Janosch Troehler
Editor
Edition #118
Today, we recommend the new songs by The Destruction of the Cult of the Sun, Silvertongues, Annie Taylor, Hazlett, and IAMTHELIVING.
The Destruction of the Cult of the Sun – Sleeper Must Awaken
With his project, The Destruction of the Cult of the Sun, artist Eben Tenner seeks to wake people up from unreflected digitalisation. He is in a release frenzy, pushing an array of singles and multiple albums this year—blending psychedelic electronica and indie-rock vibes with a funky twist. Sleeper Must Awaken is a perfect illustration.
Silvertongues – Overflow
Introducing Silvertongues, a Hamburg-based duo, with their debut single, Overflow—an anthem to the urge of overstimulating oneself. Rike Rakete and Manuel de Rien conjure up a pithy rock sound, evoking memories of Queens of the Stone Age or The Kills. Loud and proud shedding meets a melodic catchiness.
Annie Taylor – In Your Head
After Perfect Pretender, Switzerland's rock upstarts Annie Taylor deliver another groovy, sepia-coloured track: In Your Head. And again, they do not disappoint: coolness drips from every sharp bend they sling about, swirling up dust with screeching guitars and tight drums.
Hazlett – The First Train Home
Sweden-based Australian Hazlett's The First Train Home is an introspective indie-folk gem—shimmering in acoustic shades, polished with a pedal-steel guitar. Simultaneously dreamy and earthy, Hazlett merges the traditional essences of folk and country with an imposingly scaled composition.
IAMTHELIVING – The Weekend (feat. Braxton Cook)
Last year, soul man Rian Peters, aka IAMTHELIVING, already showed his quality with Make It Home Alive. For the latest single, The Weekend, he collaborated with sax-virtuoso Baxton Cook to brew an upbeat, euphoric, yet sophisticated escalation. «Dance those troubles away!»
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Edition #117
Today, we recommend the new songs by Olmo, Linn Koch-Emmery, School of X, Lov3less, and The Haunted Youth.
Olmo – You Are Here
A sparkling quirkiness sprawls from this lovely lo-fi production. Intense colours meet film grain. Olmo's You Are Here is a tribute to missing someone so much that you lose your presence—finding the other everywhere and in everything. It is a beautifully composed piece of indie-folk.
Linn Koch-Emmery – Rocknroll
Linn Koch-Emmery's long-awaited sophomore album, Borderline Iconic, is here. But the song Rocknroll is not what the title suggests: The dragging, dramatic rhythm haunts this story of forgetting about the joys of life. Yet, Rocknroll builds up big like a dark Western soundtrack for a standoff with one's mind.
School of X – Bad Design
Bad Design is good pop. Danish Rasmus Littauer, aka School of X, provides a catchy melody accompanied by a hip-hop-esque beat. He reminds us that the cherished moments in life never last long enough. But the exploding refrain, underlined with rumbling guitars, makes the medicine go down easy.
Lov3less – High Life
After celebrating queer sex in MMMami Mami, Dutch artist Lov3less expands the message of joy to life itself. It is a sunny, optimistic anthem to a utopia where people meet and support each other regardless—delivered with confidence and contagious euphoria.
The Haunted Youth – Into You
The Haunted Youth are back with a new single: Into You. Part of their live shows for quite a while now, the song is a borderline cheesy admission of love by the 30-year-old Belgian artist Joachim Liebens with a lush dream-pop composition to propel Into You to ecstatic heights.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
«Panic overwhelmed me and I thought I would die»
Swiss synth-pop artist THYMIAN opens up about the traumatic experience processed in his new EP «White Knuckled».
Dramatic—that is the meaning of «white knuckled». The interpretation is still fitting, but for THYMIAN, it was the literal description of the knuckles turning white when grabbing something really tight. In his case, grabbing on to life.
Edition #116
Today, we recommend the new songs by Evelinn Trouble, Arthur Hnatek, A Certain Someone, Tuys, and Sensu.
Evelinn Trouble – Dark Times (To Those Born After)
Referencing the same-titled poem by German writer Bertolt Brecht, Dark Times (To Those Born After) is a haunting anti-war anthem by Swiss-Swedish artist Evelinn Trouble without answers to the despairs and cruelty humanity continues to bring upon itself again and again.
Arthur Hnatek – Chando
Arthur Hnatek is synonymous with exhilarating, constantly evolving electronic compositions. Chando, the Swiss artist's latest urging experiment, brings together filigree synthesizer work, expanding waves, and subtle percussion to create a sonic hallucinogen.
A Certain Someone – Time Is On My Side
With his 2023 debut single, Pathetic Fallacy, René Arbeithuber has already convinced us with his 80s-flavoured, sombre sound. Time Is On My Side again pays hommage to the darker tones of the decade, leaning more into the synth-pop of Depeche Mode and New Order. A song for sad dancers.
Sensu – Freeze
After her stunning EP, AM___PM, Swiss electronica posterchild Sensu returns. Her new single, Freeze, follows an undeniable flow, pushed by the contrasting staccato beats and stuttering vocals to the brink of escalation. A must-listen for fans of garage and post-D&B.
Tuys – The Dream You Never Had
The Dream You Never Had does not rush its build-up. The Luxemburg-born band Tuys explore each facet of the song, its art-rock attitude and its subtle psychedelic twists, with patience. The song draws one in slowly, but ultimately, you will be submerged in its lush, velvet dress.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
Finding Nemo: Switzerland’s Ignorance of Non-binary People
Nemo’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest with «The Code» highlights Switzerland’s lagging progress in acknowledging non-binary people.
On May 12, shortly after midnight, Swiss musician Nemo won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. The winning performance, achieved with the song The Code, was Switzerland’s third win after a long drought since 1988.
Nemo Mettler (24) gained mainstream success in 2017 as a rapper with Swiss-German lyrics. The song Du gained platinum status—there was no way around the up-and-coming artist.
One can question Eurovision’s artistic value. It is mainly an entertaining spectacle, but Nemo’s The Code was one of the few truly interesting songs performed.
But Nemo’s triumph—thanks to overwhelming success with the juries and the public vote—is not the centre of this story. Nemo also represents a premiere for Eurovision: It is the first time a non-binary person has won. And it puts Switzerland politically in an awkward position.
