Stunning Swiss Sounds

Patriotism is an idea I cannot wrap my head around. But there's one thing I regularly carve out an exception: Swiss music. Despite diversity being one of the five core values of Weekly5, I feel responsible for promoting the sheer musical talent that this tiny spec of land unearths. And it's also one of the reasons why my recommendations are published in English: To create an internationally accessible platform for artists that don't get exposure in foreign media.

Now, I don't fool anybody; it's only a small spotlight here. Nevertheless, it shines exclusively for Swiss artists today, a curation of arrived artists and promising talents.

I hope you'll discover something that fascinates, inspires, or simply pleases you. And if you think Weekly5 is doing a good job and helps you find new music, please consider supporting my work and becoming a member. I'd greatly appreciate it.

Best,

NOTI – a hundred times (feat. Amoa)

Multi-instrumentalist NOTI has become a frequent flyer at Weekly5. Back in January, he had his latest entry with Sensu's stunning remix of hooked. For his latest single, a hundred times, the Basel-based artist collaborated with Amoa, whom we got to know with last year's gem All.

NOTI and Amoa, it's a perfect match of virtuous sonic construction and an otherworldly voice. During its runtime, a hundred times shapeshift pretty drastically. However, the transformation doesn't happen abruptly; it's a subtle flow of change. The song starts mystical, with shimmering guitars accompanying Amoa's elvish voice. It has an almost Celtic atmosphere.

But towards the middle, a saxophone starts to appear; shy at first, then with more stamina and confidence. And it turns a hundred times in a smooth, jazzy track without losing its ethereal quality. A soundtrack of fantastic dreams.

Nola Kin – Not What You Think

My last memory of Carla Fellinger dates back some years. It was a hungover evening when I dragged myself to what is still one of my best concert experiences. In Winterthur's fancy-pants Park Hotel Bloom, Klain Karoo played where Fellinger was the lead singer. It was a weird setting, but they blew the roof off, and in the end, even the barkeepers were literally dancing on the counter.

Then, Fellinger left Klain Karoo, and the band vanished, to my big regret. In almost three years of silence, the artist had a difficult time, questioned many things, and needed ultimately to revitalize her love of music.
So now, she's back as Nola Kin, her solo project, and about to release a debut EP called Fallstreak. "The songs are more like coming home than setting off, like a warm hug after a long and hard walk across my history, a bit closer to myself," Fellinger explains.

After Lay Low, Nola Kin released a second single, Not What You Think. It's a comfy folk-pop tune, full of glowing warmth, carried by her smokey, soulful voice singing about vulnerability. The composition is perfectly balanced, with a keen eye for refined details that only reveal themselves over time.

The Oskars – Say

Roaring in from St. Gallen, The Oskars combine raw guitar power and addictive beats to an explosive cocktail of excitement. After participating in several newcomer contests, the up and coming quartet used the pandemic-enforced downtime to write and record tracks for their incoming debut EP.

Say is the launch of their conquest to hijack stages, dancefloors, and hearts. And the song's sonic outfit, inspired by bands like Oasis, Nirvana, and Depeche Mode, might just do exactly that. It features the juvenile energy of indie rock, the gritty traction of grunge, with the right amount of dark, melancholic splinters.

However, it's not only the fizzing fusion of styles that makes The Oskars a band you should keep in mind. There's also the unique voice of singer Kev Bühler, rough and yet gentle. Somewhere between the gloom of Dave Gahan or Crimer and the scratchy aggression of Cobain.

Walter Frosch – Under A Spell

Walter Frosch, the project of Mike Saxer and Rune Dahl Hansen, is, of course, brilliantly named after the legendary chain-smoking German soccer player. So why did the duo choose that name? No idea. But the obscure band released its debut album, Diskothekenbesitzer, in 2020.

With Under A Spell, they announced the namesake sophomore record that is about to hit dancefloors on May 6. And the track illustrates what makes their sound exciting: It's a driven, almost breathless bag of vintage vibes, full of floundering beats, glimmering synthesizers, and new wave guitars.

Walter Frosch build an impressive wall of sound, drowning the already muffled voice, even more, giving Under A Spell actually a feeling of being exactly that: not in possession of complete control, but being under a spell. As a result, the track has a borderline psychedelic, trance-like quality.

Under A Spell, by Walter Frosch

from the album Under A Spell

Walter FroschBandcamp New & Notable Apr 7, 2022

INEZONA – A Self-Portrait

INEZONA is a multi-instrumentalist who, under the former name INEZ has released mystical desert pop in the record Now. With a new name, she sets a new focus for the next album.

A Self-Portrait will dive into a philosophical approach, thinking about life without putting any words but only sound—a purely instrumental experience. The namesake song is the first impression we get of the 10-track record.

A deep bass builds A Self-Portrait's foundation and rhythm, with no drums to crack the thick layer of reverb. Inez's enchanting "Uuhs" floats above the slow elegance of the guitar's melodies. INEZONA paints a dark folk soundscape on canvas, surrealistic at times, somewhat haunting, but foremost thoughtful and with a beauty of its own.