In June 2023, “MTV Unplugged: Stress” was recorded live at the Schiffbau in Zurich, Switzerland. This was followed in March and April 2024 by the tour of the same name through Switzerland. The associated MTV Unplugged album is available on all major music platforms.
Our contribution to “MTV Unplugged”
Since 2021, PostFinance has been a fixture of “MTV Unplugged” in Switzerland as the programme’s official touring and presenting partner. For the second edition, we joined rapper Stress from Western Switzerland on his journey to greater sustainability.
This was the recording session
Watch this video and get an exclusive look behind the scenes at “MTV Unplugged”.
Sustainability: values that connect
Stress and PostFinance also work together in the name of sustainability: during the MTV Unplugged tour, for example, we deliberately didn’t hand out any promotional gifts and instead donated 5 francs per concert-goer to the Swiss Red Cross (SRC).
Support for people living in poverty in Switzerland
Around 880,000 people in Switzerland currently live in poverty, including 134,000 children. PostFinance’s fundraising campaign during the MTV Unplugged tour raised around 50,000 francs. This amount enables more than 50 Swiss households to receive targeted financial support – for example, by having the SRC pay a high medical bill. Stress is an ambassador for the SRC and has been involved in equal opportunities initiatives and combating poverty for many years.
“On y va” with Stress for a sustainable future
In 2023, the rapper Andres Andrekson – better known by his alias “Stress” – celebrated the 20-year anniversary of his first stage appearance. The Lausanne native with Estonian roots has risen to the upper echelon of the Swiss music scene and been dubbed the “true patron saint of Swiss rap” thanks to his direct and emphatic lyrical style. On the occasion of his anniversary, Stress dared to take another bold step in his artistic journey by featuring in “MTV Unplugged” – a step which was rewarded with the honour of performing in French for the first time in the format’s illustrious history.
“MTV Unplugged” is a concert series that was launched by the television station MTV in 1989. In this context, “Unplugged” means that only acoustic instruments are used to perform. Participating artists adapt their musical arrangements accordingly, which results in completely new interpretations of their previously released hits. International acts such as Nirvana, Udo Lindenberg, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan have reworked their songs for “MTV Unplugged” as featured artists in the past. In Switzerland, the only artists to enjoy this honour until now have been Stress and the cult band Patent Ochsner.
PostFinance has been a crucial contributor as the main partner of “MTV Unplugged” ever since the project’s first Swiss edition, which featured the Bern-based cult band Patent Ochsner. This included two exclusive recording sessions and eleven sold-out concerts, which were a testament to the project’s resounding success.