J. Cole has announced his major world tour, which will cover North America, Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Fall-Off Tour will be a headlining arena tour, stopping in over 50 cities across more than 15 countries. The tour will visit cities including Miami, Atlanta, Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Sydney and Auckland. In October and November, the schedule also includes three concerts in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg, as well as a show at Zurich's Hallenstadion. The grand finale will take place on 12 December 2026 with a stadium show at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking J. Cole’s first return to the region in ten years. The Fall-Off Tour is J. Cole’s first solo headlining tour in five years—following The Off-Season Tour in 2021—and also his first major world tour in almost a decade. He last toured the world in 2017 with the 4 Your Eyez Only World Tour. The global tour accompanies J. Cole’s seventh studio album, _The Fall-Off_ , which was released on 6 February 2026.

Martin Schrader left the music business at the end of 2018. He and his partners sold Mainland Music to Live Nation, then he became a winemaker, and spent five years learning to listen to slow things. But the vineyard got too quiet. Now he’s back, together with Maisch Gosteli, reviving REDDA music into a market more consolidated than the one he left. On September 23rd, I met Martin Schrader and Maisch Gosteli at Restaurant Viadukt in Zurich to talk about passion, money, and a rumour. * * * **This summer, you announced that REDDA music was making a comeback. What sort of reactions have you had from the Swiss music scene?** **Martin Schrader:** We’ve received words of support from our future competitors, along the lines of: “We’re looking forward to working against each other.” _(laughs)_ **Maisch Gosteli:** The reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, from agencies and bands right through to sections of the audience. That confirmed to us that we’ve got something cool on the go. **Martin, you switched from the music business to the wine business in 2018/2019. Recent headlines in that sector haven’t exactly painted a rosy picture of the future. And the music business has also been in crisis for years. Why move from one crisis to the next?** **MS:** Well, if you put it like that, it really was a daft decision on my part. But seriously: I didn’t leave the music business because I’d had enough of it. It was because I’d found something else that gradually drew me in. I was certain I’d regret it if I didn’t give working in the wine business a go. At the end of 2018, after we’d sold Mainland Music to Live Nation, I stepped down, did a winemaking apprenticeship and then focused entirely on my new job for five years. It demands something completely different from you and requires a totally different focus. You have to listen for the subtle things and track the slow developments. It’s the complete opposite of the music business. **Was this change easy?** **MS:** No, this change of perspective initially took its toll on me. But after five years, I’ve settled in and started to realise what I still miss: the hustle and bustle of life. Of course, there’s plenty of alcohol in a winemaker’s life, but it’s not quite as lively. In farming, you’re often on your own; it can be lonely. That’s never the case in the world of live music, and I’ve always enjoyed being around people. I carried that realisation with me until the opportunity arose, together with Maisch, to get back into music. **MG:** I wasn’t involved in the wine trade, except perhaps as a consumer. _(laughs)_ Martin and I both have our roots in hardcore punk and complement each other very well. I even applied for a job with him once, back when he was still working for Mainland Music. In recent years, I’ve mainly worked for venues from the ISC to Bad Bonn. Of course, it’s comfortable to have a permanent base, but I do feel a desire for a more open working environment that takes me to different places. And we’re planning for that variety too. We need to balance small club gigs with bigger events. **You complement each other well. What exactly does that mean?** **MG:** I’m familiar with the agency world mainly from the perspective of a venue and festival organiser. Martin, on the other hand, has far more experience in this field, including from a time when the music business still had more loyalty. He’s been able to reactivate many of these old connections for REDDA music. I, on the other hand, bring a lot of exciting new acts from my work at Bad Bonn; while they may not fill large venues, they’re still important for the agency. It’s an extremely dynamic environment, and our business needs both established bands and up-and-coming newcomers whom we can support and help develop. **Martin, the sale of Mainland Music to Live Nation was, of course, not your decision alone. Nevertheless, the decision taken at the time seems to go against your values. Is the return of REDDA music a form of making amends? Or to put it another way: do you personally regret the sale?** ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

From the dirty bass of an old-school boom-bap to steel drums dissolving into a falsetto rave. From a chainsaw guitar solo to broken hearts dressed in pop. From a rapper switching tongues like punchlines to an electronica piece about the pressure to function. After quite a tricky selection process, today’s curation refuses to sit in one mood. _P.S. I have been working on a small prototype that lets you browse and discover the Weekly5 catalogue from the past five years more easily._ Try it out here_, and if you have any feedback,_ join our Discord_._ ## Sign up for Weekly5 Five handpicked songs. No algorithm. No noise. Just the music we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### **LUM – _LUCKY LUM_** “I’m rapping quicker than my shadow.” Six languages collide over an old-school boom-bap beat, a dirty bass vibrating underneath. On LUCKY LUM, Swiss rapper LUM switches tongues like punchlines, treating borders as just another rhyme scheme. She delivers an express dose of excellence, hooking you without fluff, but with lots of attitude. All hail lucky lucky LUM! ### **Manta Youf – _SCHOLL_** A comeback after seven years of silence: Manta Youf, four musicians from Baden, Switzerland, reveal fascinating new facets to their sound in _SCHOLL_. A catchy electropop anthem on responsibility and justice that oscillates between danceability and sinewy expansiveness, culminating in a passionate guitar solo that snarls like a chainsaw. ### **Odd Beholder – _High Function Low Desire_** With unflinching honesty, Daniela Weinmann, aka Odd Beholder, explores the struggle between emotional reality and the pressure to function in everyday life. Feelings are suppressed in order to meet expectations—from washing up to childcare. High Function Low Drive is a moving, thought-provoking piece of Swiss electronica. ### **nothhingspecial –** _don’t pick up next time_ The track meanders from post-punk cool to melodic melancholy in a pop guise. With her new single _don’t pick up next time_ , the German artist nothhingspecial transports us to a world of broken hearts that radiates a bittersweet beauty despite the dark pain. And in this world, the anthemic and the pensive-depressed are not opposites. ### **Perfume Genius – _Natural High_** Conceived as the soundtrack for a new dance work by choreographer Kate Wallich, Natural High by the American artist Perfume Genius flows through an atmospheric world. Melancholic steel drum beats give way to powerful surges of organ that emerge from the leaden silence. But then the sound bursts forth, like the sun breaking through the clouds, into a driving beat, and _Natural High_ becomes a daring falsetto rave. You're reading the work of volunteers who just want you to hear better music. If that means something, join the club: Ghost Notes audio essays, exclusive Discord channels, first dibs on the zines. $3.50/month makes you a founding member of Switzerland's indie music community in English. Join the Club * * * ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

100,000 songs are uploaded to streaming services every day. That’s a conservative estimate, and it doesn’t even count the flood of AI slop. And I keep wondering: Do we even need more music? Isn’t there enough already, more than we can discover and listen to in a lifetime? This is a listener’s selfish question, I know. Artists should tell their stories and spread their messages through songs, regardless of what came before. But hypothetically, we wouldn’t ever run out of new music to discover if no more music were released. But with the overwhelming amount of music out there, the challenge becomes discoverability. How do we find new music? How do we develop and expand our taste? I don’t think we should delegate this solely to an algorithm. Five years of Weekly5 add up to a catalogue of 1,000+ songs. But frankly, they’re hard to discover. So I’ve started tinkering: collecting and cleaning up the raw data points, correcting information, adding and researching. The result is a tiny application, only a first version for now. It lists all artists featured in 2021 and 2022, including the songs and our editorial descriptions. Each track includes the words I wrote when I originally featured it. It’s a thing no algorithm can offer. And for the indecisive: the “Surprise me” button hands you a random track from the archive. I’ve already enjoyed the randomised rediscovery, stumbling over tracks I played constantly only a couple of years ago. Give it a try here: Weekly5 – Five New Songs Every Sunday | Negative WhiteFive songs. Every Sunday. No algorithm.Negative WhiteJanosch Tröhler-Nordström Artists from 2023–2025 follow over the coming days, along with a bit more polish. If you find any errors or have suggestions for how to improve it, email me at hello@negativewhite.com! A thousand songs, five years of listening, one small rebellion against the feed. Maybe we don’t need more music. We just need better ways back to it.

The biggest music business story of the month didn’t happen here. When Ed Sheeran’s tour dropped Macklemore after his “Free Palestine” statements, it wasn’t only about politics or how to handle a PR crisis, at least not from a business perspective. It was also venue owners telling a promoter who may appear on their stages, and every remaining support act walking out in response. Strip away the politics and you see the industry’s real power map: billionaires, not artists, not labels, not promoters, decide what a tour can contain. It is the same story as in distribution and promotion where billionaires control streaming platforms and social media algorithms. This ties in perfectly to the publicly funded SRG selling its three music stations into the private sector. Who owns the airwaves? And how does that media sector look like? That’s what today’s second headline story reveals, and spoiler alert: not great. Meanwhile, the trade press is starting to draw its lessons from the Sheeran/Macklemore fallout: IQ Magazine asked legal and insurance experts what the industry should learn. Their prediction: speech protection clauses are about to become a standard negotiating point, insurance won’t cover a cancellation an artist chooses for protest, and support acts will get vetted harder than ever. The venue owners were “well within their rights”, one lawyer said, “the First Amendment doesn’t override what a contract says”. Not a freedom-of-speech crisis, then? Yeah, sure… But it is ultimately the result of a system that concentrates power in ever fewer hands. Music as a cultural entity is reflecting society and politics. The a-political stance of pop music seems to be over, as I wrote in the latest Offbeat. Of course, the Sheeran/Macklemore episode is extremely US-centric, with all its divisive political explosiveness. And yet, it is worth thinking about the consequences of a demand for stances by artists but also by any other actor in the music business as these situations can quickly escalate. We just have to think back to m4music 2025 and the booking of Bernarda. _P.S. Coming soon: an interview with Maisch Gosteli and Martin Schrader of Redda Music on their return and why there is still space for another booking agency. Don’t miss it:_ consider an upgrade to Professional_._ ## **Headlines** ### **SRG sells Radio Swiss Pop, Classic and Jazz—two years of Swiss music guaranteed, then?** The SRG SSR board approved the sale of its three Swiss satellite radios on 16 September: Radio Swiss Pop goes to CH Media from January 2027, Radio Swiss Classic and Radio Swiss Jazz go to Digris AG from July 2027. The parties have agreed not to disclose the sale price. These satellite stations, especially Radio Swiss Pop, are among the last mass-reach channels for Swiss music on the airwaves. * **Why it matters:** These stations are structural. Radio Swiss Pop’s playlist gives Swiss productions daily rotation on a significant reach. They also generate direct income for musicians via SUISA and SWISSPERFORM. The buyers commit to keeping the 50% Swiss music share for two years. After that, commercial owners answer to advertising economics, not cultural mandate, and nobody knows what the rotation looks like in 2029. * **Industry reaction:** SONART called the sale “a great disappointment”. Their sharpest point is timing: the announcement landed on the Swiss Music Day, when SRG radios played Swiss music exclusively for 24 hours. SONART also disputes SRG’s legal reasoning: while the three stations are not mandatory programmes, the concession explicitly provides for them (Art. 16 para. 2 lit. c: one pop, one jazz, one classical programme per language region, each with at least 50% Swiss music), and the official explanations classify them as part of the service-public offer. SONART’s verdict on the two-year guarantee: it doesn’t secure anything, it merely postpones the uncertainty. They demand the new owners keep the Swiss music share beyond the guarantee and that SRG compensate the lost platforms in its remaining outlets. * **Critical thoughts:** SRG argues the satellite radios sit outside its mandate. SONART’s reading of Art. 16 is more honest: the mandate explicitly contemplates these programmes, it just doesn’t force them. “Not mandatory” is not the same as “not part of the mission”, especially months after 61.9% of voters rejected the halving initiative and Swiss musicians campaigned for a strong SRG. Moreover, I definitely do not trust private media to support local artists; they rather try to cut costs by playing AI-generated slop. And “the market will handle it” has a track record in this industry: the market handled club venues, and the clubs are closing. ### **More companies, fewer jobs: the atomized culture sector** The Federal Statistical Office released its culture business statistics on 11 September, with data for 2024: a record 69,441 culture enterprises, up 1.8% year-on-year and 27% since 2011. Culture firms now make up 10.7% of all Swiss companies. Sounds great. Now the other half: ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Quiet and menacing, loud and biting, amusingly absurd and hymn-like in its dread. Today's selection covers a wide range—perhaps too wide. But I'm certainly breaking an unwritten rule today. ## Sign up for Weekly5 Five handpicked songs. No algorithm. No noise. Just the music we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### **Morabeza Tobacco – _Only the Weak Prey on the Kind_** From blue twilight emerges an unsettling blend of melancholy and menace. Floating vocals over a bassline reminiscent of _Every Breath You Take_ , crystalline guitars echoing through semitones. Only the Weak Prey on the Kind by the Swedish duo Morabeza Tobacco shimmers with a cold, lifeless glow and flows as thick as blood. An eerily ethereal shiver, like the soundtrack to a pleasing nightmare. ### **Catalyst – _Steel Cap Slippers_** “I bought a dog from the shop/ I called him the average guy/ Turns out the average guy has to hump someone’s leg every now and then” — Steel Cap Slippers by the Swiss duo Catalyst may make you chuckle with its absurd lyrics. But it bites and sinks its satirical claws deep under the skin. Dominic Curseri and Ramon Wehrle build up, break down and explode with lightning, thunder and fury. ### **Mouche-Miel – _Shirako_** Warning: This track is radical. Guitarist Sébastien Minguely and drummer Silas Auderset, aka Mouche-Miel, measure out the chaos down to the millimetre and construct dystopian contrasts. Aggressive ricochets race through the space, then suddenly a moment of relative calm, only to be swallowed up by the noise again in an escalation of elegance. Shirako feels like random madness, yet is mathematically calculated to perfection. ### **Anna Erhard – _1000 Sheep_** What a marvellous interplay of absurdity and unpretentious storytelling. Yes, _1000 Sheep_ by Anna Erhard, a Swiss artist based in Berlin, is a love song, but one that makes you question: is this serious or an outlandish figment of the imagination? Erhard reveals that the track is inspired by an encounter with a “cute shepherd”, but as she doesn’t know anything about the man, she praises his ability to count sheep. Glorious! ### **Fat Dog – _Call It What You Want_** I do my very best to showcase as many different artists as possible in the Weekly5. That means: repeat features should be avoided at all costs. Yet Fat Dog gleefully make that impossible this week with Call It What You Want. The gritty, staccato post-punk, layered with a thick coat of melodic synths. It sounds euphoric and anthemic, but an underlying sense of fear lingers. Singer Joe Love reflects on his family’s problems and fears genetic determinism: “What’s up with your DNA? I felt like shit, you feel the same way.” You're reading the work of volunteers who just want you to hear better music. If that means something, join the club: Ghost Notes audio essays, exclusive Discord channels, first dibs on the zines. $3.50/month makes you a founding member of Switzerland's indie music community in English. Join the Club * * * ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Can we agree that killing innocent people is wrong? Pop music, of all things, made headlines this week. I’m sure you’ve heard, but just to be sure, a quick recap: Macklemore (the _Thrift Shop_ guy) said “Free Palestine” while opening for Ed Sheeran (the _Shape of You_ guy). Subsequently, Macklemore was dropped from the tour’s lineup, with billionaire Robert Kraft saying Macklemore wouldn’t be allowed to play in his stadium. In solidarity, Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe have announced they will no longer perform at planned shows with Sheeran. Beoga, who accompanied Sheeran as his live band on parts of the tour, have also stepped down. And a badly timed contest to open for Ed Sheeran has gone haywire. People are upset for good reasons: because a billionaire dictates speech. Because Sheeran said the decision was out of his hands, even though he clearly has a lot of leverage. Because Sheeran said that his music is apolitical. The latter quickly came back at him because he used his platform to support Ukraine. Ed Sheeran’s tour falling apart in this dumpster fire may very well be the end of the era of apolitical, all-pleasing pop music. It’s obvious why Ed Sheeran tried to tiptoe around this issue. He’s Mr Nice Guy trying to please everyone. Supporting Ukraine is consensus-safe, but Israel-Palestine is messy: The atrocities of Hamas, the atrocities of Israel’s government, the European history of antisemitism, the pressure campaigns. And while some quickly hail Macklemore as a newfound champion for the oppressed, let’s not forget that he was justifiably slammed for anti-Semitic imagery in the past. But underneath all the details, historic reasonings, and whataboutisms, the reality in 2026 is that innocent people die in an asymmetrical war. It’s neither complicated nor controversial to stand against it. But Sheeran chose the silence that keeps everyone comfortable. And it backfired spectacularly. ### **We built the bland pop machine ourselves** It would be convenient to stop scratching the issue here. The public can rightfully demand that artists with massive audiences stand up for _something_ in the face of growing authoritarianism, inequality, and injustice. Especially if that _something_ is just basic human rights. Still, we can’t absolve ourselves of responsibility for pop music’s notoriously apolitical stance. For years, we kept telling the stars to please shut the fuck up and stop their virtue signalling from their privileged pedestals. What we got were polished pop stars of insultingly inoffensive blandness, a canvas for everyone to project onto whatever they believe. These times are gone now. Public discourse has unravelled. There used to be real consequences for spewing hate and lies. The boundaries of what can be said are pushed further to the extremes. Shouting outright racist shit barely has any consequences. Meanwhile, saying “Free Palestine” or booking an Israeli musician is met with outrage. And staying silent makes you immediately complicit. None of this justifies Sheeran’s inaction. Nor does it undercut people’s desire for artists taking a stance for humanity. But we also have to admit that outrage is cheap. It lets us feel like we did something while changing nothing. A placebo for action in an unhinged, dehumanised, paralysed world. * * * ### **This week on Negative White** Neumatic Parlo Get Pulled Under in “Undertow” Video**.** On Monday, we hosted the premiere for Neumatic Parlo’s new music video. _Undertow_ swiftly envelops you in a hazy tapestry of sound and blurs the edges of reality. A ritual descent into trance, amidst the ceaseless whirl of indie rock that draws generously on shoegaze. * * * ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

A hazy tapestry of sound that swiftly envelops you and blurs the edges of reality. A ritual descent into trance, amidst the ceaseless whirl of indie rock that draws generously on shoegaze. _Undertow_ , the new single from German band Neumatic Parlo, was released on 4 September. Today, Negative White is exclusively premiering the crackling video by Emily Schlösser, filmed in early August in Hamburg on two full reels of Super 8. “ _Undertow_ refers to the current implied by the shoegaze ‘wall of sound’. The music video aimed to explore this theme and place the band members within it,” explains the band. And there’s no question that _Undertow_ sweeps you away: the track is overwhelming, and even singer Vincent Göttler barely stands a chance against the flowing wall of sound. Despite the towering composition, _Undertow_ never feels aggressive—rather, it’s conciliatory. It creates a utopia where you’ll be gently washed away in moments. An existence that is neither past nor future, simply present. #### Neumatic Parlo UK tour dates Neumatic Parlo will play __Undertow__ on their first UK tour in September. Check out the dates: * 14.09. – London, The Old Blue Last * 15.09. – Brighton, The Brunswick Pub * 16.09. – Leeds, Northern Guitars * 17.09. – Sheffield, Mary St. Live * 18.09. – Manchester, Eagle Inn * 20.09. – London, Sebright Arm Premiere: Neumatic Parlo – brightnessNeumatic Parlo tease the upcoming debut album with their new single, «brightness». Today, we celebrate the video premiere.Negative WhiteJanosch Tröhler-Nordström ## Don't miss out. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

This is edition number 200. No fireworks, no cakes, simply the same stubborn promise as always: five songs, chosen by people, for people. If anything, this milestone only sharpens the question of why we’re here. The algorithm doesn’t wonder what a culture sounds like. It doesn’t know what it means when heartache becomes a dull companion. It doesn’t know what childhood felt like. People do. Here we go bravely forward into today’s five recommendations. ## Sign up for Weekly5 Five handpicked songs. No algorithm. No noise. Just the music we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### **Microhm & Imaabs – _Sedimento_** Quite unexpectedly, I found myself lost in the magnificent maze of Latencia, a collaborative work by Microhm (Mexico) and Imaabs (Chile). The album journeys through the sonic memory of Mexico and Latin America, filtered through contemporary electronic production. _Sedimento_ serves as a standout excerpt, pushing forward with an intense dembow beat, clattering, noisy industrial samples, and razor-sharp synths carving a menacing melody. It’s a mind-bending track that feels like a window into a world and a culture rather than a singular piece of art. ### **som som – _Realign_** With outrageous ease, Rotterdam-based musician som som blends the raw textures of bedroom production with rich sonic lushness. Realign exudes a rough warmth. Drawn-out vocals clash with vigorous drums, claiming the lead for the entire song while the guitar recedes into a supporting role. An unusual switch-up that gives _Realign_ its singular character. ### **Humane – _Penny Let Go_** Breathless angst. Delightful urgency, delivered with punchy vocals. With _Penny Let Go_ , East London’s quintet Humane shoots straight as an arrow, maintaining a magnetic chaos of speed and thrill. With an almost manic yet clinically precise energy, the band races through this desperate longing for detachment. Or, as singer Max Hanley puts it: “An instruction to let go when you’re not sure what it is you’re holding onto.” ### **Peter Kernel – _Heartbreak_** The Swiss-Canadian duo Peter Kernel oscillates between melodic catchiness and unvarnished honesty. Heartbreak explores the ache that has lost its sharp edge and become a dull, tiresome companion in everyday life. Aris Bassetti and Barbara Lehnhoff embrace this tension between longing and predictable pain in an unexpectedly candid post-pop piece. Passionately melodic, with seemingly defeated vocals that embody the weariness perfectly. ### **Medium Build – _King of Having Fun_** A song brimming with nostalgia and regret over the loss of childhood’s carefree spirit, wrapped in the honey-sweet longing of country music. King of Having Fun by Medium Build just skims past kitsch, but his direct lyrics sincerely stab the heart. And heard unplugged and stripped back, its impact is amplified a thousandfold—for out of mere melancholy emerges a manifesto to reclaim that former curiosity and innocence. You’re reading the work of volunteers who just want you to hear better music. If that matters to you, join the club: for only $3.50/month, you support our independent music journalism. And you can access Ghost Notes below, our weekly audio essay about one track that keeps haunting us. Join the Club ## **Ghost Notes on Microhm & Imaabs** ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

**This Sunday marks a special anniversary:** Weekly5 celebrates its 200th edition. And because a proper celebration needs a gift, as of today, **Weekly5 is free to read again.** So if you want five new, hand-selected tracks every Sunday morning, check the email preferences in your profile and make sure you’re subscribed to the Weekly5 newsletter. **And there’s a new way to go deeper:** Ghost Notes. Every week, paying Supporters receive a short audio essay. Four to five minutes on the one song I couldn’t stop thinking about. Not a review, not a pitch, but an exploration of why it haunts me. Like a ghost note: present and essential, but barely audible. Join the club and support Negative White for only $3.50/month. * * * 200 editions add up to 1,000 carefully curated songs since 2021. Did they all stand the test of time? Definitely not. Were there tracks that will accompany me for the rest of my life? No question. Artists I discovered in the process of creating Weekly5, such as Linn Koch-Emmery, Moyka, The Haunted Youth, Soft Loft, or Moonpools, stuck around in my personal heavy rotation long after their first feature. * * * Curating and producing Weekly5 can be quite tedious. Ploughing through hundreds of promotional emails, scouring social media and other playlists to come up with a selection that’s hopefully not only worth your time but also introduces you to something new and exciting. How I Create A Weekly5 EditionHow does a regular Weekly5 come to live? In this behind the scenes explainer, I give you a glimpse into my curation process.Negative WhiteJanosch Tröhler-Nordström Why do that when algorithms have already measured your taste and deliver hyperpersonalised recommendations? And yes, at times, when I was struggling to find enough exciting songs, when I was tired just by looking at all the unread emails, I asked myself: Why am I still doing this?! The truth is, Weekly5 isn’t designed for mass appeal. It‘s not pigeonholed into a specific genre. I’ve recommended harsh techno beats and shredding metal riffs, catchy pop clichés, experimental challenges—and everything in between. You won’t love every song in every edition. That’s the point: Weekly5 will always encourage you to look beyond your taste. It’s for the bold and curious. And that’s why I’m still holding on to it. Because I believe that music recommended from one person to another is something truly meaningful. Nobody remembers the moment an algorithm suggested a song, even if they love the song. But a human recommendation creates a memory, maybe even a relationship. And whenever the song plays, you think of the first time you heard it and, by extension, also about the person recommending it. When I hear KEZA, I think about August Charles telling me about her at SXSW London last year. When I hear Chalk, I remember how Leo dragged me to their show at m4music. When I listen to Fjørt’s _lod_ , I think about Vinzenz sending me the song after we had a beer in Zurich as I was walking to the train station. It’s without a doubt the corniest statement: “Music is the soundtrack of our lives.” But there’s truth here. Attached to people and memories, music becomes invisible, emotional tissue connecting us. If we delegate it to algorithms, we not only lose this connection, we also degrade music to a passionlessly consumed commodity. Background noise, devalued and devoid of real emotion. Weekly5 has always been my small and personal rebellion against the dehumanisation of music recommendation. 200 editions in, the rebellion continues every Sunday morning. You’re welcome to join it. ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Affiliate Link We at Negative White trust in Ghost as a future-proof and reliable content management system and newsletter tool. Try yourself As you’re reading this newsletter, I’m already heading to my second and last proper open-air this year. And by proper, I mean sleeping badly in a tent, smelling badly in a camping chair. That sort of jazz… I‘m not there on official Negative White business but will probably share some impressions over on our Discord server. Join here to not miss out. While the festival season waves goodbye, the concert autumn rapidly approaches. In recent years, I’ve retreated more and more from attending live shows. It used to be quite different: in 2013, for example, I saw 77 artists in 35 days. But I can’t quite say what changed. Maybe age’s toll on surviving with little sleep or increased responsibilities. Or just exhaustion from writing hundreds of concert reviews. The journalistic privilege of free concerts comes at the cost of pure enjoyment. I’m always thinking about what to write; there’s less of that “being in the moment”. However, for this autumn, I made the conscious decision to attend more shows again. Also, to write about them. And honestly, the motivation is simple: I’m craving real stuff. Even if music is inherently ethereal, a concert has this tangible, physical, human quality that’s ever less prevalent. So, here are some of the gigs I’m excited about in the coming months: * Twin Noir & Lone Assembly at Gaswerk Winterthur * Maquina. at Bogen F Zurich * Makthaverskan at Albani Winterthur * The Haunted Youth at Bogen F Zurich (And yes, this list originally had five bands in it. But while writing, I learned that the SPRINTS gig sadly has been cancelled. I really hope all the others will remain on the agenda…) Aside from Lone Assembly—who I’ve already seen tear up a Zurich stage—none of these bands has crossed my path live yet. Only through speakers, playlists and album reviews. But that's exactly the point. And in the best-case scenario, these shows will also light the spark for writing concert reviews once again. _P.S. It's Bandcamp Friday, so all your money goes directly to the artists._ Check our collection to get inspired_._ ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

The road to Weekly5’s 200th makes a final stop. Today, it’s all about how we reach each other: Dylan John Thomas’s inner turmoil bubbles to the surface, Softdrink let two people drift apart in velvet, Barbicop dissects unreturned feelings, Lost in Lona play with tension, and Bianca Steck seeks a language for rowing together. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Last Saturday, I made a rather spontaneous trip to Basel to host a panel discussion at the Swiss Live Music Marathon. After thoroughly enjoying the canapés at the aperitif, the programme moved on to some intimate showcases. That’s how I ended up at the Atlantis, where the Graubünden-based singer-songwriter Mattiu was performing. His speciality: he sings in Romansh, Switzerland’s fourth and endangered national language. The language has a wonderful sound. Unspoilt, warm and—in a strange way—familiar. In 2022, I featured Mattiu’s debut single Forza in the Weekly5: > The clouds disappear with each epochal swelling of the string orchestra. It’s almost cinematic how _Forza_ starts, and almost tragic how the grand opening collapses to reveal a singer-songwriter tune. But then, this contrast is an allegory of the Alps—big, majestic, but also quiet and beautiful. Whilst _Forza_ really impressed me back then, I found the songs that followed a bit too polished, too soft. They’re harmonious, catchy tracks with no rough edges. Not really my cup of tea, and I realised that once again at Atlantis. But then Mattiu suddenly stepped away from the microphone, flanked by his two sisters, and they sang, unamplified, a piece that Mattiu had composed for a choir. The room fell completely silent, filled only by their voices, which were at once delicate and overwhelming. Every hair on my body stood on end. A magical moment. Unadulterated, unfiltered, genuine. Music in its purest form. Nothing, really nothing else, comes close to this power. 0:00 /0:20 1× * * * ### **This week on Negative White** Podcast: BLUAI – It's Gotta Be Me**.** Delicately picked guitars and a soft arrangement drawn from Americana and folk traditions open the track, as Belgian trio BLUAI captures a gut-wrenching realisation. In our latest One of Five episode, we discover beautiful pain. * * * ### **What I enjoyed** Joe Rogan is stupid**.** Anthony Fantano rants about the latest conspiracy peddled by Joe Rogan: Rap music was funded by USAID to manipulate the masses. The proof? Well, apparently the genre isn't dominating the charts anymore, now the crucial institution has been gutted. Stupid isn't a strong enough word. Music is a weapon**.** Speaking of music as manipulation: This video essay paints the real picture on how music has and is being used by organisations as a weapon. From torture to a loitering deterrent, from drowning out noise in offices to music as a wallpaper. Highly recommend. * * * ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Last Saturday, I was rather spontaneously invited to moderate a panel on the state of the live music business at the Swiss Live Music Marathon in Basel. With Marion Meier, Marc Lambelet, and Simon Jaccard, there was a wealth of experience on stage. But to me, musician Simon Jaccard shared a profound perspective: It’s a shared responsibility of both clubs _and_ artists to keep live music venues alive. To Jaccard, this responsibility goes beyond simple promotion but expands to a true collaboration in experimenting with different event formats, like smaller listening sessions and fan participation that create unique experiences and build the community around artists and venues. It’s a simplified view, but the traditional music club feels a bit like a car to me: A mode of transportation that, in fact, stands around parked 98% of the time. In an era of ever-shrinking opportunities, music venues’ biggest asset is space that remains empty most of the time as well. So, I was excited to see alternative programming to concerts and parties, such as the “Drinks + Draw” at Salzhaus Winterthur. Music clubs as culture hubs, becoming a melting pot for interdisciplinary events. Naturally, these exploration into not necessarily music-driven experiences have their own challenges, not least the demand for the harder-to-find staff. However, I recently spoke with a club representative who said anyone is more than welcome to organise and use the space. But if clubs are serious about bringing in driven collaborators from the outside, especially from younger generations, they need to communicate that offer far more aggressively while keeping these opportunities accessible and attractive. A 20-year-old probably can’t take on a huge financial risk. ## **Headlines** ### **Mouthwatering expands with booking division** Mouthwatering Records announced its new booking division, expanding the team with René Kunz (Le René) and Kristina Hofstetter (Gelato BusineZZ). The goal of the expansion is to “build a broader home for artists” according to the company’s Instagram post. * **Why it matters:** After launching its sublabel, Home Crowd Recordings, Mouthwatering continues to grow into a—for Swiss proportions—indie music juggernaut, offering more of a 360-degree service for its artists. * **The wider trend:** Switzerland’s indie business is concentrating. While companies like Young and Aspiring, Glad We Met, or Orange Peel have folded or scaled back significantly, the remaining players may grow. * **Clustering risk:** Whilst more comprehensive package deals offer many advantages, they do pose a potential risk to the company. Dissatisfaction with a particular aspect may lead the artist to switch providers for all services at once. ### **City Parliament of Zurich rings alarm on venue closures** As reported by Tsüri, the City Parliament of Zurich sounded the alarm regarding the imminent closures of two mid-sized venues, Komplex 457 and X-Tra. In a rare moment of unity, the parliament has unanimously called on the City Council to secure new venues for Zurich’s music scene. * **Why it matters:** As Switzerland’s largest city, Zurich is also the natural destination for international artists. In the absence of medium-sized venues, however, they tend to give Switzerland a wide berth. The fact that politicians have recognised the problem and that, for a moment, there is consensus across the political spectrum is an important sign. * **Critical thoughts:** The problems facing clubs have been getting worse for years: the business model is broken, and economic pressure, coupled with gentrification, has created a toxic environment for club culture. Countermeasures in terms of spatial planning take years to implement. And venues of the scale that is now disappearing cannot simply be conjured up out of thin air. I fear that this motion is too little, too late. The city must act swiftly now to ensure that at least the smaller clubs survive. ### **WEMUSIC launches Apprenticeship & Music** Earlier this year, we reported on the WEMUSIC project, which aims to combine a music career with a foundational education. The model is already known in Switzerland’s education system as a combination of an apprenticeship and sports. Now, the project moves into its pilot implementation. From 2027, talented young musicians will be able to undertake a basic commercial apprenticeship whilst developing skills tailored to the culture, music and events sectors. Music-friendly training organisations give young people the chance to combine their basic vocational training as a commercial clerk (EFZ) with their musical training. * **How you can help:** WEMUSIC are still seeking music-friendly training organisations that train commercial apprentices and wish to take part in the pilot scheme. If you know a potential company that might be interested, you may contact WEMUSIC and connect them. ### **wemakeit Communities aims to be Switzerland's Patreon** The popular crowdfunding platform is launching its new offering „Communities“ on 16 September, copying the well-known continuous funding scheme popularised by Patreon. “Communities” takes a 10% commission from your total monthly payments. * **Critical thought:** wemakeit is late to the game in an already saturated market. Aside from Patreon, membership and subscription programmes have been popping up for years: Substack, Ghost, Steady, Fourthwall, and Fanklub all offer tailored solutions for specific needs. ### **Martin Schrader revives Redda Music** ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

We’re slowly approaching the astounding 200th edition. But before we arrive there, let’s hope we don’t get completely lost in today’s selection. It all starts with a siren’s call, surrender disguised as escape. Fontaines D.C. set the cathedral tone before NP York risks it all anyway, Doom! Noo Yelbek blow the hinges off, and BLUAI find the strength to walk away. End credits belong to 15-year-old Matilda Noe, whose quiet cupboard confession proves the smallest songs carry the heaviest weight. Five tracks, one spiral inward. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

**Listen:** It's Gotta Be Me on YouTube **About the episode:** _It's Gotta Be Me_ unfolds the painful moment when holding on is no longer the kindest thing to do. A quiet confession wrapped in fingerpicked guitars and Americana warmth. **About BLUAI:** A three-piece girl band based in Antwerp. What started as Catherine Smet's intimate bedroom project (voice, guitar) quickly evolved into a full-fledged band with Caitlin Talbut on bass and Mo Govaerts on drums. Within a few months, the trio won Belgium's three major music contests—Humo's Rock Rally, Sound Track and De Nieuwe Lichting—and even made it to a billboard in Times Square as ambassadors for Spotify's Equal campaign for more women in music. 🎧 __It's Gotta Be Me__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

Five days of exceptional circumstances. The sun beat down relentlessly on the fields and meadows, which had long since dried up. Dust hung constantly in the air, stirred up by thousands of metalheads. That was the Summer Breeze Openair in Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria, Germany. A festival during a historic heatwave is—at least until the sun begins to set—a physical ordeal. Every evening, it felt as though you were blowing a whole sandpit’s worth of dust into your handkerchief; by morning, you could feel the dust in your lungs. Unfortunately, the brutal heat meant that one or two acts on my list fell victim to it. I couldn’t bring myself to leave the shade of the pavilion. And yet I still find it hard to pick the ultimate highlight of last week. Virtually every band I saw after sunset was outstanding. The anarchic punk of Blood Command, the theatrical 80s fever dream of Castle Rat, the pitch-black storm of Groza, or the unbridled passion with which Slomosa roared. On Saturday, clouds finally arrived. The 2026 festival season isn’t over yet. Nor is the ongoing drought. But you won’t find the same conditions as at Summer Breeze at the **Between Mountains Festival** from 4 to 6 September. And rather than all the facets of heavy guitar music, Between Mountains sits at the exact opposite end of the sonic spectrum: an exciting melting pot of classical, electronica and ambient. Admittedly, this experimental mix is just as unlikely to be to everyone’s taste as metal, but it promises a gripping shift in perspective on what music can be. Between Mountains creates a space for the brave and the curious. If you’d like to find out more about Between Mountains, you can read our preview. **And, with a bit of luck, you might even win 2x2 tickets for this year’s festival.** Win 2x2 Tickets for Between Mountains FestivalFrom 4 to 6 September, the second Between Mountains Festival invites you to three days full of eclectic and experimental soundscapes. We are giving away tickets for the festival.Negative WhitePromotion * * * ### **What I enjoyed** How Social Media Makes Our Lives Smaller**.** A curious podcast about how social media went from this exciting place to connect and discover to a draining and divisive experience. Four corporations control Europe’s festivals—and hardly anyone realises it. An insightful short documentary on the European festival landscape and how private equity is taking over. _In German._ * * * ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Classical music has this air of elitism about it. With a vision to break down these social and intellectual barriers, conductor Baldur Brönnimann and cultural manager Felix Heri initiated the Detect Classic Festival in Germany. In 2025, the team behind Detect Classic Festival brought the idea to Switzerland. The first edition was launched in Hölstein, close to Basel, under the name Between Mountains, taking place at Holdenweid in close collaboration with the Impulszentrum Holdenweid. But Between Mountains is not a pure classical music festival. It opens up the space between the classical and the electronic to create atmospheric and experimental live performances. Or as they beautifully write: > "We’ll explore classical and ambient music, electronic and contemporary sounds, avant-garde, beats, rhythm and spatial acoustics, blurring the boundaries between open-air concerts, raves and the philharmonic." The second edition promises an experience that is promising and diverse: Acid Pauli, Stimming, Robot Koch, AFAR, and Earth Trax are scheduled to perform. You can discover the full line-up here. Between Mountains is not your typical festival, and it is certainly not for everyone. It is its own universe filled with enchanting live performances that might challenge your perception of sound and music. It is a deep pool for you to immerse yourself, explore with curiosity, and escape the everyday reality. A multi-sensory journey. * * * In partnership with Between Mountains, Negative White is giving away 2x2 tickets for the festival. Fill out the form below to enter the contest until **25 August 2026, 6 pm**.

More by chance than design, my legs carried me to the Club Tent at Paléo Festival. But the sound pouring out from beneath that white canopy was brimmed with unfiltered passion and eclectic energy. Four young musicians were on stage, playing as if their lives depended on it. Fueled by a relentless drum machine, singer Nicolas Roussi danced as if in a trance, eyes wide open, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. ****Nonante.**** Credit: Emal Dumont That was my first—and, I must say, excellent—encounter with the Swiss quartet Nonante from Lausanne. Since their 2022 debut single, Waterflow, they’ve released two albums, establishing a signature sound ranging from post-punk to 8-bit psychedelic pop. Today, let’s dive into the still small but promising and compelling universe of Nonante. ### **_Jennifer_** We’re starting our journey almost at the very beginning: _Jennifer_ is Nonante’s second standalone single, not part of their debut album _GRAND TOUR_. A song that begins innocuously, lurking beneath a sense of calm, waiting to stalk the soul. But it swells; Roussi howls in despair into the silence of the night, which is torn apart by a sharp guitar riff. _Jennifer_ has a transcendental quality; no cheap hooks that immediately cry out for attention, but rather a relentless energy that is more reminiscent of electronic dance music, drawing you in ever deeper. ### **_Dead Don't Die_** We find the same quality in _Dead Don’t Die_ , only here Nonante pick up the pace. More frenetic, wilder, more virtuosic. This track races along with real punch, pumping out pure adrenaline. And yet the four musicians take the space to let the excellent guitar work shine. It sways, screams, wails, and dances its way to a feverish climax. Here is where cold wave and garage rock collide, and it works exceptionally well. ### **_Kids_** A glittering 80s vibe, a funky groove. The love child of Depeche Mode, New Order, and Prince. _Kids_ , like _Dead Don’t Die_ , from their debut album released in 2023, strikes a completely different note, yet still fits seamlessly into their repertoire. Even though this nostalgic escapade flirts more with pop elements, Nonante don’t take the easy route here. Whilst there is a classic chorus, the focus is much more on constant development than on a rigid structure. ### **_Bank Robber_** Fast forward. Last year, Nonante released their second album, _Monate_. And with it came _Bank Robber_ , a track which, alongside _Fire to the Dust_ , not only delves deep into the Spartan post-punk canon but also stands as one of the album’s most ecstatic highlights. Think: Molchat Doma, but with a twink. The synth melody bounces along innocently, undeterred, whilst the guitar indulges in melancholy and Roussi recounts, almost impassively, the story of a repeat bank robber. Beneath this minimalist framework lies a foundation of planetary weight: a primal bassline that vibrates like an earthquake from the deep, making your chest tremble. ### **_Faces_** An oriental-sounding melody, sweeping guitar riffs, a driving rhythm and vocals reminiscent of early The Cure. _Faces_ is a daring success. Just like _Dead Don’t Die_ and _Kids_ before them, the juxtaposition of _Faces_ and _Bank Robber_ reveal the absurdly wide range that the band have to offer without losing an all-connecting essence. Nonante collide contrasting elements with effortless nonchalance, giving the instrumentation room to breathe as they indulge in pure, psychedelic nectar. * * * _Support Nonante by buying their music._ The full catalogue is available on Bandcamp_._ 🔦 __Weekly5 Spotlight__ focuses on a single artist. Through five selected tracks from their discography to date, we want to delve deeper into their sound with you and appreciate it. This format complements the usual Weekly5 curation at regular intervals.

An invitation to drift. Spend a sunny afternoon with Pool Girl on an air mattress, before the night pulls us into darker corners with RIP Swirl and Lone Aires. Waking up again to The Mountain Goats reminding us how short the days are, leading to an epic 8-minute piece of sonic denim by Leon III. Today’s selection certainly builds whole worlds for you to get lost in. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

**Listen:** _Brushstrokes_ on YouTube **About the episode:** _Brushstrokes_ is an epic piece of sonic denim; a song that celebrates 70s rock opulence before spectacularly breaking apart into a sudden patch of high-tech synth revolution. A reflection on long-form music, heavy textures, and crafting something built to last. **About Leon III:** Leon III (pronounced “Leon the Third”) is the Texan project led by Andy Stepanian and Mason Brent. Blending pedal-steel-soaked Americana, sprawling guitars, and psychedelic escapades, the duo builds expansive soundscapes that bridge classic rock craftsmanship with modern experimental curiosity. 🎧 __Brushstrokes__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

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. * * * 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. * * * 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 * * * ### **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. * * * ### **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. * * * One last thing: Next week, there won’t be a newsletter on Friday, as I’ll be out of the country attending a festival. ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

It’s actually about time for the next issue of Sound Business, but there’s currently too little to report to fill the usual amount of space. But in this heat, something light is a bit more palatable anyway. So today, there’s not much news, just a few reading and listening recommendations. Plus an ‘amusing’ update on our own behalf. _P.S. On Friday, I will attend_ SUISA - Money Talks: Financing a Modern Music Career_at Zurich Music Week. If you're there as well, let's have a chat._ ## **Headlines** ### **m4music Festival welcomes new staff members** Sandra Feller, Tatjana Rüegsegger, and Maisch Gosteli join the m4music Festival in various capacities. Tatjana Rüegsegger will head the m4music Demotape Clinic. Sandra Feller, who is working in a variety of fields at Salzhaus Winterthur, and Maisch Gosteli, Co-Booker at Bad Bonn Düdingen and Partner at Redda Music, join the festival's booking team as co-heads. They are taking over from Matthias Schlemmermeyer, while Stipe Svalina remains part of the booking team. ### **Nominees of ZKB Jazzpreis announced** From around 40 entries, six groups were selected to represent the diversity and quality of the young Swiss jazz scene. This year’s line-up comprises the Ulysse Loup Large Ensemble, Rufus D, Espuma Antigua, the Driftwood Quartet, muralim, and HOLD. The nominated bands come from all over Switzerland and, as the press states, "are characterised by their own distinctive sound and an original approach to jazz." They will be judged by an international jury, which this year comprises the musicians Joëlle Léandre and Lucia Cadotsch, the music journalist Fiona Ross, the Swiss booker Kate Espasandin, and Christian Gamp as the audience representative. ## **Curated Links** Why It Feels like All TV, Movies, and Music Are Getting Worse**.** Author and activist Cory Doctorow talks in the Vulture podcast "Good One" about enshittification, the impact of AI on creative industries, and how we can achieve a better internet. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Zurich's Bogen F slowly filled with people gathering beneath its massive stone arch, buzzing with the anticipation of a sold-out night. The French band Mascara opened the night with an immersive set, their atmospheric sound gradually settling into the room. Mascara opened the evening. As This Will Destroy You took the stage, the first incense sticks were lit. Thin trails of smoke drifted through the dimly lit venue, adding another layer to an already immersive setting. Rather than putting together a conventional setlist, the band performed two full records: _Young Mountain_ followed by _Another Language_. It wasn't a collection of singles or crowd favourites, but two complete journeys, experienced exactly as they were written. Without a single word being spoken or sung, This Will Destroy You let the music do all the talking. Long, slow intros built into shimmering guitars and expansive soundscapes, taking their time before revealing their full intensity. Looking around the room, it was hard not to notice people standing with their eyes closed, completely lost in the music. For most of the set, the band's name almost felt misleading. The music remained gentle, patient and deeply atmospheric. Only during the final third did everything open up. Layers of guitars, powerful drums, and towering walls of sound transformed the calm into something overwhelming. ## Join Negative White We believe music is better when shared with others. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam, only music. Unsubscribe anytime.

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_ is one of these unobtrusive pieces. Nothing grabs you by the arm and aggressively pulls you, but more of an open, inviting gesture. “The track is a living-room-sized hymn. A classy his-and-hers duet, singing of another time and another place,” Schmidiger explains. Along with the single, Tender Ender also shares a self-directed music video that matches the music’s calm character, observing the annual wheat harvest and capturing a swarm of red kites. Negative White is proud to premiere _Darkness_ , the new single and video by Swiss artist Tender Ender. Swiss artist Thomas Schmidiger, aka Tender Ender, centres _Darkness_ around a silky home organ, accompanied by the built-in rhythm section. The organ holds its notes forever, creating a canvas of sound, a backdrop for the intricate melodies of the vocals, piano, and guitar. Schmidiger’s baritone, paired with the breathy voice of Sabine Ruch, creates a soothing bittersweetness and comforting intimacy. Regarding the video, Schmidiger says: “I like boring things. They tend to open doors you didn’t even know existed.” And so, this observation of an encounter among industrial agriculture, nature, and an indifferent landscape becomes more than mere visual accompaniment: like _Darkness_ itself, it is an invitation to deliberately discover and reflect. While _Darkness_ quietly roams between melancholy’s bitterness and the sweet taste of hope, it morphs into a meditation for conscious dreaming. These velvety textures need to be touched again and again, eyes closed, to explore all its eclectic stitchings and weavings. They reveal the beauty and grace beneath, branching out from an embrace of something seemingly simple. Tender Ender composes art with space to breathe, firmly against overproduced stimulation. Maybe this all makes _Darkness_ easy to overlook, to skip, to scroll by. But be warned: passing it by means missing something far richer than today’s endless stream of attention-seeking content. * * * _Tender Ender will release his sophomore album, Red Kites, on November 13. You can preorder the album_ on the website_._ ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

From the high-velocity crash of Vienna Vienna to the cosmic, zero-gravity float of Locust & Olive Kimoto, today’s Weekly5 celebrates the art of transformation. Clara Mann finds infinity in quiet room reverb, while Gurry Wurry turns the whimsical into something grand. Then, Big Truck masks sharp social commentary behind a deceptively catchy hook. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

**Listen:** _Polaroid of Pain_ on YouTube or Bandcamp **About the episode:** Gurry Wurry's _Polaroid of Pain_ lives at the intersection of playful indie pop and soaring, stadium-sized anthems. It's showing how a song can start deceptively small and expand to grand gestures without losing an ounce of its quirky soul. **About Gurry Wurry:** Gurry Wurry is the project of Scottish musician Dave King. His latest album, _Glue_ , has been released in May 2026 with a physical- and download-first approach. 🎧 __[Songtitle tk]__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

Real talk. I‘m not thrilled about Negative White lately. Not because my passion for music has waned, but a hard-to-grasp feeling keeps creeping up. One that whispers in the back of my head: „It‘s not in proper shape to address the times.“ And the times are certainly gloomy: For years now, signs of an impending collapse are mounting. From AI slop flooding streaming services and struggling clubs and festivals to the erosion of business models for all players in music. Even if you’re _just_ a regular fan of music, you can directly feel these worrying trends. You might be served AI-generated music on Spotify or pay ever-higher fees to see your favourite artist perform. I put Negative White to rest in 2020. And when I resurrected it three years later, the world was different. It wasn’t as obvious as it is today, tainted by the euphoria of the post-pandemic music scene’s comeback. But underneath, the signals were already there. In hindsight, I paid too little attention to a shifting landscape because my main driver was to write more in-depth about music again. What’s missing today isn’t more “objective” gatekeeping music journalism. And in a way, Negative White, despite the best intentions, retained a fairly traditional approach. A one-way stream of content to be consumed. I feel we need something else, something real: connection, community. A space where we, as fellow music lovers, can share our passion. Now, I don’t really know what that specifically means. Or what shapes it could take. But maybe you’re willing to share your perspective on what you feel is missing for avid music fans. **That’s why I’ll be hanging out in our Discord today from 8 pm CEST.** Join here, and stay as short or long as you like. * * * ### **This week on Negative White** ****The Wombats at X-Tra.**** Credit: Evelyn Kutschera Gallery of The Wombats live in Zurich**•** Evelyn Kutschera climbed into the infamous pit in Zurich's Club X-Tra (it's not really a pit but a staircase with horizontal struts holding the barrier to the floor in place) and brought home shots from The Wombats' gig. __We're emptying our left-over merch: Some t-shirts, a one-off print, some flawed gym bags. All heavily discounted, all proceeds support our platform.__ To the shop * * * ### **What I appreciated** ****Glen Hansard at Musikfestwochen Winterthur, Switzerland, 2017.**** Credit: Matt Hoffmann/Negative White On Glen Hansard**•** What do we do when people we love and have never met die. Emely L. Hauser wrote a touching and emotional piece after the tragic news of Glen Hansard's passing. The Oscar-winning artist died in a motorcycle accident on 29 July. Why Creative Success Destroys People**•** A compelling in-depth video essay on creativity, success, and the "artists should not complain" argument. With examples from music to painting. There are no white people on Middle-Earth**•** NY Times' Jamelle Bouie counters the culture war narrative on political correctness and diversity on his private YouTube channel. * * * ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

The evening was opened by The Paris Match.

A climb awaits. From the disorienting glitches of _Swimming Pool_ to the tender sea-and-piano of Sad Cypress, from garage fury in Austin to a sweltering basement club in Australia, and ending on a short, exhilarating peak. Today’s Weekly5 picks juxtapose the seemingly incompatible and make it feel inevitable. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

**Listen:** _Hold Your Horses_ on YouTube or Bandcamp **About the episode:** Harsh glitches and sluggish slowcore rhythms collide with a jangly guitar. Swimming Pool’s standalone single _Hold Your Horses_ takes complex digital synthesis and serves something raw, honest, and borderline psychedelic. From an ancient machine gone haywire to a lush, enveloping daydream. A piece of art rock that bends time and reality. **About Swimming Pool:** Swimming Pool are Klyl Shifroni and Seraina Faessler, a duo split between The Hague and Zurich. Meeting during their studies in Sonology, they bring an academic background in digital synthesis to the world of pop songwriting, crafting a unique sound world at the intersection of genres. 🎧 __Hold Your Horses__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

5 am, in the back of my brother’s Volkswagen Passat. The dawn wakes me, but I pull the sleeping bag over my head. Two hours later, I‘m packing everything up. Exhausted, yes, but mostly sad that I’m already leaving Paléo again. Because for two hours, no, strike that, for the whole day, Paléo offered an escape from an even more exhausting reality that seems too eager to hit us with ever more uncertainty. Not even heat, sweat, and the discomfort of sleeping in the car could detract from all that. A festival might not be wellness for the body, but it definitely is for the soul—especially with The Cure and their sense of shared Weltschmerz. * * * ### **This week on Negative White** ****The Cure at Paléo Festival in Nyon.**** Credit: Ludwig Wallendorff/Paléo The Cure for Weltschmerz**** Finally, after missing their last show in Switzerland, I could witness The Cure live on stage at the award-winning Paléo Festival. It was a two-hour long meditation of mellow melancholy and shared escape. ****Samora at Reeds Festival.**** Credit: Francesco Tancredi Impressions from Reeds Festival Francesco Tancredi worked again as the official photographer at Reeds Festival in Pfäffikon ZH. We now can also present his shots on our website. ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

****Female Reggae Voices**** ****Mo Kalamity**** ****Samora**** ****Alborosie**** ****DJ Miss LRA and DJ Scratchy bringing in the tunes.**** ****Open Season**** ****Open Season**** ****Tarrus Riley**** ****Peekaboo****

The Volkswagen Passat I borrowed from my brother glides smoothly along the motorway. No clouds are tainting the blue sky; it’s a perfect summer’s day, almost a shame to spend hours driving 300 kilometres West across the country. I arrive at one o’clock after riding along some narrow and bumpy roads through the dry fields. On the horizon, I can already spot the white tents of Paléo Festival in Nyon, near Geneva. And as I prepare my makeshift bed in the back of the car, I already feel the exhaustion from the mediocre sleep I’ll get. The festival grounds are still closed, but my red media wristband gives me access anyway. I wander around the vast area between the art installations, food and merch stalls (also still closed), and bars (sadly also still closed). It’s empty; a calmness looms over the space, but the ground already shakes from the soundcheck of Bound by Endogamy. Credit: Janosch Tröhler-Nordström After taking a significant detour, I finally discover the media area. Reporters and staff are already buzzing, plugged into their headphones and laptops while I scribble my notes into a notebook. Oldschool. I order a small beer from the bar. Sylvie Kreusch is giving interviews at the next table. Paléo is Switzerland’s largest festival, attracting around 250’000 visitors across six days. An award-winning event. But in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, where I live, nobody comes here. Only around 5% of the visitors are from there, the festival representatives said at a press briefing back in March at the m4music Festival. Maybe it’s the travel, maybe the fact that the festival usually sells out in minutes. At 3.30 pm, the festival officially opens its arched entrance for the day, immediately breathing life into the stalls and bars. Time to grab a burger for a late lunch burger. The sun is now blazing. I climb up “La Belvédère”, a multi-story gallery with great views of the “Grande Scène”, the main stage. Some hardcore fans are already camping out in the first row; they have to endure a couple more hours. Then, I finally make the first great decision of the day: Checking out Nonante’s show. The Lausanne-based band fuses post-punk, coldwave, and indie rock into something absolutely captivating. How have I not heard of them before?! I damn the “Röstigraben”, the invisible border between the German and French parts of Switzerland. ****Nonante delivered a fiery show.**** Credit: Thea Moser/Paléo They light the stage with their fiery passion. There’s kinetic energy unleashed that their recordings can’t physically produce. Singer Nicolas Roussi dances maniacally, eyes wide open, conjuring the audience’s ecstasy. The drum machine relentlessly whipping your legs: Dance, baby, dance for me. If Paléo, for some reason (storm, power outage, alien invasion), had to cancel the rest of the day, I would still be happy having seen this ravaging performance. And I already know that _Bank Robber_ will be stuck in my head for weeks. I switch stages to stomp in step with Bound by Endogamy’s monotone but earthshattering EBM beats for a while, only to run off to the next gig, which is not only opposite the festival site but also sonically a wholly different beast: Witch Club Satan. Radical, feminist avant-garde black metal that propels an already theatrical genre into new spheres. Oh, you should’ve seen my joy looking at the disturbed people’s faces once they stripped off their clothes and started blasting the gnarliest black metal sound. As the people turned around to leave, you could see disbelief, shock, and disgust. I could’ve watched that all night. ****Bound for Endogamy.**** Credit: Nicolas Patault****Witch Club Satan.**** Credit: Lucie Gertsch/Paléo A seemingly endless stream of people flows into Paléo. I’m tired, the skin sticky from sweat and sunscreen, in dire need of a break. And some water splashed all over. And I’m not really looking forward to the massive crowd awaiting me when The Cure takes the stage as the evening’s headliner. But I guess I owe it to myself. Let me tell you an embarrassing story: On November 19, 2022, The Cure played in Switzerland. I bought my ticket months in advance and pinned it above my desk. However, I’d entered the concert into my calendar on the 20th instead of the 19th, and I only found out when I saw everyone’s Instagram stories before going to bed. You can’t imagine how disappointed and rightfully angry I was with myself. I really got into The Cure around 2008, first with 1985’s _The Head On The Door_ , then expanding to the full discography. I still can’t quite pinpoint their attraction. But their music always soothes me in a way no other band could this consistently. Whether they dive depressingly deep into Weltschmerz and heartache or dance airily on cushions of love, I feel seen. I also harbour an unpopular opinion with my love for _Bloodflowers_. When I was expelled from high school in 2009, I used to roam aimlessly through the streets of Zurich, and this album was on repeat as I felt sorry for myself. ****Paléo Festival 2026.**** Credit: Lucie Gertsch/Paléo Back at Paléo, I retreat to the media area once more to escape the people for a while. A cool beer in the deckchair, while the hard beats of Zaatar push through the trees and up the small hill. The sun slowly begins to set. And so does my phone’s battery. Need to charge because I need to please the sweet, sweet Insta algo even more. Time for another beer. I’m trying to identify what makes Paléo really stand out. I mean, yes, they were anointed as the best European festival in 2025. The infrastructure is everything you’d want: free water stations, cooling mist sprays, free sunscreen, seating, shade. Real toilets, and I never saw a dirty one. But how does Europe’s best festival feel? Well, it feels like a gathering of friends. Naturally not true, but everybody seems to know everybody. Because people come here every year. It’s a ritual, a community built over 49 editions now. The vibe: relaxed but excited. You can feel what they call in French “savoir vivre”, an appreciation of a good time. A joy for live music. No stress, no annoying anxiousness that I’ve encountered countless times in other places. Maybe the Romands are just the better Swiss. I need to kick back into action. Let’s hunt down some dinner. ****The Last Dinner Party.**** Credit: Lionel Flusin/Paléo After some good meatballs paired with subpar fries, I check in with The Last Dinner Party. No doubt: they’ve tapped into a vibe with their vintage-coated rock music. It’s their second gig in Switzerland after they played The Hall back in February. I can see why their melodic appeal, played virtuously and with a healthy dose of show, draws a significant crowd. But despite their cheeky charm, the music’s too polished, lacking an edge. A bit more punk instead of pop would go a long way. Later, the Parisian band Feu! Chatterton blends progressive rock, pop, disco, and the traditional French chanson into something with irresistible groove and flamboyance. And despite my utter lack of Chanson education to truly understand what they create, I still get caught for a moment by their seductive swagger. ****Feu! Chatterton.**** Credit: Nicolas Patault/Paléo The wind picks up, stirring up the dust on the ground. Half an hour to go. I sit together with thousands on the slight slope, creating a natural arena in front of the “Grande Scène”. Then, after a lengthy intro of rain and thunderstorm sounds, The Cure enter the stage. Finally, I can correct my mistake from a couple of years ago. ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Obviously I’ve no clue whether this was a great, good, okay, or bad performance. If it weren‘t for my stupidity, I‘d have at least one reference point. But what kind of devil’s pact has Robert Smith signed?! How does his voice still sound like he’s just time-travelled from the 80s? ****Sounds still the same as decades ago: Robert Smith.**** Credit: Ludwig Wallendorff/Paléo Without any fuss, these old gentlemen take their places on stage and hardly move from them. No grand speeches, no special-effects frippery. The Cure play practically non-stop, stringing one classic after another. 24 of them, for a full two hours. And just as unhurried as the band, so too is the audience. Perhaps it’s down to the average age, or perhaps simply down to the music: rarely does the euphoria manifest itself physically, in clapping along, singing along or wild cheering. It seems as though The Cure are lulling themselves and their fans into a meditative trance, enveloped in velvety melancholy. But every now and then, the audience does break out of its reverie. When the first notes of the truly massive hits ring out, the crowd is swept up in ecstasy, flooded with endorphins. _A Forest_ , _Lullaby_ , and of course _Friday I’m In Love_ and _Boys Don’t Cry_. Credits: Ludwig Wallendorff/Paléo For a brief moment, I wonder: is this frantic pace really still necessary? Do The Cure have to cram as many hits as possible into a set? But then I remember that they’ve been playing a slightly different set at every concert this summer. This isn’t just a best of set, as _Disintegration_ was missing from the setlist that evening. Somehow, The Cure still seem keen to prove themselves, but they certainly don’t want to leave anyone in any doubt as to whether the concert was worth it. As the final song before the encore, the band strikes up _Endsong_. This massive, powerful track from the 2024 album _Songs Of A Lost World_ provides the perfect soundtrack for a crumbling world. Full of anticipation, I stare spellbound at the stage, waiting for that magnificent guitar siren, that sheer force. But The Cure completely mess up the song. The artfully layered elements, which build into an ever denser and more opulent composition, crumble into chaos due to poor timing. It was to remain the only—albeit regrettable—flaw in the show. As Robert Smith basks in the cheers and applause after the final song, my battery is depleted. Partly because The Cure just hammered me with two hours of persistent intensity, partly because while a slight incline is great for visibility, standing and dancing on it for two hours not so much. Now, after the show concluded, I feel my back aching, poking me with sharp needles to lie down... in the back of my brother’s Volkswagen Passat on a thin sleeping mat. Oh well. ****Raving into the night.**** Credit: Ludwig Wallendorff/Paléo 5 am, the dawn wakes me, but I pull the sleeping bag over my head. Two hours later, I‘m packing everything up. Exhausted, yes, but mostly sad that I’m already leaving again. Because for two hours, no, strike that, for the whole day, Paléo offered an escape from an even more exhausting reality that seems too eager to hit us with ever more uncertainty. Not even heat, sweat, and the discomfort of sleeping in the car could detract from all that. A festival might not be wellness for the body, but it definitely is for the soul—especially with The Cure and their sense of shared Weltschmerz.

We still can’t get no satisfaction. Desire runs through this edition like a current. The longing for change, for fulfilment, for something that burns on the way down. Five songs that live in the space between wanting and having. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Last week, I wrote about the conscious appreciation of music, concluding that it isn‘t actually the medium driving this sentiment. Rather, the decision to do so. HOWEVER! There is something to be said about (and in defense of) the physicality of things in a digitally dominated world. Especially in today‘s iteration. * **Reason No. 1:** A physical record, the cover, the sleeves, the booklet are all art in themselves, complementing the music. * **Reason No. 2:** You own it. No company can arbitrarily remove your access. You can share it with your friends. You can get it signed It‘s yours. * **Reason No. 3:** It comes with personality. Your record collection is physical token of your taste. A piece of intrigue for guests in your home to explore. Has anyone ever asked for your phone to go through your playlists? * **Reason No. 4:** It supports the local music ecosystem. Physical media simply has a higher margin for artists. Buy it on the artist‘s own store or at a concert. Or buy it in your friendly local record store. I get it: streaming is super convenient. And super cheap. But let‘s be honest, having access to a gazillion of songs that you‘ll never listen to... is this it? Or isn‘t a personal, curated collection way more interesting? A collection where you can exactly say how you‘ve acquired each piece. Speaking of record collections: You might have come across “What’s In My Bag?”, a YouTube format by Amoeba. Seba, a Zurich-based designer who worked for Last.fm and co-developed sooon, has created an unofficial “WIMB Archive” that makes all the people and their picks easily searchable. Check it out here. * * * ### **This week on Negative White** Our Impressions from Openair Frauenfeld 2026 From 9 to 11 July, Openair Frauenfeld attracts thousands of people again with the latest hot music from all shades of rap and hip-hop. Phillip Weiler was on site with his camera. Leyla Ebrahimi – Planet You Forgot Me EP**** After a series of compelling singles, American-Persian Leyla Ebrahimi has dropped a stunningly fluid debut EP. Meandering between pop, rock, and intimate folky notes, everything about this record is non-linear. One of Five: Chelsea Wolfe – Death Is Not The End**** Californian artist Chelsea Wolfe once more embraces darkness. Delicate at first, then it erupts with roaring guitars and crashing drums.**** The latest One of Five podcast dives deeper. * * * ### **What piqued my interest** The Millions of Songs Mashed Into AI-Generated Music**(Paywall)** While investigating AI training date, The Atlantic's Alex Reisner stumbled upon four giant datasets of songs that are being shared within the AI-development community. Over 21 million tracks, including hits from major pop artists such as Bad Bunny, Nirvana, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, and the Beatles. Hack Reveals Suno AI Music Generator Scraped YouTube, Deezer, and Genius**(Regwall)** Accenidentally perfectly timed with The Atlantic piece, independent tech outlet 404 Media got hold of hacked source code for Suno AI. And it shows how this shitty company scraped decades worth of music and podcasts from the internet to train its AI tool. Without consent, of course. Why Google, Apple & Big Tech Keep Making Everything Worse Trevor Noah talks to Cory Doctorow, science fiction author, internet activist, and coiner of the word "enshittification". It is a candid, sometimes depressing but also hopeful conversation on the current state of the internet and everything beyond. **Napalm Death's Tiny Desk Concert** Okay, to end on a more positive note here, I very much enjoyed the bonkers performance of Napalm Death at the famed NPR Tiny Desk Concert. This legendary grindcore band against the whimsical backdrop. 8 songs in 19 minutes. Absolutely hilarious. * * * ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

6 minutes and 2 seconds. That’s how long the EP’s title track, _planet you forgot me_ , runs. In itself, a small sensation in a time of attention shortage. The crisp guitar howls in a heavy-metal fashion before retreating into a mellow flow that escalates back to full-blown alt-rock when it needs to. There are no real verses, nor a repeating chorus. It’s a stream that only knows one direction: forward. * * * Last year, I accidentally stumbled upon Leyla Ebrahimi and her single nobody matters but You. And I was immediately enthralled by the crisp beat setting the tempo, the galactic synth painting the melody. It’s an uplifting alt-pop hymn, full of powerful moments and grand gestures. And yet, it feels immediate and raw. Ebrahimi breaks the rhythm, increases pressure, and ultimately explodes into an excellent crescendo. * * * What _nobody matters but You_ already revealed back then, Ebrahimi now fully demonstrates on this debut EP: an irrepressible zest for experimentation, a refreshing aversion to conformity and lockstep, and a desire to subvert expectations. Whilst _planet you forgot me_ flirts with a generous dash of opulence, _i’m a little flower_ skips airily over plucked guitar strings. Yet what begins so light-heartedly soon takes on a leaden bass groove, muffled beats and a wistful guitar. Then there’s _I’m Sorry Maria_ , perhaps the most classic track on the EP. With restrained thoughtfulness, Ebrahimi whispers: “Do you miss me, Maria? Are you sad that I’m gone?” Beneath it all lies a sombre arrangement, from which a rebellious pulse gradually emerges. And as Ebrahimi’s voice grows ever rougher and louder, the weight of a thousand worlds falls from one’s shoulders. Perhaps the brightest will-o’-the-wisp is kindled by _I Know You’re The Moon_. A typical ballad that tenderly takes you by the hand, protectively enveloping your broken heart, but then suddenly bursts into this pop-punk riff and ends in utter despair. The ballad-like quality inherent in all the songs on _Planet You Forgot Me_ reaches its peak with _this graveyard is for lovers_. With a broken, pain-filled voice, Ebrahimi opens: “Oh my god, I really lost my mind this time.” All the anguish is laid bare, exposed to the elements, whilst the song gradually builds from a simple, quiet structure to a raw culmination of emotional outburst. And following this raw, heart-wrenching song, the EP closes with the short reprise _you forgot me (Planet Reprise)_. “Maybe in another life I’ll get to have you.” * * * Of course, this non-linearity, this apparent lack of conformity, has a structure of its own. At some point—though we don’t know exactly when—this twist arrives. Sometimes it’s starkly contrasting, as in _I Know You’re The Moon_ ; sometimes it creeps up on you, as in _I’m Sorry Maria_. But people watch horror films knowing that a jump scare is coming at some point. It is the anticipation that makes this EP so compelling and stimulating. Together with Alexander 23, who has also worked with Olivia Rodrigo and Renée Rapp, Leyla Ebrahimi has created a powerful heartbreak EP that skilfully navigates around clichés with authenticity. Yes, there are grand gestures and emotional grandeur. But they sound honest and personal, underpinned by compositions that aren’t overproduced. Imbued with powerful, unadulterated poetry, the images and verses recur, tying all the songs together. The graveyard, the moon, the little flower. Full of rough edges and with artistic maturity, _Planet You Forgot Me_ is a work that is constantly evolving and skilfully defies categorisation. #### Leyla Ebrahimi – __Planet You Forgot Me__ ****Release:**** 5 June 2026 ****Tracklist**** 1. planet you forgot me 2. i'm a little flower 3. I'm Sorry Maria 4. I Know You're The Moon 5. This graveyard is for lovers 6. you forgot me (planet reprise) Listen here

Contrast: that’s this edition’s connective tissue. Chaotic art-rock from the sunkissed Ticino. Silky compositions and gut-punching techno-punk. A lullaby full of someone else’s pain. And Chelsea Wolfe whispering before a thunderous eruption. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

The first day awaited with Che, Destroy Lonely, Sido, Slayr, and Yeat. ## Don't miss the next one. Offbeat is Negative White's free weekly newsletter, featuring concerts, reviews, and what we're actually listening to. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

**Listen:** _Death Is Not The End_ on YouTube or Bandcamp **About the episode:** _Death Is Not The End_ didn't make the last Weekly6 edition. But the song wouldn't let me go. From the fragile opening guitar to the thunderous eruption and back again, _Death Is Not The End_ traces a complete emotional arc in under five minutes. An angel in the kelp. A storm that pulls you under. And a return to calm that feels earned rather than gifted. **About Chelsea Wolfe:** Chelsea Wolfe is a Californian artist who has spent over a decade building a sound that sits between doom metal, folk, and art rock . Her catalogue, from 2010's _The Grime and the Glow_ to 2024's _She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She_ , maps a consistent landscape: darkness not as aesthetic but as lived experience. 🎧 __Death Is Not The End__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

Last weekend, I fired up the old record player again for the first time in a long time. And realising that I should definitely clean the connectors of my amplifier. But David Lindley’s _Win This Record_ still sounded quite good. (And you should definitely check out this album.) Then, two days ago, I stumbled across this video by Speeed, trying to compare vinyl vs CD vs streaming. It’s a great introduction to the technical functionalities and the proper equipment. But yeah, it’s basically the same conclusion as always: vinyl is very cool and somehow sounds warmer and more human, but streaming is also very convenient. Over the past few years, I’ve gathered a small but respectable vinyl collection that, I’ve to admit, collects more dust than rotations on the turntable. Oh damn, am I a phoney hipster now? The thing is, everyone lauds vinyl as a medium that invites more conscious listening. That might be true, but just because it’s there doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. You still have to show up. And as long as it’s a conscious decision: Does the medium really matter? What matters is the very active ~~consumption~~ appreciation of the art. * * * ### **This week on Negative White** Our photographer Phillip Weiler is currently attending Frauenfeld Openair, and until his shots are published on our website, you can follow him around the pit on our Instagram. * * * Yesterday, Bonnie Tyler passed away at the age of 75. Maybe give Total Eclipse of the Heart__ a spin. In 2017, Matthias Hoffmann shot her live at the Rock The Ring Open Air in Hinwil, Switzerland. * * * And unfortunately, we have also received word of Justin Cary's passing. For 30 years, he played bass with Sixpence None The Richer. The band therefore cancelled all scheduled shows, including the gig in Zurich this fall. Read the full statement here.

Switzerland continues to swelter. In fact, the whole of Europe is. The climate crisis is noticeably worsening and is taking a scorching toll on summer festivals. The hardcore festival Defqon.1 was called off after just one day, and in France, the Solidays Festival was forced to cancel its 28th edition entirely, as reported by IQ Magazine. Other festivals have been cancelled either partially or in full, whilst others have moved to a different venue. And if it’s not the extreme heat, the increased risk of violent thunderstorms threatens to disrupt schedules, as it has already happened with multiple open-air events this year, like Southside. At this year’s Abyss Festival at Lake Gruyère, headliner Napalm Death had to play without their singer, Mark Barney Greenway, as he was stuck in London: A storm prevented any plane from taking off. Festivals are a high-risk business. Alongside rising costs, climate change might ultimately destroy many events. Nobody enjoys a show at 40 degrees, neither the artists nor the fans. And festivals would do well to act on the understanding that this summer will be the coolest in the coming years. * * * While the climate crisis needs global action, the local music business has its own challenges. PETZI’s awareness campaign on the club crisis is receiving some general acknowledgement in the media. However, concrete solutions still remain fuzzy. Meanwhile, a partisan effort in parliament seeks to ensure visibility and discoverability of Swiss music on digital platforms. I do have some thoughts on that. ## **Headlines** ### **KIFF takes important hurdle in covering additional costs** Aarau Town Council backed with a large majority to contribute to the additional costs of the new construction project with a non-repayable grant of 1.62 million Swiss francs. The IG KIFF association thanks the Town Council for its clear yes, the statements from the parliamentary groups, and the debate that arose from them, as they wrote on Instagram. The final vote on this grant will take place on September 27th. ### **Bandboard launched publicly** Initiated by Beurre’s Chadi Messmer, Bandboard aims to organise the administrative work of running a band. He writes on Instagram: “Infos scattered everywhere. Budget in a spreadsheet, logistics in a chat, documents impossible to find when you need them. Every grant application felt like starting from scratch. […] I couldn’t find a tool that actually fit how an independent band works. So I built one.” Messmer further states on the website: > “I built bandboard because I was tired of managing my band through a group chat and a dozen half-finished spreadsheets. For the tour, for the recording, for everything a band prepares. I wanted one calm place where the whole team sees the plan — nothing more. No growth dashboards, no upsells, no noise. Just the project, organized, so we can get back to playing.” Currently, Bandboard offers an early-bird rate of CHF 10.50/month/band, with a 30-day trial. Learn more here. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

The weekend knocks, but our Capacitor playlist is less polite. It kicks down the door, not only turning up the volume but also ambition, emotion, and the sheer sonic mass. A drum and bass earthquake with a Down Under epicentre. A declaration of love with galactic proportions. Techno-punk provocateurs sniping dystopian one-liners. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

On November 19, 2022, The Cure played in Switzerland. I bought my ticket months in advance and pinned it above my desk. However, I’d entered the concert into my calendar on the 20th instead of the 19th, and I only found out when I saw everyone’s Instagram stories before going to bed. That’s an embarassment you don’t forget. Three years later, with Songs of a Lost World, one of the most extraordinary albums in recent memory, I’ll finally get my redemption at Paléo Festival in Nyon on July 22nd. Three years late. But I’m so looking forward to it, also experience artists like Witch Club Satan, Bound by Endogamy, and Sylvie Kreusch on that day. * * * **Next week already,** our photographer Phillip Weiler will report from Openair Frauenfeld, Europe’s largest hip-hop and rap festival. He’ll also post some stories on our Instagram, so make sure to follow. **This week,** there won’t be a classic Weekly5 edition but a special update to Capacitor, our electronic music playlist, coming later today. A drum and bass earthquake with a Down Under epicentre. A declaration of love with galactic proportions. Techno-punk provocateurs sniping dystopian one-liners. That’s what’s coming your way this afternoon, if you’re a Negative White Supporter. Here’s a short amuse-bouche for you: From Down Under to Germany and back: Luude’s collab with ÄTNA’s singer Inéz, remixed by Australian brothers Ekko & Sidetrack, completes a full circle, and the result is relentless. Reality-bending bass wobbles, Luude’s signature flute sounds, Inéz’s unmistakable vocals. The remix takes the sparse original and rebuilds it with unhinged momentum. It’s delivering life like a needle of pure adrenaline straight to the heart. * * * **And whenever you like,** you might wanna take a deeper dive into one of our Weekly5 picks in our free podcast, One of Five. The latest episode explores Adna’s new single I’ve Been Here Before, including some snippets from my 2015 interview with the Swedish-Bosnian artist. One of Five is now also available on our YouTube channel, not just our website. * * * Until next week,

From a dream that was never real to sorrow finally demanding to be felt, from a hellish bridge to sails filled with warm confidence. Today’s picks move through discomfort and, at least sometimes, out the other side. But even without resolution, every song confronts something fundamentally human: angst, trauma, desire, love. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

**Listen:** _I've Been Here Before_ on YouTube **About the episode:** Adna has been part of the Negative White universe for a decade. The first review dates back to 2015: _Run, Lucifer_ led to the conclusion: "gentle music is a deadly weapon." An interview followed, backstage at the KiFF in Aarau, where she said something that has stayed. _I've Been Here Before_ is the latest chapter in that same story. The signature drums, the layered vocal canon, the mantra-esque labyrinth of her composition, and then the lyric that makes everything click. Nine years after that interview, she's still singing the same truth. Because it's still true. **About Adna:** Adna Kadic is a Swedish-Bosnian singer-songwriter based in Berlin. Her parents who fled the war in the Balkans, she grew up in Gothenburg and came to music almost by accident. Her catalogue spans four albums: _Night_ , _Run, Lucifer_ , _Closure_ , and _Black Water_. She writes directly into the difficult; vulnerability not as aesthetic but as necessity. 🎧 __I've Been Here Before__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

„Can‘t trust a review because blogs/mags stopped making money, so journalists now get paid off by labels.“ This was a statement, UK artist James Blake recently posted on his Instagram. And I don’t even have to get too deep into why this is bullshit, Drowned In Sound already did it greatly. The gist being that Blake himself greatly profited from praising media coverage to kickstart his career. I can only support DiS editor Sean Adams in his conclusion: > _At a time when The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The New York Times as well as NPR and Pitchfork are cutting back on reviews and music journalism is being defunded everywhere you look, it is the exact time that our profession needs to be defended by those whose careers have benefitted from it. We hope to see more artists and the industry speaking up for our craft as few have done so in response to Blake’s post this week which has now gone semi-viral._ The world Blake implies doesn’t exist, at least I have never wandered its plains. _Never_ has a label or PR agency offered Negative White money for a review—or any sort of coverage. And even if it were to happen, it’s diametrically opposed to our journalistic values. However, even if Blake fails to produce any sort of credible evidence for his claims, it’s easy to see how he might have arrived at his conclusion. The number of positive music reviews seems to increase constantly. Also, here on Negative White, you have to look hard for a negative music review. There’s one simple reason: As someone writing and running an independent music blog on a voluntary basis, I don’t want to spend my limited time with something I don’t enjoy. I go even further and say: Why would I steal your attention for something I do not recommend? Don’t get me wrong, writing a sassy tear-up is fun, and can be a fun read, too. But the time when reviews were buying advice is long gone; on streaming, we vote with streams and skips, not with our wallet. You don’t need me or any other music journalist to know what _not_ to stream. Now, there’s a great opportunity to wax philosophical here. About how good and bad only mean something in relation to each other. About objectivity and taste. About underground and mainstream music. But frankly, who gives a hoot? It’s a discussion interesting enough to get lost in, but one that spirals forever because there’s no single correct answer. But I offer a provocative perspective: We don’t need traditional „music critics“ anymore, when there’s an endless flow of new music every day. We need curators with sharp taste, we need advocates for independent artists, and we need critical reporting on the music business. * * * ### **This week on Negative White** 🎧 One of Five: Ella Ronen – At Seventeen**** In the latest episode, we explore Zurich-based Ella Ronen’s cover of _At Seventeen_. Where the original gently aches, Ronen fiercely refuses every comfort and uncovers the true pain of exclusion. * * * Until next week,

This week’s songs are restless in their own ways. Cycling through desire, opening up to reflection, reckoning with shame, melting into summer, reaching beyond the beat. None of them settle for the obvious. Beneath the waterfall, a spiral of borrowed dreams. Beneath the gentle classic, old wounds stripped bare. Beneath the ecstatic pulse, human warmth. Beneath the slow warm tide, a quiet truth surfacing. The thread connecting all five is subtle yet insistent: a search for something real beneath the surface. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

One of Five: Ella Ronen – At Seventeen 0:00 /206.262857 1× **Listen:** _At Seventeen_ on YouTube **About the episode:** Released in 1975, _At Seventeen_ is a song about adolescent exclusion, the cruelty of beauty hierarchies, and wounds that outlast the years that caused them. Janis Ian wrapped it in warm folk arrangement and forgiving horns. Fifty-one years later, Ella Ronen covers it and refuses every comfort the original offered. **About Ella Ronen:** Ella Ronen is a Zurich-based Israeli musician, poet, and community facilitator. Her fourth album, _The Girl with No Skin_ (2024), was produced by Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Sharon Van Etten) and marks her most direct and unguarded work to date. She co-founded the Mino Collective, a network of feminist musicians, and has performed everywhere from the Montreux Jazz Festival to living room shows in Montreal. 🎧 __[Songtitle tk]__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

There’s a cheeky pleasure in being misled by a song. In thinking you know where it’s going, and then finding the carpet pulled, the sudden ambush of a guitar, the wasp humming behind the pretty melody. Today’s picks are all, in their own way, practitioners of the bait-and-switch. Warm synthpop that aches underneath. A crystalline voice with a sting. Angels arriving in devilish flames. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now