Backstage

I'm delighted to announce that Evelyn Kutschera will join the Negative White team again.

She has been part of the core contributors from 2017 until the online magazine folded in June 2020 and delivered stunning photographs of every event she's covered.

As a freelance photographer, Evelyn has done astonishing documentation of the contemporary Skinhead and Mod culture. Her style—while highly iconic—still embraces a deeply human and emotional intimacy, which also shows in her work as a concert photographer.

Here is a taste of her previous work for Negative White with shots from explosive punk by Soft Play (formerly known as Slaves) or The Exploited, indie legends like The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, or the Editors to pop with Ibeyi, Imagine Dragons, and Billie Eilish.

I'm looking forward to collaborating with Evelyn again, and I'm especially excited about her contribution to Negative White ahead.

Some days have passed since Negative White's return. Here, we try to answer some of the most urgent questions you might have about the comeback.

And if you're curious about some other things, just leave a comment, and we'll answer your questions right away.

Negative White folded in 2020. Why is it coming back?

During the decade from 2010 to 2020, Negative White expanded from a modest two-person endeavour into a substantial organisation. At its peak, approximately 30 volunteers were involved in the reporting process.

While the growth greatly enhanced its reputation, it also necessitated an immense amount of work that I struggled to manage and sustain.

As time passed, it became clear that my passion for writing about music is still here. Simultaneously, numerous people expressed their longing for the Weekly5 song recommendations.

This inspired me to revive Negative White with a renewed and in-depth focus on music. Rather than establishing a new brand, I opted to revive Negative White with the same exacting standards of quality, albeit on a smaller scale.

Why are you writing in English?

Yes, it's a bold move. I confidently chose to relaunch Weekly5 in English to expand my reach and showcase emerging Swiss artists globally. I hope this will enhance the impact of my curation efforts.

Moreover, within small Switzerland, we have four national languages. Shamefully I have to say that my French is substandard by the most basic means. Therefore, English is the most reasonable common denominator for a platform reporting on talented musicians and bands.

What content can I expect?

Weekly5 remains a crucial aspect of Negative White's content, but the brand also allows me to explore various formats and engage in more storytelling. I aim to consistently publish more comprehensive stories, such as essays, features, interviews, portraits, and, occasionally, concert reviews. In addition, I strive to delve deeper into these stories and address societal themes beyond the surface level.

One category that can be considered an exception to the norm is the «Noteworthy» section. It features brief updates related to the music industry.

Why do I have to pay to access certain content?

It costs quite some money to run a platform like Negative White: Technical infrastructure, software tools, and other materials are required. It all adds up to approximately 1000 Dollars per year. The subscriptions help to sustain those recurring costs.

At least in Switzerland, written music journalism is primarily done by volunteers passionate about music. These platforms are fueled by nothing but their motivation while still serving an essential purpose: Giving exposure to the creative musical landscape.

But because of the volunteer nature of these platforms, they are likely to fade away quickly should motivation run out or the editors cannot spend money on them. So our subscriptions also contribute to a more sustainable effort.

So are you guys a profit-driven organisation?

No, far from it. The memberships are here to cover the running costs for Negative White—it's pretty far-fetched to assume we could pay fair wages from that. We contribute our time voluntarily.

We deliberately made the paid subscriptions as affordable as possible while maintaining a realistic goal of how many subscriptions we need to cover the costs.

Based on these prices, we can calculate the number of subscriptions needed to cover our annual operating expenses of $1000. We would need 100 yearly subscriptions for Weekly5 or just 18 for Premium.

Our goal is to constantly improve Negative White's content and user experience, and we are committed to investing the subscription income directly into achieving that objective once it surpasses the cost.

Are you looking for contributors?

Yes. If you are a writer or photographer, passionate about music, and show high intrinsic motivation and self-leadership, reach out to us here.

I'm a musician or promoter. How can I reach you?

Check out our contact page to get the correct email address.

As promised in Monday's announcement, I will keep you updated on the latest changes to this platform.

First and foremost, the most significant change is the URL where you can find Weekly5 and all future content: blog.negativewhite.com.

Additional Newsletter

Furthermore, I have set up a new newsletter for Negative White. Once you've activated your subscription here, you will receive our articles as soon as they are published.

The Weekly5 have a separate newsletter to which you're already subscribed. However, if you only keep subscribed to it, you will receive the song curation or the monthly free roundups depending on your subscription status.

Design Changes

Obviously, a couple of design adjustments have also been made to reflect Negative White's origins better. You'll notice the changes on the website or once you've subscribed to the Negative White newsletter.

New Contact Information

Also noteworthy—especially if you are a musician or music promoter—is the new contact information here. Make sure to send your emails to the correct address.

Further changes might still occur, especially around the paid subscriptions, but I will communicate them once they are ready.

If you have any questions or feedback in the meantime, feel free to reach out via email or comment below. I plan a Q&A post to answer the most urgent questions in the upcoming days.

For almost two-and-a-half years, I've been curating a weekly selection of five tracks under the brand Weekly5. As you might know, it's not a fresh idea I came up with in 2021 but rather a tiny spin-off of Negative White, the online magazine I founded and ran for a decade, which folded in the summer of 2020.

Weekly5 has been part of the magazine's offering for some years and gained a small but loyal following; many of those people still are engaged with today's newsletter—a fact that fills me with great appreciation and pride.

Reasons

With that said, I feel ever more how limiting Weekly5 as a brand and promise is. There's an itch in the back of my head, a tingle in my fingers. There's an urge and desire to write more profoundly about music than a few sentences about a song, as I do now.

However, extended essays, interviews, or portraits that gain a deeper understanding of the intersection between music, culture, and society cannot be part of Weekly5—they contradict the name and expectations.

That is why I'm resurrecting a believed-dead name: Negative White.

Clarifications

Before I decided to close it down three years ago, Negative White was a staple in Switzerland's independent music journalism, fueled by many talented volunteers, supported and read by a large and engaged audience.

Breathing new life into the brand won't mean it will be a similar experience. In fact, it cannot be as for the moment. I'm still a solo creator and won't be able to deliver as much content as we did in Negative White's heydays.

However, I welcome anyone interested in contributing to the platform.

The revived Negative White acts as a more open vessel to different ideas and forms I want to follow, driven by curiosity and striving for the highest possible quality. Nevertheless, Weekly5 will remain the backbone and core offering for the foreseeable future.

Furthermore, Negative White will—like Weekly5—continue to publish in English for a simple reason: to potentially reach people around the globe and introduce them to the diversity and sparkling creativity of Switzerland's musicians.

Changes

The old/new brand requires quite a few technical and conceptual changes. The most significant one will surely be a new domain. I haven't figured out all the intricate details for now, but the transition should go without major inconveniences on your end.

If you are a paying subscriber, the rebranding won't affect your current subscription. However, there might be changes to the offer, but not a downgrade.

I will update you in the coming weeks on the progress and with potential news about additional changes.

And last but not least, a big thanks to Frank, Alain, Nicolas, Adrian, Yvonne, and Evelyn for their feedback and insights.

What's the value of Weekly5?

It's a question that has circled my head for the past months. Some of you might find the value in simply the songs themselves. Others might find the limited selection of five tracks helpful guidance in the vastness of new releases or enjoy my written descriptions. Maybe you love the more human experience of getting musical inspiration from another person rather than an algorithm.

Driven By Passion

In essence, Weekly5 provides a straightforward service: A weekly curation of five new songs.

But the driving force behind this service is a deeply rooted passion for music. I couldn't picture my life without music playing a decisive part, giving comfort and energy.

After folding the activity of my decade-old online magazine, Negative White, in the summer of 2020, I soon found myself craving new music again. At the same time, friends approached me and said they particularly miss the Weekly5, the format that came to be as part of the magazine.

Both my own and other people's desires made me return to music journalism and playlist curating.

Two years later, I've recommended 350 songs in 2021 and 2022. During this time, I've constantly iterated the technical foundation, the design, the delivery, and the writing. I've also experimented with new content ideas—from guest curations to a new format called reLISTEN.

Some of those experiments were successful, others not so much. But in my regard, Weekly5 has never been as mature as it is today.

Sustainability In 2023

With a higher level of sophistication, I could look deeper into Weekly5's sustainability. The curation requires a lot of resources, both time and money. I've described it in this behind-the-scenes post: A regular edition usually takes approximately 8 hours—a full working day. Additionally, the upkeep of the technical infrastructure and the needed tools to make Weekly5 cost about $1000 per year.

In early 2022, I started the paid membership to help cover the costs. Currently, the paying subscribers contribute $504. While these contributions are helping with the financial burden, there's no way around the fact that the service still isn't sustainable.

My goal for next year is to make Weekly5 financially sustainable.

My offering needs to undergo its most significant change to accomplish this goal:

Starting in 2023, the full Weekly5 experience will only be available to paying subscribers.

The Detailed Changes

Until today, there were two different types of subscription offers:

• Free member
• Paying subscriber ($5 monthly or $55 yearly)

Most of you belong to the free tier and receive the Weekly5 editions with five new tracks every Sunday. Paying subscribers also received reLISTEN editions with "older" song recommendations and occasional specials.

From next year on, free members will receive a monthly recap. In addition, ads will potentially support the free edition.

The whole Weekly5 experience with the five songs will be available exclusively to paid subscribers. And, of course, there will never be any ads displayed in the premium editions.

New Subscription Offerings

New subscription offerings are available to you to account for the significant changes. In addition, every paid subscription comes with a 30-day trial and can be cancelled anytime.

Here are the different subscription offerings in detail:

Free Member

Get some sonic inspiration

🎵 Receive 5 songs every month
🏷 Supported by ads

Subscribe here

Premium

The full Weekly5 experience
$10 yearly

🎵 Receive 5 songs every Sunday
✨ Access to exclusive formats
📦 Full archive access
🚫 No ads

Start your Premium subscription here

Backstage Pass

Show your love
$55 yearly

💙 Everything included in Premium
🎁 Gift a subscription to a loved one
🎧 A personalised playlist

Claim your Backstage Pass

More Content For Paying Subscribers

The new subscription model comes with an additional benefit. In 2023, exclusive formats like reLISTEN will be published more frequently, providing you with even more great music to discover.

I will also bring back more interactive content that allows you to share your favourite music with the Weekly5 community. And I'll plan to create more behind-the-scenes content to give you an even deeper insight into the inner workings of playlist curation.

Phew, that's been quite an announcement—one that also makes me quite anxious, to be honest. So I hope you'll join me on the road to sustainability for Weekly5 or at least stay for the free edition and enjoy discovering new music every week.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out here.

As the year approaches its final month, it's again time for the annual Weekly5 survey. The results help me understand your opinion of the service, pain points and needs—the basis for me to improve the newsletter constantly.

I know your time is precious: So I kept it short and simple. It only takes about 3 minutes to complete the survey.

There's also a reward: If you fill it out, you can win a free paid subscription for one year and receive exclusive special editions like this one.

Usually, I spend my Friday nights listening to newly released tracks. However, the summer break is here, and I wandered hungry through London's urban canyons while my headphones rambled the same hotline music for about two hours. It turned out the bank had an IT problem and couldn't process payments.

But while waiting with hundreds of others whose credit cards also stopped working, I reflected on the past six months of Weekly5.

2022 started on a high note; I introduced the Weekly5 membership. So far, eleven people have decided that this platform is worth supporting not only with their time but also with a bit of money. I'm incredibly grateful for that. You guys rock!

The member-exclusive format of reLISTEN also kicked off in January, a regular curation of five older tracks. I've written six editions so far, with five discoveries I've made in Berlin being the latest post.

But of course, the regular Weekly5 editions are the backbone. Since January, you've received 20 of them, featuring 100 tracks I deemed worthy of your attention. How I create these curations I've described in this behind-the-scenes article.

How I Create A Weekly5 Edition

How does a regular Weekly5 come to live? In this behind the scenes explainer, I give you a glimpse into my curation process.

Weekly5Janosch Troehler

Looking back on these 100 selected songs, I'm pretty satisfied with my choices. But, naturally, some tracks stuck a bit more than others with me.