Janosch Troehler
Editor
Edition #103
Today, we recommend the new songs by Moonpools, Evelinn Trouble, Tom Silkman, Chiara Dubey, and Laura Carbone.
Today's Weekly5 coincidentally highlight Switzerland's exceptional indie music landscape—at least for the majority of the selection. Moonpools are back with a breathtaking single, and Evelinn Trouble proves again her sheer talent. Tom Silkman invites us to relax, Chiara Dubey to reflect, and Laura Carbone prompts optimism.
Moonpools – Never Mind
With songs like Damaged Goods or Feel, the Swiss band Moonpools made a splash in the local indie scene. With the announcement of their upcoming EP, Hide and Seek, the quintet also releases a first and exceptional teaser.
Their new single, Never Mind, is an astonishing and densely layered web of guitar work—somehow simultaneously dragging downwards and heavy but also flowing and dreamy. Moonpools perfectly synthesise their dream pop melodies with a shoegaze atmosphere, especially the song's melody floating right in between melancholy and anticipation. What an utterly great track!
Evelinn Trouble – Started A Fire
Switzerland's Evelinn Trouble has evolved over the years to a powerhouse of sophisticated rock songwriting. Her latest single, Started A Fire, is yet another track that underlines this hypothesis.
In Started A Fire, Evelinn Trouble's voice shines as the driving force behind the song. The sombre cellos create a gritty and dark atmosphere that builds from an intimate beginning to an overwhelming finale. Despite the gentler moments, the song packs a punch and showcases Evelinn Trouble's emotive vocal range.
Tom Silkman – Falling On Feathers
With Yet No Yokai, Thomas Seidmann creates intriguing psychedelic rock. Now, the Swiss artist has released a new single with his solo project Tom Silkman. Falling On Feathers still has a slight psychedelic note.
Seidmann's hommage to making music wraps its psych vibe into a sonic two-tone dress of indie-folk and indie-rock. The result sounds warm, comfortable, and even relaxed, perfect for a summer road trip. Falling On Feathers also reminds me a bit of Mr. E's Beautiful Blues by the Eels.
Chiara Dubey – How to Save Myself
«How to Save Myself is about an atoxic place I have been, where I loved beyond my limits, gave all I had to offer to someone who didn’t see me,» explains Chiara Dubey. The song is an eclectic neo-classical pop epos.
Dubey's soft voice is complemented with a vibrant, textured composition, mixing electronic layers and strings. The atmospheric and ambient-like sound also juxtaposes the lyrics' vulnerability. The song displays Dubey's stunning range—a highly intimate but also strange journey to the deepest corners of the self.
Laura Carbone – The Good
With The Good, the German-Italian artist Laura Carbone released a hymn to hope and optimism. And again, Carbone pulls off the perfect blend of down-to-earth indie-folk and opulent composition.
But within Carbone's songs, there always shimmers this sparkle of timelessness. You can feel the passion in every little sound; a sliver of melancholia is present, evoked by her chamber-pop tendencies. The Good is again right down in this sweet spot—a beautifully crafted, flowing song to revel.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
Exclusive Premiere: Karim G – Moving On
«Moving On», the new single by multi-instrumentalist Karim G celebrates its premiere with Negative White today. It is a stunning track.
From the start, there is an intriguing slowness to Moving On as if Karim G just refuses to accept the inevitable. And yet, there is also a peaceful, almost lovely melody, which indicates quite the opposite: acceptance.
Karim Gandouli is a phenomenon. A multi-instrumentalist who began his project, Karim G, in Spring 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic as an emotional valve. Gandouli writes and records everything independently, yet the band remains a crucial collaborative effort to bring his songs onto the stage. But first and foremost, the only 21-year-old artist sounds as if he has written and performed music for decades by now.
In May 2022, Karim G released 2o, a brooding volcano of creativity, mixing different languages and facets, held together by a raw yet refined sound that takes the best of pop and shoegaze.
This mesmerizing fusion is omnipresent in Moving On, an ambassador for Karim G's upcoming opus, Echoes of Ephemera, which is officially released tomorrow.
I feel like moving on
The past is like a stone
That makes me drown and sink
If I could only think
Of something less absurd
To make sure that I’m heard
For time flies by so fast
Why cannot one thing last?
The song starts simply, and in some sense, remains that way, even if it Karim G builds the composition up to a towering, monumental catharsis towards the end. But simplicity is no insult here, rather it represents a resourcefulness, a cunning effectiveness in the way Moving On operates.
Lyrically, Karim G leaves room for interpretation: Is it a lost love? Or the death of a close person? And he leaves room to contemplate over the song's message; nothing that punches you in the face with explicity, more tranquil invitation to reflect in this eclectic soundscape. And maybe, just maybe, find resolve.
For a while you made me smile
Now I know, you had to go
It is highly refreshing to hear a song like Moving On. A song that takes its time, does not rush to deliver its message, does not stuff its composition with unnecessary frippery. Moving On is a true gem of artistic thought and execution, a triumphant hymn to expression over conformity.
Edition #102
Today, we recommend the new songs by Holy Esque, Nola Kin, vega vi, Tanlines, and Millie Turner.
Whispers, screams, pleads, summons. Today's selection stylistically stretches wide from apocalyptic post-punk to innovative indie-folk. But also blends proven artists and promising newcomers.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
Holy Esque – Ask Me Twice
Sometime around 2016, Holy Esque appeared on my radar with the otherworldly debut album At Hope's Ravine. Then, the Glasgow-based band kind of faded away. The sophomore album, Television / Sweet, could not gain the same traction.
After the 2020 EP CPH and a Covid-related release with acoustic versions, they emerged back into my attention with a new single: Ask Me Twice. Holy Esque seamlessly continue creating their signature sound, which is then lifted by Pat Hynes' raspy, vibrato-heavy vocal performance to new heights.
Ask Me Twice juxtaposes an escalating, loud sound with Hynes, who first almost whispers but then screams in frustration. Even now, with a steady stream of post-punk revival bands, Holy Esque still sound unique.
Nola Kin – The Table
Nola Kin made her first entry to Weekly5 with the astonishing song Not What You Think in 2022, where the Swiss artist and former Klain Karoo singer demonstrated impressively that she has not lost an ounce of emotional impact.
After touring through Germany with Black Sea Dahu, Nola Kin will release her second EP, Mayhem, in May. The Table is not only the second teaser to the EP but also a song that digs deep into intimate conversations, advocating honesty, open-mindedness, and vulnerability.
However, the brilliance of The Table is its composition. In the beginning, it almost fools the listener with its straight-forward indie-folk, almost country-like sound, only to then turn the knob of experimentalism with a weirdly distorted guitar solo, creating a fresh take on a rather traditionalist genre.
vega vi – Afloat
Darkness creeps through a meandering, electronic ambient landscape. A deep, dangerous, yet seductive voice reverbs in your head. Afloat is likewise a profoundly physical and ethereal experience.
The artist vega vi, based in the Techno capital Berlin, also operates with synthesizers. But instead of stomping beats, Afloat is dominated by pulsating and floating waves, evoking an almost disorienting, enchanting composition.
Her vocals first spotlighted, slowly sink into the soundscape like stones in water. The song, a teaser for vega vi's upcoming namesake EP, is a promising release, provoking anticipation for the next journey into this sombre sonic underwater world of hers.
Tanlines – Vanishing Point
Brooklyn's duo Tanlines are a product of another time. In 2008, Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm founded the band, providing their debut album, Mixed Emotions, 2012, which was applauded for an intriguing mix of indie-rock and electronica.
Last year, Tanlines released The Big Mess, their third album, after an eight-year break. With their new single, Vanishing Point, they state their intention not to go silent again, and simultaneously provide a track that is both refreshing and nostalgia-filled.
Vanishing Point blends indie-rock elements and synth-pop vibes, and somehow sounds sometimes like a sonic twin to The Police's Every Breath You Take. And despite the rather melancholic sound, Vanishing Point creates also euphoria with its anticipating piano play.
Millie Turner – Venus
U.K. singer Millie Turner was only 17 when she appeared with the song Underwater in the spotlight in 2017. Today, she already has two albums under her belt—and makes no sign of stopping.
While her biggest hits, like January or Night Running, present contemporary, electro-heavy pop compositions, it seems that Turner has grown again significantly since the sophomore album, Eye of the Storm.
Venus plays it less save in the pop realm. Turner experiments with her exceptional voice, and through the composition, a freezing Nordic wind blows over atmospheric strings.
More AI-generated Fake Albums On Spotify Discovered
More AI-generated fake albums appear on Spotify. The problem seems to grow in size.
Last week, Negative White reported on an incident where unknown scam artists uploaded an AI-generated album in the name of Swiss rock trio Bell Baronets. Since then, the story has been picked up by Swiss magazine Beobachter.
But also, more fake album uploads have been reported. Another Swiss band, Basement Saints, came forward. Like with Bell Baronets, the album has been removed from their profile but lives on in a namesake artist profile, hurting their search results on Spotify.
Today, an album has been uploaded to the profile of Mama Jefferson, another Swiss rock band. However, the band is currently on a hiatus since the previous singer, Vanja Vukelic, emigrated from Switzerland.
We want to hear from you. Contact us via hello@negativewhite.com.
Bell Baronets’ Silvan Gerhard, who is also a member of Mama Jefferson, confirmed to Negative White last week that the band remains currently on a break.
AI Increases A Known Problem
As the New York Times wrote several days ago: «For $20, artists can buy an annual subscription to a music distributor, a company that can instantly post songs to dozens of streaming platforms.» And further: «Some marketers have been caught trying to juice the profile of legitimate artists, usually with “bot farms” programmed to play songs on repeat. More often, though, scammers simply create white noise tracks or A.I.-generated tunes on their computers.»
The scheme of abusing the lacklustre verification process between aggregators and streaming platforms we described last week is also a long-known problem. Already in 2019, Pitchfork reported on the issue—including the typical empty corporate statements by both aggregator companies like DistroKid and streaming platforms (DSPs) like Spotify.
However, today’s generative AI tools enhance the problem’s severity: Songs and albums are created within minutes. Last year, Spotify reportedly removed «tens of thousands» of songs from the platform.
How You Spot Fake Albums
AI-generated albums and fake artists are still quite easy to detect. Here are some dead giveaways:
- The cover has an AI-generated aesthetic that probably differs significantly from the band’s previous visual language.
- The album appears suddenly without announcement. While surprise album drops can happen, they are the exception. Most artists will tease their albums with singles and social media posts.
- The songs sound either vastly different, even being a different genre, or the production quality and mix are not on the level with previous real recordings.
- AI fakes uploaded to fake artist profiles can be spotted by checking the artist’s profile. The biography is either empty or ChatGPT-produced emptiness. Social media profiles or photos are missing.
Trust Will Fade
Since we are dealing with a loophole that has been publicly known for years, one might wonder why aggregators and DSPs couldn’t put guardrails in place. Technically, it wouldn’t be a significant challenge.
But they don’t seem to care enough, and why would they? Whether it’s a legitimate upload or not, they take a cut of the money anyway. And if the fake uploads primarily affect bands operating under the radar, their reputation won’t take a blow, and legal ramifications are highly unlikely.
AI-generated music will undoubtedly become the music business’ biggest challenge in 2024. Dealing with emerging problems like these fake uploads should be a top priority. Otherwise, musicians must ask themselves why they should invest time and money to build their brands only to be abused by scammers who profit from their efforts.
Keep Dancing Inc. – A Taste of Possibility
French trio Keep Dancing Inc.'s second album, «A Taste of Possibilty», features ten promising songs but fails to create sonic cohesiveness.
What is an album worth in the age of streaming and playlist domination? The Parisian trio Keep Dancing Inc. released their sophomore album—A Taste of Possibility—and it might provide one potential answer to that question.
Louis de Marliave, Joseph Signoret, and Gabrielle Cressaux initially found each other through a shared love for acts like «LCD Soundsystem, Depeche Mode, and Palma Violets,» as de Marliave states in the album’s press release. Adding in a constant fascination for synthesizers, the Beatles’ harmonies, and electronic formations like New Order and Hot Chip, the trio’s sound is easily deciphered.
Entering the public spotlight with their debut album Embrace in 2020, the dance-pop band followed with an array of singles—as it is best practice today—culminating in the EP Can’ttrio’s Get You Out Of My Mind that features four out of the ten tracks on A Taste of Possibility.
Recorded during the pandemic’s height, the process differed from before: «We were working with a more stripped-back sound of just a synth, guitar and drums and found that we were much tighter as a band,» states bassist Joseph Signoret.
But it wasn’t just the songwriting process or the live recording that challenged Keep Dancing Inc. The trio embarked on entirely self-producing the record. The band’s collaborative spirit meant that everyone could pitch in: «Everyone brings ideas to the table that we work on together,» explains Signoret further in the press release.
Keep Shifting Inc.
All this information sets the backdrop for listening to A Taste of Possibility. And it seems the album’s title is already engraved as a prophecy for what to expect. Keep Dancing Inc., so the perception, took the possibilities quite literally and explored their sound in all directions.
It starts with 96, an eclectic instrumental track featuring heavy guitar work, fuzzy bass lines, and playful synth melodies, pulling back the curtain of what Keep Dancing Inc.’s sound entails. There’s just enough jam session flavour and drive to create something intriguing.
From there, we arrive at A Taste of Possibility, the album’s namesake song. To say that it sounds different from the opener would be a gross understatement. We are greeted by summer-warm pop, refined with a pinch of funk. It is an almost unbearably happy sound.
And the sound keeps shifting colours from there on out like a hyperactive chameleon: Murders Mourns Again, criticizing Western hypocrisy, is a fast-paced rock sound, housing a bit of surf vibe and post-punk ambience.
Followed by the slowly building synth-pop in Chinese Town, we arrive at the mellow Can’talbum’s Get You Out Of My Mind—a reflection of long-distance relationship and isolation, and the acoustic-guitar-dominated You’reCan’t My Healthiest Addiction.
GPS then throws another wrench with its garage sound—inspired by Let the Beat Hit’You’re Em by Tru Faith. The admittedly funny ballad Pollination Nation Invasion, telling us about the first time experiencing hay fever, is followed by the building pop composition in Tell Me Again, while Radio, the album’s most straightforward rock song, concludes A Taste of Possibility.
Individually Great—But Not Cohesive Enough
There is something exciting about artists willing to branch out, explore different styles, and chart untrampled routes through the sonic jungle. Nobody who truly cares about music wants an album with ten copy-pasted songs.
But with A Taste of Possibility, Keep Dancing Inc. unfortunately went too far with the concept of variability. The album feels disjointed, only held together by an underlying story of creation and first times for the band itself—a story that remains ominous to the uninitiated. It is simply not enough to throw a bunch of singles together and call it an album… even with the premise of that title. There must be an apparent thread and maybe even a sense of direction.
However harsh the criticism might be that Keep Dancing Inc. shot miles past the idea of an album, it is by no means a criticism of their songs individually. Individually, they are great, each in their own regard.
One might enjoy the overwhelming happiness and retro-pop vibe in A Taste of Possibility or Chinese Town. Others may find the instrumental opus 96 or the post-punkish Murderer Mourns Again, easily the album’s best tracks, an incentive to listen.
The album’s overdone variability means that many might find one or two tracks they like—and forget about the rest. And it ultimately remains sad that Keep Dancing Inc.’s second album—after a promising and cohesive picture provided in Embrace—went overboard with their sonic kaleidoscope.
Maybe At The Crossroads
You can now argue that today’s world doesn’t need cohesiveness anymore. Who even cares about albums when playlists are the main driver for music discovery? And I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with you. In such a world, it makes sense to create bolder variety.
But then, there’s no need for an album anymore: You gain more attention by steadily releasing singles throughout the year. However, Keep Dancing Inc. decided to bundle the songs nonetheless.
On the other hand, we can give this a positive spin: Maybe we see A Taste of Possibility in hindsight as an album that was searching for the future—heavily impacted by the departure of a former band member, the pandemic, and an urge to experiment. Keep Dancing Inc. states that the album feels like «a big milestone» in their careers.
Each of the record’s songs provides a potential outlook on where the band might be heading. «We’re already thinking about what’s next now, like maybe developing a more minimalist sound for the dancefloor. But for now, we’re just happy to continue defining what Keep Dancing Inc. is all about.»
With the best of intentions, you could see it as a canvas full of promising ideas. And as a cliffhanger for the band’s further adventures.
Keep Dancing Inc. – A Taste Of Possibility
Release: January 26, 2024
