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_ 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.

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Edition #196: High-velocity crashes and galactic sermons

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

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Gurry Wurry – Polaroid of Pain

**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.

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Offbeat #9 – A Space to Share Our Passion

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.

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Gallery: The Wombats live at X-Tra Zurich

The evening was opened by The Paris Match.

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Edition #195

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

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Swimming Pool – Hold Your Horses

**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.

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Offbeat #8 – Wellness for the Soul

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.

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Gallery: Reeds Festival 2026

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

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The Cure for Weltschmerz

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.

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Edition #194

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

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Offbeat #7 – The Case for Physical

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.

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Leyla Ebrahimi – Planet You Forgot Me

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

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Edition #193

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

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Our Impressions from Openair Frauenfeld 2026

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.

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Chelsea Wolfe – Death Is Not The End

**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.

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Offbeat #6 – The Medium Isn't the Message

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.

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A Partisan Push for Visibility

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

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Capacitor: Volume Up

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

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Offbeat #5 – Redemption is coming

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,

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Edition #192

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

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Adna – I've Been Here Before

**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.

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Offbeat #4 – James Blake Is Wrong (And So Is the Question)

„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,

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Edition #191

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

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Ella Ronen – At Seventeen

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.

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Edition #190

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

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Pixie McCann – Living in Memory

One of Five: Pixie McCann – Living in Memory 0:00 /215.405714 1× **Listen:** _Living in Memory_ on YouTube **About the episode:** Pixie McCann’s _Living in Memory_ sounds like your standard pop song at first. It isn’t. In this episode, I explore the subtle boldness of her songwriting and what physical condition quietly shaped the track. **About Pixie McCann:** Pixie McCann is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from London. She spent years writing, producing, and releasing music entirely on her own before collaborating with producer Joel Laslett Pott on her debut EP _Indigo, Vibrant and New_ , out today on Black Butter Records. 🎧 __Living In Memory__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

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Algorithmic Invisibility

One year of Sound Business. When I sent out the first prototype in June 2025 from a hotel room in London, I gave this newsletter a year before assessing it. Since then, more and more people have joined, and I’ve received some great feedback. While I’ve tried a couple of things throughout the past months, one thing hasn’t really changed: The urgent topics piercing the local music business from all sides. Whether it’s the flood of slop music into an algorithmic hellscape, structural imbalance, or the dust from the next club being demolished. It’s just a feeling, but when I read how there’s still a lot of money floating around, it seems like the last attempt to harvest from a crop whose roots are already dried up and crumbling. But hey, once the leaves are withering, we can just put an AI filter on top of them, right? Despite, or maybe just because of these challenges, I will continue writing Sound Business every month. To help shape year two, I’ve put together a short survey (yes, I know, nobody likes them), but it only takes 5 minutes out of your busy day. And it earns you my lifelong gratitude. Thanks for helping me out here. _P.S. This edition is free to read in full to mark one year of Sound Business. If you find it useful, consider upgrading to Professional._ Upgrade here ## **Headlines** ### **IQ Magazine: Switzerland Market Report 2026** IQ Magazine published its Swiss market report for 2026 (paywalled), drawing on interviews with promoters, venue operators, and ticketing executives across the country. The headline number: Swiss live music generated €551m in 2024 (€461m in ticket sales, €90m in sponsorship), with PwC/Omdia projecting €599m by 2029. The market remains healthy yet deeply unequal. Here are my takeaways: * **Why it matters:** The report confirms what Sound Business has been reporting in the recent months. Revenue is concentrated at the top of a further consolidating ecosystem. Major international shows, established domestic artists, and big festivals are performing well (if they sell out). Everything below—independent club venues, grassroots artists, mid-tier promoters—is under structural pressure. And while many interviewees report the same problems, the club crisis is one of them, nobody is really talking solutions. * **The venue crisis is now mainstream:** Every promoter in the report flags it independently: no new arenas in Geneva or Zurich in the pipeline, club venues closing across Zurich due to gentrification. "The development for such projects takes at least 15 years," says Opus One MD Vincent Sager. This is the structural backdrop to the Komplex 457 closure and the grassroots levy debate. * There has been an additional IQ report about the closing of Komplex 457, featuring Gadget's Stefan Wyss * Following the PETZI Manifesto, Wochenzeitung has published a report on the club crises. * **Ticketing consolidation deserves attention:** The March merger of Ticketcorner and See Tickets under the Eventim umbrella gives CTS Eventim an estimated 70% share of the Swiss ticketing market, according to AllBlues/Bierhübeli CEO Dave Naef: "When ticketing, festivals, and artist agencies operate under the same umbrella, dependencies emerge, and they are felt most strongly at the lower end of the ecosystem. Smaller acts and emerging artists increasingly struggle to establish themselves outside these structures." * **Festivals are under margin pressure:** Paléo's breakeven sits at 100% occupancy. Sold out or loss-making, no middle ground—that's the cost reality of the modern festival, and it's getting worse. The summer market is saturated; Beatrice Stirnimann of Baloise Session asks the obvious question: "Why does every village need to have a festival?" * **What needs to happen:** The venue infrastructure gap won't be solved by the market. Political will is notably absent, and Switzerland's federalistic system gives no single actor the mandate to move. The ticketing consolidation definitely should be watched with scrutiny by regulators. And it's clear that the grassroots levy conversation becomes harder to avoid when we see these levels of structural imbalance across multiple aspects of the business. ### **Swiss Music Associations Sound Alarm on Algorithmic Invisibility** On 1 June, IndieSuisse, SONART, and the Schweizer Musikrat released a joint press release, responding to a new EU Commission study on the discoverability of European cultural content online and flagging Switzerland as a particularly exposed case. The undersigned associations call on politicians and the administration to establish appropriate framework conditions and provide up-to-date regulatory responses in order to effectively counter this undesirable trend in economic and cultural policy. * **Core findings of the study:** being on streaming platforms is no longer enough. What gets heard is determined by algorithmic recommendation and curated playlists controlled from international headquarters, with little knowledge of local scenes. Read the full report here. * **Swiss perspective:** With four national languages and a small, fragmented market, local music falls between multiple "language silos", further compounding the problem. Swiss artists releasing in English don't even register as Swiss, competing directly against the global English-language catalogue. * **Critical thoughts:** The press release also features a section directed at consumers and their role on pushing Swiss music's visibility, like dedicated search, curating your own playlists, or relying on curated playlists by labels or media. While these recommendations are certainly commendable, they do not change the underlying systematic problems inherently tied to the streaming model and its algorithms, especially not in a small and fragmented market as Switzerland. ### **Visa Launches Platform for the Swiss Music Scene** “Moving Music” marks the company's first engagement with music culture in Switzerland. The platform supports emerging artists, fans, and partners from different regions and genres. Their focus in 2026: intimate Studio Sessions where artists from across Switzerland meet and perform together. “We are investing in Swiss music culture because it allows us to bring our role as pioneers to life here,” says Santosh Ritter, Country Manager for Switzerland and Liechtenstein at Visa, according to persoenlich.com. * **What to watch:** The critical part to Moving Music's success will be the pool of potential artists with the breakthrough profile similar to Jule X and Milune, the first collaborative showcase, that also bring along the mainstream appeal a brand like Visa is probably interested in. * **Déjà vu:** The Visa project reminds me off riser, launched in 2023, which had a compareable approach on supporting newcomers. However, the project since pivoted significantly from its initial ideas. ## **Also Noteworthy** * The Federal Office of Culture has revealed the winners of this year’s Swiss Music Prizes. The Swiss Grand Award of Music goes to yodeler Nadja Räss who also played a key role in ensuring that yodeling was included on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage. * Kanal K is running a crowdfunding campaign to equip its new studios at the KiFF 2.0, which is currently under construction. They have reached their initial goal of CHF 10'000 within 12 days. * Mouthwatering Record's Andreas Ryser speaks in the Helvetica Podcast about the business, promotion, and reach vs. fans. * SwissPerform rolled out a redesigned "respect ©opyright!" website in April 2026, expanding its longstanding school campaign to address new forms of content use: copying, editing, citation, and importantly AI-generated content. * Fondation Suisa published its 2025 activity report. ## **Parliament Watch** ### Motion 24.3944**– Eliminate harassment in copyright law for SMEs** The National Council is scheduled on Motion 24.3944 which would reduce the music licensing obligations that fund royalty distributions via SUISA and SwissPerform. Suisseculture, the umbrella body for Swiss arts organisations, called on the Council to reject the motion, arguing that royalties are already affordable (most SMEs pay under CHF 250/year) and are a critical income source for composers, performers, and producers at a time of growing financial pressure on creative workers. The outcome of the vote directly affects how much Swiss rights holders earn from background music in commercial premises. ## **Jobs & Opportunities** * Finta Trainee 60–80% (ltd. to 6-12 months) at Grundiynkommen Agency. * Fondation Suisa's "Get Going!" 2026 funding round is now open: up to eight work grants of CHF 25,000 each are available for musicians with a connection to Switzerland or Liechtenstein. Deadline: July 15, 2026. Apply here. ## **Events** * **Zurich Music Week** takes place from 3-9 August. Learn more. ## **People** * **Sonja Berta** started as co-managing director at Musikbüro Luzern. She is sharing the role with Andreas Wigger.

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ANYX – Ladybirds Spine

One of Five: ANYX – Ladybirds Spine 0:00 /242.729796 1× **Listen:** _Ladybirds Spine_ on YouTube or Bandcamp **About the episode:** One song from this week's Weekly5 in-depth. ANYX's _Ladybirds Spine_ lives between two emotional states: the smallness of a world that feels too loud and too much, and the stubborn refusal to disappear into it. **About ANYX:** Anna Lucia Nissen is a Berlin-based artist releasing under the name ANYX. Her debut solo album _Starlink_ (out 28 August) follows her work fronting the trio Anchoress. 🎧 __Ladybirds Spine__ is one of five picks in this week's Weekly5. Four more are waiting—become a Supporter.

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Edition #189

Weekly5 is back from its summer-ish slumber. And while it’s always great to take a break to refresh, coming back to a towering backlog quickly wipes the relaxation away. Then again, I could draw from a couple of weeks of compelling releases. There’s a particular kind of week where everything sounds like it’s on the verge of snapping. From Berlin’s ANYX to Cardiff’s Panic Shack, the five tracks below share an edge, a barely controlled tension that refuses to resolve cleanly. Except Josh da Costa, who has other ideas. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

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