Suzan Köcher’s Suprafon Returns with Impressive «Seventeen»
After five years, Suzan Köcher’s Suprafon reports back with the introspective yet empowering single «Seventeen». We celebrate the song’s video premiere.
What would you tell your 17-year-old self if you could travel back in time? Would you voice warnings, share concerns, or provide encouragement and comfort?
On its surface, this question is one of the overused prompts for self-reflection—and often, the results taste of superficiality. But what if one would take a conversation with one’s younger self seriously? And what if it is more an accidental conversation freed of intentionality and self-fulfilling prophecies?
The result may sound something like Seventeen. 29-year-old Suzan Köcher wrote the song thinking about someone else.
«It was only later that I realised that many lines could also be read as communication between me and my 17-year-old self. Through art, you inevitably reflect facets of yourself,» the German musician reveals.
Seventeen is not just a chance for self-reflection but a poignant turning point for Suzan Köcher’s Suprafon. It delves deep into Köcher’s emotional landscape, revealing a more personal and vulnerable side of her songwriting inspired by therapy. In many ways, it is a heartfelt return to her songwriting roots. Köcher explains:
«I started writing songs when I was 14 because I was afraid to say things and experience rejection. Music was my way of saying what I thought. When my music became more public, I backed off a bit because I was afraid of what people might think of me. Through therapy, I learnt to let go of my fears a bit and started writing much more personal songs.»
Suzan Köcher explores in Seventeen themes of adolescence: unrequited love, insecurity, and abuse of power. Despite these difficult topics, the song not only confronts past pains but also serves as a beacon of empowerment for young women.
And when I look back from where I’m standing todayI can’t believe you treated me this wayI’m glad I didn’t stay the same
In the video for Seventeen, Köcher meets with her 17-year-old ghost—not haunted but with clarity. There is a notion of tender forgiveness within the dreamy pop notes. The mellotron bits and Hammond organ add depth and texture, while Köcher’s soft, almost whispering voice takes centre stage. It’s a masterful composition that perfectly complements the emotional depth of the lyrics.
Seventeen has a more mature, refined sound—but one that preserves Suzan Köcher’s qualities: a seamless blend of psychedelic hints, krautrock vibes, and dream pop ambience spread gently on a cinematic canvas.
After half a decade, the song is a stunning return to the stage for Suzan Köcher’s Suprafon, captivating attention with emotional depth and melody. And it is a promising herald of their upcoming new album, scheduled to be released in October 2024.
Edition #119
This week, we recommend the new songs by The Beauty of Gemina, Harry Dean Lewis, Emma Castellino, CHACHO &Friends, and Ramkot.
The Beauty of Gemina – Whispers of the Seasons
Ahead of the release of their new album, Songs of Homecoming, Switzerland's The Beauty of Gemina offer a glimpse at the record's soundscape with the new single Whispers of the Seasons. Driven by a relentless rhythm, decorated with meandering guitars, Michael Sele's deep, captivating voice takes centre stage.
Harry Dean Lewis – Blue Dunlops
An Australian in Vienna avoiding pigeonholes: Harry Dean Lewis demonstrates with his latest single, Blue Dunlops, a fantastic blend of hip-hop and indie soul. Equipped with an eccentric beat and sunny guitar hooks, the track is as wonky as it spreads a carefree summer groove. Harry Dean Lewis is a name to keep in mind.
Emma Castellino – on & on
Somewhere between indie approaches to pop and rock, French singer-songwriter Emma Castellino's new single, on & on, demands attention with its balanced composition and catchy groove. Castellino demonstrates talent in fusing smooth and tender bedroom vibes with a DIY-like roughness in her sound.
CHACHO &Friends – Moving Sand
Charlotte Viglino is a Swiss visual and sound artist. Solo, CHACHO calls experimental electronica home, but as a trio (&Friends), they delve into the depth of art rock. Moving Sand, from their debut album, is a vocalising dreamscape full of fascinating shades.
Ramkot – Zeppelin
Rock is dead? Not if Belgian Ramkot have anything to say. Loud and raw, this trio's new single, Zeppelin, howls through time and space—powered by an engine that runs on heavy rock'n'roll, oiled with drops of psychedelic sound, and expansive instrumental parts.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
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.
Switzerland’s Federal Council Against A Third Gender
Change
Negative White shifts its approach significantly today—a detailed look at the changes and their reasons.
Today marks a significant change in the way Negative White operates. In this post, I will provide details of the changes and how they might affect you. Moreover, I explain the reasons behind the changes.
Here are the two most important things you have to know right now:
- Negative White moves to a newsletter approach. Every post we publish will also be sent as a newsletter, as we already do with «Weekly5».
- Our current newsletters, «Weekly5» and «Rewind,» will be merged into the «Negative White Newsletter», which will have a dedicated publishing schedule.
The Publishing Schedule
Nobody likes too much uncertainty or being bombarded by emails. Therefore, I have put a strict publishing schedule for the newsletter in place so you always know when to expect something from us in your inbox.
- Tuesday – Slot for premium-exclusive content
- Thursday – Slot for member-exclusive content
- Sunday – Weekly5
As you can see, there are two content slots aside from Weekly5. These slots are optional, as we won’t use them every week.
The Posts You Can Expect
Weekly5 remains unchanged: You will receive a handcrafted selection of five newly released songs that we think are worth your attention. Weekly5 remains free and for everyone.
As a member, you now also receive our member-exclusive stories on Thursdays. These stories dive deeper into a specific topic: an artist, a new release, or provide perspective on developments around music. Sometimes, they also might include a stunning gallery from our talented photographers.
As a premium member supporting Negative White financially, you will receive our most exclusive posts, such as interviews, portraits, and deep analysis pieces. You will receive at least one of these monthly posts on a Tuesday. Additionally, you will get a monthly update on our premium playlists.
Why Are These Changes Coming?
Running Negative White requires much effort, as I have previously made transparent here. It was one of the primary considerations when I relaunched the platform a year ago. It also means that the effort should be focused on the things that matter.
However, since the relaunch, Negative White has crept back to its roots: a very traditional approach to music journalism. As the music industry is changing rapidly, so too has the reporting.
While there might be room for a classical magazine approach, it is not the right fit for a largely one-person operation. As a result, the current state of Negative White is a bit of everything and nothing properly.
The new approach forces me to focus on less but with higher quality, on stories you won’t read elsewhere, on unique perspectives.
The fusion of the two newsletters further simplifies the production process, lifting a bit of the burden and giving me more time for research and writing.
Alongside what you could describe as the new content concept comes a change to the website—a new design that reflects these changes and directs the attention to single posts rather than a traditional overview.
As with any significant change, I might have overlooked something. However, I see change as not being a single moment but a constant process. With today’s announcement, this process starts more than it is finished, so there might be things that still need polishing.
But for now, I leave you with a heartfelt thank you for your curiosity and support so far in Negative White’s journey. And I hope you will stick around a bit longer for the ride.