Weekly5

On Thursday, I wrote about the different perceptions of real music, about instrumental skills and computed sounds. In today's edition, the German trio Klangphonics challenges preconceived notions.

And you'll find songs to dance, dream, and drift away, respectively. Ambient compositions greet dusty psychedelia, and grittiness interchanges with fragility. Clear the stage for a new Weekly5:

Klangphonics & Anna Metko – Ghost (Find Me Again)

Techno, manually crafted with instruments. Germany's Klangphonics collaborated again with Anna Metko to create Ghost (Find Me Again). The result is a beautiful contrast of Metko's angelic yet sombre vocals and ecstatic electronic sound. And, oh my, the drop at 4:55 is otherwordly.

Worries And Other Plants – Yal

Taken from the freshly released debut album Travel in Cycles, the song Yal combines Worries And Other Plants' compositional finesse, a tiny hint of psychedelic rock, and on the horizon, you can spot the dusty prairie. This song evocates psychedelia, sophistication and a familiar warmth.

Farré – Early Riser

Farré, the collaboration between guitar virtuoso NOTI and excellent pianist Matthias Gusset, is a dialogue between two instruments facilitated by a soft electronic fabric. Early Riser effortlessly fuses chillout vibes with an almost classical-seeming composition. Gorgeous, fragile, yet defiant.

LLOREN – Mad Woman

Grappling with societal expectations towards women, British singer LLOREN's Mad Woman is a demure, winding pop song à la Lana Del Rey, highlighting the vocals with a subtle, rock-esque sound that distinguishes the track from the usual vibrant colours of pop music.

Alex Henry Foster – Thoughtful Descent

Dark, almost dangerously sinister, Thoughtful Descent by Canadian Alex Henry Foster leads us in the expressive ambient soundscape of his new work, A Measure of Shape and Sounds. Despite or maybe because of the threatening ambience, the song radiates a prepossessing fascination.

With its chilling grasp, autumn has suddenly packed Switzerland. But today's Weekly5 recommends five songs radiating an intriguing warmth and a soft melodic touch.

Supernova Easy – Supernova Easy (feat. Cori Nora)

Supernova Easy, a new project by esteemed musician and songwriter Nick Furrer, released their second single. In collaboration with Cori Nora, the song Supernova Easy meanders through hazy and dreamy landscapes. A song to let your mind drift away into infinity.

The Beauty of Gemina – Countless (There's No Home)

Countless (There's No Home) from The Beauty of Gemina's newly released album Songs of Homecoming is one of the many highlights. The repetitive lyrics add to the hypnotic quality. Light and dark, sombre and optimistic—all simultaneously. It reminds me of Joy Division's Atmosphere, but a tad happier.

Suzan Köcher's Suprafon – Living In A Bad Place

Announcing the upcoming album, In These Dying Times, Suzan Köcher's Suprafon releases another single. Like the track Seventeen, the new song Living In A Bad Place is an exceptional rock song that highlights Köcher's vocals and poetry without sacrificing the sound's energy.

Softlander – California

With a soothingly smooth groove, Softlander create a compelling track with California that isn't about longing for the sunshine state but exploring self-improvement and giving others advice. There's a pinch of satire in the lyrics, wrapped with a crisp vintage rock sound.

Mnevis – Curiosity

Mnevis have already proved their prowess in crafting tender explosions in sound with T.K. Collider. A vast universe opens up when they play, once again demonstrated by Curiosity that creatively fuses indie-rock, psychedelic elements, and electronic trickery into a mind-altering cocktail.

Lost in space or lost in the fog? Today's recommendations range from soothing sounds to angry and fiery rock escapades to ambient explorations.

Alexia Thomas – Lost in Space

A soothing melange of soulful indie rock and dream pop takes you away in Swiss artist Alexia Thomas' new single, Lost in Space. Playful instruments, evocative songwriting, and a sense of melancholic longing make this song a well-rounded and pleasing experience.

Baby Schillaci – Blunt Force Trauma

Welsh group Baby Schillaci wanders the paths of the likes of Fugazi. Blunt Force Trauma, a critical dissection of the USA, is a raw outburst of noise rock and post-punk, refined with sharp spoken word lyrics and an exquisite explosive crescendo.

On September 11, 2015, the nucleus of what would eventually grow to become Weekly5 was published. It was a mere draft of a concept, somewhat unpredictable, if not to say amateurish.

How little thought—or, let's call it inspiration—went into the format is apparent by its title: «Songs of the Week». Never heard that before. It lacked clarity. There was no limitation on the number of songs. I vaguely remember it being a sort of desperate decision: So many songs were published that I needed a vessel to collect them in a reasonable way.

Revisiting the first edition is like travelling back in time to a moment shortly before the rise of music streaming and playlisting. Despite its absent focus, the «Songs of the Week» would survive for 126 editions—and even had its own internet radio show at one point at the now defunct «Radio Meltdown». The last edition was published on November 24, 2018.

Discoveries for Life

The «Songs of the Week» weren't only around at the changing of the tides regarding mainstream music consumption but also the predominant styles—just catching the fading glory of indie-rock.

Regardless of its random recommendations, there were first contacts with bands that remain dear until today: from the scrappy-snotty punk vibe of the Hinds or Dream Wife to the gloomy notes of Holy Esque or Lea Porcelain.

Attending the «Kaltern Pop» festival in October 2018 sealed the long-overdue fate of «Songs of the Week». It was music promoter Frank Lenggenhager, who inspired me to rethink the format.

And on January 12, 2019, the first edition of Weekly5 saw the light of day with a clear promise proudly proclaimed in its title. Compared to the first «Songs of the Week», this selection—featuring the White Lies with Tokyo and Ten Fé's Coasting—holds up world's better.

While the cap in songs every week created more predictability, the genres featured remained an, at times, intentionally wild mix. Weekly5 was and still is designed for the curious minds open for experimentation and true discovery. Less algorithmic «More like artist xyz…» but a human «hey, I think you should listen to this».

But it wouldn't last for as long—initially, at least.

In May 2020, I felt burnt out. Amidst the pandemic, life and music stopped happening and demanding work left me with little time to push a volunteer-run project like Negative White. And so, one day before the magazine shut down after a decade, the 53rd edition was published on June 6th, 2020.

Six months later. I spent New Year's with friends in the Swiss alpes. One of these friends, Elia, said to me that he really misses Weekly5—and unknowingly nurished a feeling: I too missed curating music.

And with little doubts, I headed on. Weekly5 made a return in January 2021—for something you might call a second season.

So here we are, about nine years and a combined 300 editions of «Songs of the Week» and «Weekly5» later. Maybe it is a random moment to create an anthology, but who really cares?

For each year, I chose ten songs that would make it to the «Anthology», resulting in a 100-track playlist that celebrates years of curation, but mostly highlights some of the great artistic works I had the honour to recommend.

Enjoy on Apple Music or on Spotify.