsky
- Quentin Tarantino
- Wim Wenders
- Paolo Sorrentino
- Egon Schiele
- Francis Bacon
- Robert Frank
- Marta Astfalck-Vietz
- Hildur Guðnadóttir
- Samantha Stella
Institutions
- Sometimes With Others
- Swans
- Grand Chess Records
- Candy Bomber Studio
- PopKultur Festival
- Grauzone Festival
- Galiläakirche
- Músicasolar
- The Birthday Party
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
- Sonic Youth
- Bohren & der Club of Gore
- Tindersticks
- Gallon Drunk
- Lydia Lunch
- Iggy Pop & The Stooges
- Tricky
- Agnes Obel
- Artribune
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Hamburg
- Den Haag
- Netherlands
- Mexico
- New York
- United States
- France
- Italy
- Europe