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Offbeat #10 – Escaping the Frictionless
Last week, I was lamenting about the need for something different in music reporting. A need for space and the lasting tangible that feels missing in the digital era.
But is it just nostalgia? Or are all the tiny trends, from dumbphones to iPod resurgence and physical media, a signal for a cultural shift away from hyperactive, frictionless consumption to more conscious, maybe imperfect but ultimately human experiences?
I can’t help but chuckle when I think back to when Silicon Valley tried to convince us that we would all be living in the “metaverse” in only a couple of years.
Then again, it’s hard to assert whether these microtrends and signals are something broader or just fed to the specific bubble I’m floating in on the internet. But I have a real example.
Back in March, at the m4music Festival, I met Tarun and Anna, the founders of Reflection Magazine, a print (sic!) magazine they started in 2024 when Tarun was only 13 years old. I asked them why they chose print. The answer: Because it has a different quality. Because it feels more permanent. And I could feel a certain exhaustion with the digital because, unlike me, they fully grew up in this pretty enshittified version of the web.
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Speaking of print and the physical: We have moved shop to a more suitable solution for physical goods. We still have our first zine, _Algorithm Culture_ , in stock. And a couple of residual t-shirts. All proceeds from the shop help Negative White to keep the light on.
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And to close out: We’re breathing back life into our Discord server. The entire team is also there. Come join us, share what you’re listening to, gig impressions, and other gems. Or just engage in some friendly jibber jabber.
Take me there
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### **This week on Negative White**
Tender Ender embraces simplicity to find grace & beauty in Darkness. Some songs are like fireworks. They’re loud, flashy, exuberant. And then there are songs that hug you, gently stroking your skin like a cool breeze in the summer heat. _Darkness_ by Swiss artist Tender Ender is one of these unobtrusive pieces. Nothing grabs you by the arm and aggressively pulls you, but more of an open, inviting gesture.
Podcast: Dissecting Gurry Wurry's Polaroid of Pain**.** A bit quirky, a bit odd. That’s the initial impression. But beneath the eccentricity, Scotsman Dave King sneakily expands this tiny song into something of stadium-sized proportions, all while keeping its whimsical personality intact.
****This Will Destroy You's Emily Xander.**** Credit: Max Schwarz
This Will Destroy You and Mascara live at Bogen F**.** Photographer Max Schwarz recently joined our team. Now, his first gallery is published. Impressions from a sold-out post-rock night at Bogen F in Zurich.
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### **What I enjoyed**
We need to talk about the Hank Green situation**.** Colin & Samir, and some of their staff, discuss the use of AI in creative processes after the backlash came for Hank Green.
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One last thing: Next week, there won’t be a newsletter on Friday, as I’ll be out of the country attending a festival.
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