In December 2024, I saw Louis Jucker performing with two very different projects at the Humus Fest in Nyon. After having been on stage with the Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain to perform songs from the Suitcase Suite, he would later hit the stage with Coilguns.

Not only was it impressive on a musical level, but it also left me with a lot of questions as to how he was able to have such musically different projects and how that has an impact on his approach to songwriting.

I caught up with Louis shortly before his concert with Coilguns at Bogen F in September 2025 to find out more about how he combines Coilguns and his solo projects.

(Screenshot from Louis Jucker’s Foucoupe Session)

One of my favourite albums at the moment is L’OR by Typhon, originally a solo project by John Silvestre, before turning into a band project in 2021.

Whilst preparing an interview for his other project, Eckhart, I came across this album whilst wanting to know more about his other projects.

I was greatly impressed by the arrangements and compositions of the songs on L’OR combining his passion for post-rock and his experience making soundtracks.

In this edition of track by track, we find out about the background to this wonderful album.

It didn’t take too long after coming across the fantastic EP, Kangiten, Satarma, the six-piece band from the Valais mixing 60s/70s rock and modern psychedelic rock, to become a big fan of the band. Having listened to them regularly over the last few weeks, they also made a couple of appearances on the blog in the features, One of Each and Collecting merch (pt. 1).

The band marked their return with their wonderful album, Fuzzorama, which was released on 22nd November. Having enjoyed the album after listening to it several times, it felt like the ideal album to have on the next edition of track by track.

Autumn has been a weird season this year - September and October still being slightly warm, and November already having some snowfall. Except for the leaves falling, it hasn’t felt too “autumny”.

In any case, here are the songs that were part of my soundtrack to the season.

(Screenshot from the video, Swear I love you - Under The Pines)

Nine Month Summer is the solo project from Petros Liakopoulos, who brings together post-rock, math rock and Midwest emo to create his own trademark sound. The debut album, A Keepsake, was released at the end of June and it didn’t take too long for it to grow on me.

Impressed by the compositions on the album, I wanted to know more about the project, the writing and recording of A Keepsake and his plans for the near future, having put together a band to bring the project alive, as well as other topics.

I first came across willibald at the Kombinat Festival in 2022 and liked their performance so much that I saw them a second time a few weeks later at the Gaswerk in Winterthur. Since then, I have stayed in contact with the band.

Earlier this year, I interviewed two of the members, bassist, Charli Grögli, and guitarist, Naemi Zurbrügg, over a video call with the aim of having a two-part feature with the band.

The first part of the interview was released in February and focuses on their upcoming singles Crumbs and Y.

For this second part, we find out more about the band itself including the history, their creative process and their approach towards music amongst other topics.

(photo copyright: Fabian Hirter, willibald)

Ever since the Flaming Lips released the Gummy Song Skull, I have always been intrigued and impressed by bands who come up with creative merchandise.

Over the last few months, I have started building up a collection, and in this first edition, I would like to show some of the more unique merchandise that I have come across so far.

Spring earlier this year saw the first, full-band release from Leopardo since 2021’s Malcantone and it was well worth the wait. The album, SIDE A / SIDE B, is an excellent album and has been on regular rotation over the past few months.

The band, formed by Romain Savary, brings together a variety of influences, including the Velvet Underground and Silver Jews, combining them with their own take on country music and self-depreciating lyrics to form their own trademark sound.

I caught up with Romain to know more about the band’s history, his creative process, the making of the album and their most recent tour of the United States, amongst other topics.

(Photo credit: K. Nauber)

For this edition of “Tell us about the music scene in…”, we will find out more about Switzerland’s capital city, Bern.

Thomas Fahrni, musician, member of Musikförderung Bern and inhabitant of the city for almost 20 years gives us an insight into the music scene there.

In this second edition edition of One of each, Samuel Riedo (Gans Sauvage, Hook, Line and Sinker, Jean-Michel, Darius) tells us what his choices are for his favourite song, EP, album, music video and live session are.

In this new feature, I will be asking people for their “one of each” - which song, EP, album, music video and live session they have been enjoying lately.

Here are my recommendations!

Binary Sunset is back with a new mini EP, fin d’été (English: end of summer), their first new songs since their debut album, les grandes vacances. It will be released on 10th October on Oh, Sister Records with a release show on 11th October at Chrüterhuus in Lucerne.

It was also the ideal occasion to interview the band from Lucerne to find out more about their history, songwriting, how they write their lyrics in French (despite their limited abilities in the language) amongst other topics.

(Photo copyright: Sam Aebi)

Noise Fest is back for its third edition with four evenings of exciting line-ups at the end of October/beginning of November.

This year, the HATHORS-curated festival, will not only be taking place in the OnThur music venues of the band’s hometown of Wintherthur but it will also be expanding to include a show at Fribourg’s fri-son venue.

(logo copyright: wonky studio)

In 2017, Table Basse Records started off as a Bandcamp page with releases of their personal projects and friends. Since then, the label has grown: putting out music from bands such as Yalisco, Nonante and no phase, organising label nights and collaborating with other independent record labels across Europe.

The label takes pride in supporting artists, making sure they make all the decisions with regards to their music. Their DIY-approach, their commitment to the music scene and their desire to bring people together made me appreciate the label even more.

(This article is in English and in French)

Since discovering basalte through a compilation from Table Basse Records, I have been really intrigued by their sound, which mixes spoken-word poetry, synths, guitars and glitches. Their début album, Cent Hyènes, is a journey which evokes many emotions.

The band recently announced the release of their second album, ok chaos, on 19th September (also via Table Basse). As part of a new feature, I asked the band to give the back story to each song.

(This article is available in English and in French)

Since their debut album, Oxt to Anyone, Beurre have carved out their own unique sound which is an unrelenting whirlwind of raw emotions. There are no guitars here but this configuration has also allowed the roles of the trio’s instruments to be redefined.

The band’s follow up, Resonate and Amplify, released tomorrow (Friday 5th September) with the release show today (Thursday 4th September) at Bad Bonn Kilbi, is up there with one of my favourite albums of the year. The band picks up where they left off in terms of intensity, whilst refining and experimenting with their sound to create a very solid and cohesive record.

(photo copyright: Léa Martinez)

Mathieu Evéquoz is a self-taught musician who has been active in the music scene in Geneva for almost two decades. It was earlier on in the year, when I came across his main musical project, The Last Wolf, when Aria Konishi mentioned in our interview that he mixed the most latest album, Another Kind of Blue.

Having already laid a solid foundation with the first album, Those Days Are Gone, the follow-up is an excellent album - an intimate and nostalgic-inspiring collection of memorable songs with some wonderful arrangements and warm vocals.

Recently, the solo project has turned into a trio, with Aria joining on bass and his fellow member of the Mount Kõya rhythm section, Kevin Ruffieux completing the line-up on drums. They have started working on their first collection of songs together including the singles Disposable Waste and Prey Of Yesterday, the latter being released on 12th September.

In this interview we find out more about Mathieu’s history in the music scene and with the Last Wolf, how Another Kind of Blue was created and what to expect in the future with the trio.

In February of this year, I interviewed the team behind the High On The Sound Magazine, Mario Scialdone and Lena Eberhard, to find out more about their magazine and the concerts to celebrate each new edition.

The first part of the interview, which was published in March, focused on the history of the magazine as well as the behind-the-scenes work into producing the magazine.

This second part features more about the concerts themselves, how they evolved from DIY shows to a contract with Südpol in Lucerne. Our discussion also involved asking Mario about his thoughts on the music scene in Switzerland, having travelled across the country to meet a lot of bands in different regions.

Whilst purchasing records from independent bands and labels in Switzerland, I often came across some wonderful limited edition designs without knowing the background to the production of the record.

It would only be before my summer holiday this year that I was told about Grand Voyage Records, whose founder Loris Ruchet is based in the Valais and is passionate about making records and the process behind it.

The designs and ideas for the records are wonderful and innovative, bands and labels can order from one to a hundred copies (with repeat orders) and they are made with care in Switzerland.

During the summer, I often find myself listening to more shoegaze and dreampop bands, especially as part of the soundtrack to being outside in the warm weather.

Here is a collection of five EPs that I have come across lately that are either shoegaze, dream pop or influenced by the two genres.

I hope you enjoy the EPs as much as I do!