Serum 114 is a Frankfurt-based German punk rock band formed in 2006, drawing primary influence from Social Distortion while delivering socially and politically charged lyrics in German. Fronted by vocalist Esche, the band built a devoted following over more than fifteen years and eight releases, with the album Die Nacht mein Freund (2016) reaching number three on the German charts. Their 2020 album Im Zeichen der Zeit was released through Napalm Records and continued their streak of chart success, while a 2022 acoustic EP Zuhause Unplugged demonstrated the range of Esche's songwriting stripped of electric instrumentation.

Slime formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1979, initially playing in the style of late-1970s British punk before evolving into the defining act of Deutschpunk — a distinctly German strand of hardcore punk with complex song structures and politically charged, story-driven lyrics. Albums including Yankees Raus (1982) and Alle Gegen Alle (1983) established their template, while Schweineherbst (1994) — released following a period of dissolution and reformation — is widely regarded as their finest work. Slime's consistent opposition to racism, fascism, and xenophobia made them not only musically influential but a cornerstone of German left-wing punk culture across more than four decades.