Janosch Troehler
Editor
My 10 Favourite Songs of 2023 So Far
So far, I have curated 90 new songs this year for Weekly5. Here are ten of my personal favourites.
Our playlist curation Weekly5 is currently in its summer break. So far, I have selected 90 tracks in 2023. So, it's the perfect opportunity to reflect and rewind.
While I still enjoy every song in the playlist, some stand out. Songs that I listened to a lot and became part of my personal heavy rotation.
Although I've tried to limit myself, I once again couldn't help it. That's why it became a top ten, which already was hard to pull off. And if you're curious about the other song recommendations, browse through Weekly5's archive here.
TOMPAUL – Porto
Launching full of anticipating brass waves carried throughout the verses by Tom Paul Fischer's longing voice, Porto switches into a different gear in its instrumental parts with a dark and mysterious synth hook and a deep beat.
J Mahon – Deadstar
Deadstar is a thought-provoking reflection on how musicians often romanticize self-destructive behaviour. Despite its intricate nature, this indie-rock track is skilfully crafted and will undoubtedly linger in your mind long after you've experienced it.
June Recap
Check out five of our favourite tracks in the last couple of Weekly5 editions with ANGER MGMT., Yet No Yokai, Luna Morgenstern, Bully, and Maria Basel.
Francesco Tancredi returns to Negative White
Photographer Francesco Tancredi is one of the most revered and long-time contributors to Negative White. Now, he has joined the team again.
In late 2009, the Swiss band Spencer played a small concert in Zurich. Francesco Tancredi captured the gig and provided the photos to the very first article ever published by Negative White.
Francesco joined Negative White in 2011 and became a dedicated core team member—someone who also covered concerts that weren't in his personal music taste. So, I'm thrilled to announce that Francesco Tancredi once again joins the platform as a resident photographer.
Francesco—or Franco, as everybody calls him—is a metalhead with every fibre. And like his favourite artists' music, his visual style is visceral and energetic. The photographs feel dynamic and full of movement, as if they are shot for an action movie poster.
I'm looking forward to collaborating with Franco again, and I'm especially excited about his contribution to Negative White ahead.
Here's a taste of Franco's previous work for Negative White with photos of Behemoth, Jennifer Rostock, System of a Down, Amon Amarth, The Prodigy, Arch Enemy, Eisbrecher, Alexisonfire, and Lamb of God.
New Look and Features
We have reworked our website to reflect the future of the platform. Here's what you need to know.
You may have noticed something different about our site if you've been here before. We've made some changes to ensure that our visitors get the best possible experience and can easily find the wealth of content we offer.
You'll be pleased to know that as a valued reader and subscriber, there are some helpful features that you can take advantage of.
Dark Mode
Some people like to read in dark mode—especially later in the day. You can now easily switch between light and dark modes by tapping the moon or sun icon on the top of the page.
Sharing
If you enjoyed one of our stories and wanted to share it, the experience was painful: The only option was to copy and paste the URL. Now, our articles feature sharing options for several popular social media sites and messengers.
As we strive to provide high-quality written and visual reporting around music, the music business, and their relationship to society at large, the design of our website should reflect the said goal.
The new design balances structure and white space with more subtle but playful elements to provide a great experience.
While we could go down a more exuberant, experimental road, we consciously opted against it. The purpose of a visual design—at least in the context of a content platform like Negative White—is to provide as little distraction as possible: no flickering animations, no fancy special effects.
In that sense, our website now presents itself in a rather traditional yet clean way.
We hope you appreciate and enjoy Negative White's new look.
Testament To Body And Soul: Sensu – AM___PM
After last year's EP «Numéro LDN», Swiss producer Sensu released another small collection called «AM___PM». Let's listen.
Sensu's career shows an undeniable upwards trajectory—not only regarding exposure but very much artistically. The Swiss producer has come far since 2017 when she debuted with the EP Lose Sight.
The early work is heavily inspired by hip-hop's slow beats and a soul-like vibe, clearly audible in her debut album Embrace, released in 2019.
One year later, Sensu was nominated for a Swiss Music Award—as the first woman who «only» produced sound, not as a singer. The jury at SRF 3 Radio wrote in its nomination: «The electro producer breaks down clichés of electronic club music and has created her own music genre.»
Jasmin Peterhans, aka Sensu, started playing the piano at seven. 2010, she began producing her own music. «I wanted to contribute something to hip-hop culture,» she said in an interview with The Pit London. But she gradually shifted towards more intricate electronica, prominently marked by the 2021 single Drawn and the EP Inner Monologue, which draws from both sonic worlds.
The transformation to one of the most lauded electronic acts Switzerland has to offer was completed with last year's EP Numéro LDN. While hip-hop vibes are still present in tracks like Both Sides, a collaboration with rapper Denyher, or Pink with Jamal Bucanon, Sensu's sound now was clearly inspired by UK garage and jungle.
After releasing Numéro LDN, Sensu shared five tracks with us that inspired her in the process, like Overmono's So U Kno. «When I first heard this song in London, I was utterly blown away by the euphoria it triggered in me. […] The details and the build-up are absolutely insane. Overmono are definitely one of the most inspiring acts in the past half-year,» she wrote then.
Janosch Troehler
2023 marks another milestone: AM___PM, released on June 9th, is a small but precious four-track collection showcasing another progression.
While three of the songs have already been released as singles, the collective gathering on the EP prompts a deeper reflection on Sensu's latest work.
Opening the sonic experience is Fuse, featured in one of this year's Weekly5 editions. The track fiercely raves although the UK garage vibe is less present.
However, the gap gets filled with a constant rush of beats, foggy synthesisers, and an alarming melody. Fuse spreads excitement without indulging in cheesy cheerfulness.
Instead, Sensu's sound often sounds more melancholic and thoughtful, compellingly contrasting electronica's pumping nature.
The sombre, almost sinister atmosphere continues in Perfect Life—a collaboration with producer and multi-instrumentalist Lawrence Hart. Here, UK garage makes a comeback, referencing a beat similar to 2022's Hypnotize Me Baby, just faster and crisper.
Perfect Life advances and retracts repeatedly; sometimes, the composition is reduced to its bare minimum, only displaying the beat or the melody, making it even more impressive when Sensu and Hart open all the tabs to unleash the entire arrangement.
Clear My Mind then pushes the pedal to the metal: The hyperactive beat alongside the heavily pitch-shifted vocal sample creates a frantic, restless track, yet grounded by a deeply humming bass in the background.
However, the song's nervousness cannot drown out the fact that Clear My Mind remains the track that requires the most getting used to and is probably the EP's weakest entry.
AM___PM's only previously unreleased track closed the EP. Night Drive features an upbeat ambience; it's almost galloping in its breakbeat.
But at first, the track misleads you: «At the beginning, it appears to be a somewhat harder rave track that could be played in a dark cellar. But then the Arp sounds suddenly pull you into a kind of dream world, and it gets brighter again,» explains Sensu in the press release about one of her favourite tracks on the EP.
«The energy stays until the break and then it feels like a free fall. In the second drop, the euphoria sets in.»
The song feels like a shimmering reconciliation, a sharp handbrake turn away from the gloomy vibe AM___PM features in its other tracks.
«Night Drive is a journey, just like all the different phases of life that we go through,» says Sensu. «The energy stays until the break, and then it feels like a free fall. In the second drop, the euphoria sets in.»
With AM___PM, Sensu again highlights her entitlement as one of Switzerland's most intriguing electronic artists, one that pushes boundaries and explores new territories. Her compositions are highly detailed, precise yet playful, often unconventional and complex.
But what truly sets Sensu apart is her ability to infuse her music with genuine feelings. Whether it's the melancholic atmosphere or the euphoria of a soaring melody, her compositions are always emotionally resonant.
AM___PM is a testament to Sensu's musical skill and commitment to creating music that speaks to the soul and body.
