Stories

The Beauty of Gemina. It is the band I have seen the most on stage. And I have interviewed their creative nucleus, Michael Sele, eight times in the past 16 years. Ever since I heard their song Shadow Dancer on a compilation CD bought in 2008, they have remained a source of fascination.

In recent years, this platonic relationship between The Beauty of Gemina and myself cooled off slightly. As the band is about to release their new album, Songs of Homecoming, I decided to listen to all of their albums again as unbiasedly as possible, revise firmly held opinions—and stroll down memory lane and share past experiences with the band.

For this series, I went through old backup drives and folders and recovered some material that is no longer available online or has never been published.

I was writing short artist biographies for Cornelius Fischer, then a concert photographer, who captured many bands in the goth subculture. One day in Spring 2009, he asked me if I would like to interview Michael Sele and The Beauty of Gemina’s new bass player, David Vetsch, for an online magazine called «imScheinwerfer».

At the «Kammgarn» in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, I met the band for the first time, having never conducted an interview before. And suddenly, this fabled world opened up. I was granted access to the exclusive—and, as I soon realised—very boring—backstage area. But for the time being, everything was new and exciting—like the first day at school. Even the soggy pasta for dinner tasted great.

The interview is no longer online, but I found it printed out and stored in a folder.

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.

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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

Vinyl—celebrating a small but persistent comeback in recent years—is a soothing alternative to the hyperactivity of streaming services. Not only is it arguably a more conscious consumption of music, but also a welcome deterrent to AI-generated trash.

The vibrant culture around the big black discs is alive and well, as I once again experienced when visiting the local record store on «Record Store Day» past Saturday.

However, on the opposite spectrum, there is the all-availability of streaming, battling yet another big enemy besides the non-functioning business model: AI-generated music.

Last week, I stumbled over this "artist" called Obscurest Vinyl, pumping out song after song since the beginning of April.

The success announced itself. When Moonpools released their single Never Mind in February, I not only already had a top-spot contender for this year’s best song but also an exciting outlook on their upcoming EP, Hide and Seek.

However, Moonpools, this five-piece band from Basel, Switzerland, respectably saved themselves a place in indie fans’ hearts in 2022. Their second EP, Damaged Goods, demonstrated the band’s evocative sound. «Damaged Goods makes lostness and confusion sound astonishingly energetic and hopeful,» I wrote about the EP’s title track.

Later, I also talked about Feel from the same record: «It is a bright shimmering pearl of dream pop, heavily drawing from dark wave’s melancholia and indie rock’s melodic qualities. It is a constant flow of self-doubt, fear, and helplessness, presented by Marcie Nyffeler’s angelic voice and wrapped into a bittersweet arrangement.

Singer and guitarist Marcie Nyffeler, her brother Jasper (drums), Francesco Vona (keyboard), Matthias Gusset (guitar) and David Blum (bass) have since been featured by BBC Introducing and played at the esteemed Montreux Jazz Festival last year.

Mind-bogglingly Great

Today, their third EP, Hide and Seek, adds five more absolute gems to the treasure trove you can find beneath Moonpools’ surface.

Of course, the previous single releases are included, like the otherworldly slow-motion anthem Never Mind, floating right between melancholy and anticipation. This synth melody will not be anything but mind-bogglingly great.

Forget, the EP’s opener, shimmers in a veil of sadness, bittersweet and dreamy like the more voluptuous records of The Cure, like Bloodflowers. The closing Someday provides a lighter composition, with the acoustic guitar in the spotlight. 

But there are also two exclusive songs on Hide and Seek. With Say Anything, Moonpools push down the gas pedal harder than anytime before—a driven, loud, and dense composition contrasts the revelling vocals.

The hopeful and uplifting synth hook reflects the song’s message, as Marcie Nyffeler explains:

«The song is a conversation between two people. One shares their insecurities and doubts, the other expresses their understanding and shows that they are there to support the other and loves them unconditionally. Sometimes you don’t even have to say anything, you understand each other without uttering a word.»

Say Anything is fighting with Never Mind for the most exuberant moment, yet, at least for me, melancholy trumps euphoria. Both songs, hymnic and larger-than-life, however, command attention.

Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Seek

But while the EP’s anthems grow exponentially towards infinity, a slow development in their shadows occurs, which you should not ignore but observe closely: See-Through. With over six minutes, the song borders at an epos building itself brick by brick, layer by layer. See-Through is a song for the patient, but it rewards with a haunting crescendo of devilish heavy sound and choirs from heaven.

With Hide and Seek, Moonpools almost put themselves and their already exquisite work on Damaged Goods to shame. It is more than a step; it is a leap up to the peak of Switzerland’s indie-rock hopefuls. Their talent for blending melancholy, beauty, and sophistication hides in plain sight; you do not have to seek their brilliance.

Moonpools – Hide and Seek

Release: 19 April 2024

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It is the one day that vinyl lovers have circled in bright red in their calendars: The Record Store Day (RSD). Every year, we see peculiar and exclusive releases—some quickly become high-value targets for collectors.

We had the chance to ask Carsten Wetzl a few questions ahead of this year's Record Store Day on April 20. The 30-year-old has been working for Record Store Day in German-speaking countries since mid-2021.

Carsten, you are the project manager for the Record Story Day in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. What does that mean exactly?

I, or rather we, primarily act as the interface between the participating record shops and the distributors. I collect and update the release lists and those of the participating shops, answer questions, provide assets, and so on.

There are also many other topics, such as initiating RSD releases with selected artists, searching and negotiating with partners and sponsors, working out the campaigns, selecting and coordinating RSD ambassadors, initiating the RSD design competition and generally looking after the website and social media channels, to name just a few areas of responsibility.

How does the international organisation and coordination of the RSD work?

It really varies from country to country. Of course, the USA has some guidelines on how certain things should be organised. However, we are relatively free to organise things within our territory and regularly coordinate with the RSD offices in the US, UK, Netherlands, France, Sweden, etc. The RSD now exists almost everywhere in the world.

This year, the RSD is entering into a partnership with Marshall. What can we expect from this?

You can expect fascinating campaigns. What's special this year is that Marshall (Headphones & Speakers division) also focuses on the shops themselves. That's why you can marvel at new Marshall headphones at the monitoring stations or Marshall speakers for sound reinforcement in many selected shops. With Coretex in Berlin and Hot Shot in Bremen, Marshall has also selected two great Marshall x RSD Ambassador Stores.

Great promotions for end consumers, such as the Marshall goodie bag with lots of exciting items that can be won in selected shops, are also available. One or two cool promotions will also follow.

However, the partnership is limited to Germany…

It is simply due to Marshall's focus and objectives. The Headphones & Speakers division hasn't been around for very long, and with 240 participating shops in all three countries, you first have to get such cooperation under one roof. You have to start at some point. But this is the first year of our collaboration, and I'm sure that the whole thing will be expanded in the coming years.

Vinyl has been celebrating a small but steady comeback for years. What reasons do you see for this?

I think there are several factors at play. We humans often have this «collector's gene», which you can recognise in the younger target group in particular. They often don't even have a record player but simply want to own certain records. That certainly plays a role.

For the people who also listen to the records, it is an entirely different listening experience to consciously put on a record, open a cool drink and get the best sound experience simultaneously.

Which release are you personally really looking forward to at this year's RSD?

I look forward to getting the 7" from Frank Turner or Milky Chance. The titles from Drangsal and Olivia Rodrigo & Noah Kahan are also up there. But as I also have to go to the shops myself to get the releases, it remains to be seen whether I'll be able to get my wishes or whether I'll have to expand my wish list again after all.

Whenever a band seemingly suddenly blows up, there are always reasons for scepticism. Most of the time, it is a mirage, a story we love to hear, but it is far from the truth. And the truth is that there are years of grinding preceding success.

So, where does Soft Loft fit in? Do they belong to the incredibly lucky ones? Or are they part of the grinders?

March 2023. Soft Loft released their debut single, Is It Me, an astounding song we featured in our Weekly5: «The subtle composition creates a dreamy yet driven canvas on which Jorina Stamm casts a vocal painting of vulnerability, uncertainty, pain, and heartbreak, delivered with haunting urgency and almost despairing emphasis.»

Soft Loft would go on to publish one single after another—each one exceptional. The EP, In Case You Still Get Lonely, was released in June. Two more singles, Rose Colored and Happy New Year.

How was this possible?

Genius Rebranding

To explore Soft Loft’s origins, we must go back in time quite a bit. On January 18, 2017, Negative White hosted the premiere of Strange World, the debut single of Ellas:

Laddermen, based in Lucerne, Switzerland, revolving around the Texan singer and guitarist Leopold Oakes, have released their new EP, And Now You’re Bored. The collection of five songs is a testament to handcrafted sophistication, decorated with longing and melancholia.

There is Programmed for Pleasure, a hauntingly atmospheric composition driven by a playful guitar, significant for classic indie rock, contrasted by Oakes’ monotonous delivery that adds to the darker ambience.

Big City then provides a sombre and meandering composition full of melancholia. It’s a haunting fusion of light-weight indie-rock and the song’s underlying sophistication, which demands a few listens to unveil its beauty.

And there is also Texas Winter, delving into a sad indie-folk full of heartfelt yearning.

And Now You’re Bored, the follow-up to their 2021 debut album Special Kind of Violence, shows the band’s development from a rougher sound to intricate compositions. These songs, despite their melodic foundations, are not sonic fast food; they need time and space to grow until they finally bloom to their fullest. But once they do, And Now You’re Bored becomes a small, shimmering art-rock gem.

To better understand how these songs were conceived, we asked Laddermen to share five songs that inspired their creative work and their urge to become musicians. Songwriters Leopold Oakes and Michael Widmer agreed to open their catalogue of influences:

Interpol – Stella Was a Diver and She’s Always Down

«I could go into great length about why this song means so much to me, from the interweaving crunchy guitars to Paul Bank’s crumbling voice, but the bottom line: I heard this song when I was 15, and I had never heard anything like this before, nor have I ever since. The nostalgic ties of me in puberty with young angst figuring out the world, all while Interpol being my theme tune, affected me deeply and is one of the reasons I wanted to make music.»

—Leopold

Phoebe Bridgers – Scott Street

«Phoebe Bridgers’ first album, Stranger in the Alps, was a big musical revelation for me when it came out back in 2017. It made me fall in love with indie folk music and led me to discover artists like Elliott Smith, Laura Marling and Feist.

I especially love her song Scott Street from that first album. Like Phoebe, I’m a sucker for a 5-minute-long, non-linear song with a big build-up and giant outro - which is what Scott Street executes masterfully. It’s inspiring how she’s able to write fragile songs but still have these big, driving moments that suck you in completely.»

—Michael

La Dispute – King Park

«La Dispute has always had a special place within me due to the poetic nature of the lyrics and the absolute rawness of the vocal delivery. That, in tandem with the melodic distorted guitars and driving bass, gives a sense of hardcore mixed with emo rock that is undefeated. I respect the way they deliver a story and the unfiltered nature of their tone.»

—Leopold

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree

«Nick Cave might as well be my favourite songwriter of all time. In 2016, he released the album Skeleton Tree, in which he processed the tragic death of his son. The title track and last song on the album are maybe my favorite of the bunch. In it, he accepts that sorrow will remain with him for the rest of his life and, in that way, also steps out into the world again after experiencing tragedy.

It boggles me how he was able to continue writing such beautiful music in a state of emergency. Not only that but it’s inspiring to see what writing songs and making music still means and does to him after already having such a prolific career.»

—Michael

J Dilla – Last Donut Of The Night

«Despite not directly influencing our own music sonically, J Dilla’s album Donuts had a profound impact on me. It shows how far creativity can take you and that you don’t necessarily need a ton of equipment to make great music.

Dilla produced Last Donut Of The Night on his deathbed in the hospital with just an MPC 3000 and a couple of 7” records that he sampled. It’s inspiring to see what music meant to him until the very end and how he changed the path of Hip Hop.»

—Michael

Laddermen – And Now You're Bored

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