Weekly5

EMPIRICAL – LETZ GET IT

A flickering flow of synthesisers awaits you in LETZ GET IT by Julien Bracht, aka EMPIRICAL. It is not your traditional dance track but an atmospheric stream of electronic consciousness, emphasising the melody and details over hard-hitting, danceable beats. A dreamlike summer vibe.

Potochkine – Endorphines

The sirens wail through the night, whipped on by dangerous beats. Welcome to the world of Potochkine, a French EBM duo. The all-encompassing beats almost distract from the dark abyss that opens up underneath. Endorphines sounds uncompromisingly hellish and dangerous.

British Murder Boys – Killer I Said

Birmingham’s British Murder Boys are at the forefront of the UK’s avant-garde techno acts. In Killer I Said and—by extension—their album Active Agents and House Boys, the duo demonstrates an enticing approach to electronic music—weird, unexpected, yet constantly captivating anew.

Gurriers – Approachable

Rock is dead? Dublin’s Gurriers beg to differ. They remastered their 2023 single Approachable without killing the song’s essence: a raw, punkish track reminiscent of bands like the IDLES. The shouted lyrics pogo-dance with the relentless jackhammering rhythm. And the guitars cut like knives.

Kraków Loves Adana – Break My Own Heart

Announcing their new album, I Saw You I Saw Myself, Kraków Loves Adana deliver Break My Own Heart as a first glimpse. The Hamburg-based outfit presents a sparse composition, highlighting an 80s-inspired synth hook accompanying Deniz Çiçek’s vocals. R&B meets synth-pop.

nothhingspecial – catacombs

Taken from the utterly brilliant sophomore EP, Where Do You Wanna Go?, the song catacombs displays German artist nothhingspecial's velvety, sombre voice. Accompanied by an addictive and anticipating rhythm, the track beautifully amalgamates melancholy and a euphoric indie-rock spark.

Spell Trouble – Thorn Armor

In his first of a series of single releases, Maximilian Seifert, aka Spell Trouble, lets gloomy post-punk collide with a filter of electronic post-modernism. As a result, Thorn Armor feels like the despairing soundtrack to a cyberpunk goth movie—dramatic in its shift of tempo, colourful in its darkness.

Jake Isaac – Black Or White

Black Or White by London's soul upstart Jake Isaac spreads a warm and tender vibe. The authentic communication at the heart of the song's message is mirrored by the composition: a human effort, composed with touching passion and created with sophistication at the fingertips. Exquisite.

Violence – Colour Decay (feat. T A K E R)

After their captivating debut record, Area Sub Rosa, Copenhagen's Violence went from a 5-piece band to a duo. Their sound became more experimental as also their collaboration with T A K E R demonstrates: Colour Decay welds together post-punk and euro-trance elements. It works surprisingly well.

Rikas – Barcelona (Learning to Love Myself)

New beginnings, a new path in life at its core, Barcelona (Learning to Love Myself) is Rikas' latest dance-provoking single. The German quartet delivers a catchy track tailored for a verified summer hit without letting cheap allegory take over. This song drips like the condensation on your chilled drink.

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.

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!»

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.

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.

Duschpalatset – Öronbarn

Sweden's indie-rock up-and-comers Duschpalatset return with Öronbarn, the first single after their sophomore record, Baby, in 2021. This addictive track, propelled by its relentless beat, executes the contrast between smooth rock vibes and Alva Nylander's angelic voice to perfection. Exceptionally good.

Backwards Charm – Stain

Taken from their new EP, A Dream About Being A Person, Austrian band Backwards Charm's Stain is a collaboration with two metal bands, Karg and Harakiri for the Sky. However, the track remains deeply in melancholic post-punk and post-rock territory with beautiful guitar melodies. A dark dream.

Andrea Bignasca – Undo Me

One of Switzerland's most captivating voices, Andrea Bignasca, returns with Undo Me. The organs underline the song's pleading notion—it's a prayer for renewal, a longing for finding oneself and motivation. In its best form, Bignasca's song brings together classic rock, gospel, blues, and soul in an emotional crescendo.

KOKOKO! – Bazo Banga

«They are scared» is the translation of «bazo banga». KOKOKO!, pioneers of Kinishasa's electronic sound explosion, share Bazo Banga as another teaser for their anticipated second album, BUTU. Bringing native rhythms together with a vast range of electronic experimentation, Bazo Banga demands attention.

Binary Sunset – Maillot de bain

The sassy attitude is undeniable in Maillot de bain by Switzerland's Binary Sunset. Fast-paced, drawing from surf rock aesthetic and DIY attitude, the track propels itself to a frantic rush, shooting out rays of excitement and sunny vibes alike. A summer hit for the indie-rock aficionado.

An updated classic followed by retro vibes. Whispered rawness chased by vastness. In today's Weekly5, we celebrate the refined works from promising singer-songwriters alongside endorphin-inducing beats and hooks.

Overmono x The Streets – Turn The Page

The Streets' 2002 iconic track Turn The Page received an exhillarating update by Overmono covering the exceptional Mike Skinner rap style in a blanket of breakbeat sound. The wobbling bassline, the crackling beats—it's pure perfection.

Blaudzun – Shades

Dutch Blaudzun is known for his distinct blend of indie-rock, pop, coupled with poetic songwriting. Shades features 80s-inspired bass synths, emphasizing the bittersweet nostalgia pumping through the addictive hooks.

Lucy Gaffney – Pitfalls

Belfast's Lucy Gaffney released a new EP—and its title track, Pitfalls, demonstrates the singer-songwriter's potential. Bedroom indie-rock with soft pop touches, whispered yet somehow raw, well-balanced and sophisticated.

NEØV – Feel

Finnish brothers Anssi and Samuli Neuvonen, known as NEØV, build ethereal composition, leaning towards indie-rock and indie-pop. However, as their latest single, Feel, displays, their sound has an infinite vastness to it.

Vil – Graven

Between Denmark and Germany, duo Vil creates a fragile, intimate sound. Beautifully decorated with minute details, Graven is an invitation to unwind, to reflect—a wonderful, meandering composition.