2025 / Year in Review Pt. 2

Even though, February is rapidly approaching, here is the second part of my review of 2025. If you missed the first part, feel free to check it out here.

It’s been a couple of busy months, we’ve been getting into the groove as a family of four (from the first part of the review of 2025).

Futhermore, the preparations for the Alles Post- MusikFest! (from update two) are coming along nicely - three of the four bands, wolfer (interview from June 2025 with them here), Penkowski and Ponys have already been announced. The headliner is to be announced soon.

In any case, I am finally looking forward to publishing this article so that I can focus on the upcoming interviews and the festival. I’m also happy to have published the latest Track by track with Hook, Line and Sinker - Terre Brûlée is definitely worth checking out. As usual, there are quite a few publications at different stages being worked on (and I have also found the motivation to write questions, which also helps).

Enjoy!

July

Most of July was filled with the summer vacation in the south-west of France towards the French Catalan region. Along the way, we stopped off and met The Last Wolf in his neighbourhood in Carouge, a place that already has a couple of wonderful memories for me over the past few years. An enjoyable pizza followed by ice cream in sweltering heat before continuing the journey into the heatwave that had started in France.

My musical memories of the holidays are listening to Mount Jacinto’s Silver Lining and Damaged Goods by Moonpools with the sea on either side of the road, walking down the promenade listening to Liminality by Fomies, going through the Monobuster discography and digging Baby by Ping Machines. I also had the chance to preview the upcoming Beurre album, Resonate and Amplify, listening to it at full blast without any distractions.

I was also able to work on and post articles during the holidays with the Summer 2025 Playlist being published towards the beginning of the month. The picture for the main page from the article was taken during the holiday too. I always like to look back at previous playlists which remind me of certain phases during the year.

The interview with Batbait was a fantastic collaboration, they have been a band that I have listened to a lot since the beginning of the blog. I had always been intrigued by their approach to songwriting with the guitar pedals and effects as well as the lyrics and their music videos. When I don’t have time to listen to full albums on Bandcamp and open up YouTube, the algorhythm knows that I can’t ignore Boys Club, which I guess is up there with one of the most played songs, and Telly (studio or live). The research for the article also led me to getting a couple of the ceramics from the album cover of Dirty Clothes and the world’s smallest EP from the band.

The second interview of the month saw a return to Muotathal with the record label, Monobuster Records. At the beginning of the blog, going through discographies from record labels was a great way to find a lot of new bands in one go. Shortly before the publication, the label put up a new website but as with a lot of bands and labels here in Switzerland, there isn’t too much information readily available to have more details about the people behind the music. I had always been interested in who would run an independent record label these days and how it works. The interview with Jonas, also the guitar player from Dear Misses, proved to be very insightful.

The month finished off with a spontaneous article after a tough week. I had went to see Mord Fuzztang for the second time in two months in front of the Helsinki Klub in Zurich, and although I wasn’t optimistic due to it raining most of the afternoon and it being held outdoors, the evening turned out to be amazing and Mord Fuzztang were on fire yet again. It got me thinking about local bands that I had seen in the city and which concerts have stood out and it led to the article Four memorable concerts from local bands. If you’re ever interested in doing one of these for your town or city (or any other of the features), let me know.

August

August kicked off with a collection of five dream-pop / shoegaze EPs that I enjoyed over the beginning of the summer. The genres are very much intertwined with the soundtracks to the season for me and it was quite easy to come up with a list for the article.

Next up was another “behind the scenes” article with Grand Voyage Records. I had come across some of the awesome records made by Loris without knowing that they were made by him. As soon as Mathieu from the Last Wolf told me about the record cutting, I was very interested to know more about Grand Voyage Records. Knowing that it is possible to have such wonderful designs, made in Switzerland and without having to order several hundred added a lot to the appeal.

I finally released the second part of the interview with High on the Sound, having taken place in January. I am also very pleased with the interview - the concept of the magazine release coinciding with a live concert is a great idea. Where the first part focused on the history and the production of the magazine, the follow-up explored more about the shows and to get Mario’s impressions on the music scene in Switzerland.

The month also saw a rare return to stage for myself joining the band, Jëkoff Sedofski, for the song El Paso2 on ukulele at the Mars Bar. Definitely one of my favourite songs from the band and something I wasn’t expecting to do until shortly before the concert/birthday party. Other than that, my motivation to make music hit a few lows during 2025 but for the time being I am more than happy to enjoy and promote the music made by others.

The third and final interview of the month was with the Last Wolf, whose compositions impressed me a lot over the previous months, especially as a self-taught musician. It was interesting to hear about Mathieu’s experience in the music scene in Geneva and how the project has now evolved into a trio. Their upcoming album, On The Edge Of Brightness, is out in March with a Track by track to coincide with its release.

September

I was delighted to start the month with the interview with Beurre, especially to have it online to coincide with their latest, phenomenal album, Resonate and Amplify. I was a big fan of Oxt to Anyone, especially the two longer songs on the album (Mausi and Ways) and the follow-up was even more impressive. There has always been something about the intensity of the music and how they create the music (without any guitars involved) that left me intrigued. Being able to delve deeper into the background to the music is definitely one of many highlights and advantages of the blog.

The day after the Beurre interview was posted, I was at the Coilguns concert at Bogen F and it was an electric evening. I had interviewed Louis Jucker shortly before the concert, having been inspired by their performance and his performance of the Suitcase Suite on the same evening at the Humus Fest in Nyon in December 2024. It was an enjoyable interview learning more about his creative process and how he writes music for different projects.

Less than a week later, I would make my first venture of the year to Kanton Schwyz to see Dear Misses and Sons of Sobchak at the Gaswerk in Seewen. It was a very enjoyable evening, I liked the venue a lot and I was quite fortunate to have visited so many great venues throughout the year.

September also saw the first edition of Track by track, a recurring feature to know more about the background to each song on albums - either the story and/or the creation - inspired by Dear Misses doing something similar on Instagram for their album, Cool Down Under. For the feature, I started with ok chaos by basalte, a band which mixes spoken-word poetry (in French) with instruments and soundscapes. I had really enjoyed Cent Hyènes, especially the ambiances that they were able to create across the album and ok chaos did not disappoint as the band took another approach to song-writing.

Like the Track by track article, the interview with Table Basse Records was also originally in French and translated to English. I had been going through a lot of their releases since discovering the label through Kalkas and really liked the output and choice of artists. I am always intrigued about independent labels, especially the ones operating in Switzerland, and it was a delight to discover more about Table Basse Records. The Lausanne-based label put the artist first and find ways to support them, have a DIY ethos and are committed in their local scene, including organising live concerts.

The month was rounded off with the interview with Hathors who were organising the third edition of Noise Fest. As well as concerts at four different venues across four different nights in their hometown of Winterthur at the end of October, there was also a new additional show taking place in Fribourg at the Fri-Son. The festival features a lot of bands that have been interviewed or mentioned by the blog and it made perfect sense to find out more about Noise Fest whose following and reputation deservedly continue to grow.

October

The month kicked off with my second interview with Binary Sunset for their latest EP, Fin d’été. I had always been intrigued by the Lucerne-based band who wrote their lyrics in French accompanied by surf-rock influenced, upbeat summer music. It was the perfect opportunity to get to know the band even more.

I also tried out a new feature called One of Each in which two articles appeared on the same day - one from myself and one from Samuel Riedo (Hook, Line and Sinker, Gans Sauvage, Darius, Jean-Michel). The idea behind it is to list the single/song, EP, album, live session and music video which the contributor has been listening to a lot. Ideally to share some music and talk about it.

I was also in Lucerne three times during the month, and two of the occasions I saw my favourite concerts of the year at the Sedel. hubris. put on a fantastic live performance, it is so impressive to see how they switch between a three-piece and a four-piece as well as everything that is technically and technologically happening on stage. Jabar also set the stage as a great opening act.

The other concert highlight of the year was Beurre. Even though I had seen many wonderful concerts, this one was truly an experience - the whole show came together and it was a pleasure to hear the music live, aided by some wonderful mixing and lights, which made it a complete experience. To hear their songs live was mindblowing. Definitely a must-see band, and next to that, I picked up a copy of the puzzle and the records. wolfer were also very impressive and I really enjoyed their performance, the trio were definitely on form during the evening.

October also saw the return of Tell us about the music scene in… for its seventh edition with Bern featuring Thomas Fahrni, a musician with Klangklinik (based in Basel!), a volunteer for Musikförderung Bern, inhabitant of the city for almost 20 years. It was a pleasure to find out more about the music scene from the capital, something that I have yet to explore. I was very thankful for the recommendations which I really appreciated. Thomas’s answers gave me a lot of motivation to discover the city in the near future.

The latest album, SIDE A/SIDE B, as well as Malcantone, really grew on me over the summer and it was the perfect opportunity to interview Leopardo. I was curious about the song-writing which mixes self-depreciation, humour and Velvet Underground influences with the band members being scattered across Switzerland. The band also embarked on their second tour of the United States which I wanted to hear about as well.

After many, many months of wanting to know more about Muotathal, I finally made it there, especially to the legendary Earl Music Club to see local heroes, Bubka, and the Shattered Mind Machine, who released their latest album, Achilles Heel, on Monobuster Records, also based in the region. It was a truly memorable evening and was well worth the wait.

To celebrate the merchandise that I had collected over the past few months, I created an article showcasing four of my favourites so far (and I’m certain there will be more in the future). I have always been a fan of bands who find innovative ways to promote their music.

November

Despite the interview taking place a lot earlier in the year, November started off with the publication of the second part of the interview with willibald. Although I am not a fan of AI, I have found it helpful with transcriptions of video/live interviews which are of course then tidied up by myself. Listening to the interview again transported me back to when it took place, bringing back memories. I remember a lot of the moments that made us laugh about how the band was created but more importantly how, despite having made a superb album along with two great singles, that friendship is at the forefront of their band.

I was also delighted to post the interview with Nine Month Summer, whose debut album, A Keepsake, impressed me a lot, especially knowing that it was all arranged and composed by one person, Petros Liakopoulos. I look forward to seeing how the project will develop now that he aims to bring it to the stage.

The third publication of the month was the Autumn 2025 playlist. Another reflection to what I was listening to at the time, intertwined with preparing articles and new discoveries from the previous two-three months.

I also had a video interview with John Silvestre, whose project Eckhart, is making a lot of waves lately and the upcoming album has left a great impression on me. The interview will be divided into two parts and I hope that it will coincide with the release of the album around Spring. It was great to discuss a variety of topics at length including his background in music, how he ended up in Vevey and his involvement in the music scene there.

December

I am very pleased with how the year finished. It was great to find out more about Satarma’s latest album, Fuzzorama, in the first of two Track by track articles for the month. I had a listened to the band a lot during 2025, Kangiten was a fantastic EP and it was great to see how the band evolved with Fuzzorama, definitely a worthwhile listen.

Shortly after the interview with John Silvestre in November, I had discovered his other solo project, Typhon, which he created over a decade ago in France. The most recent album, L’OR, saw the solo project turn into a full band project and the outcome is amazing. I got hooked on the album and I was really fascinated by the in-depth background to each song. For some reason, I can’t forget that he uses a screwdriver and a weird tuning in the song, 13-8. I already have some more editions planned for 2026 and I look forward to hearing about how more albums and songs were created.

To wrap up the month and year in terms of articles, I published the live interview with Louis Jucker which took place shortly before the Coilguns concert in September. I am very pleased with the end result. I look back at the evening with fond memories and I am delighted to have had the chance to pick his brain and to know more about him and his approach to music with Coilguns and his solo projects.

During the month, I was able to see Giant Moa at the final NB Session in Zurich. Their debut album, GM I // GNOM has also been getting a lot of play since its release and the trio were put on an excellent performance - not only was I curious to see how the album was performed live, I was really impressed to see how well the instruments (and harmonies) came together so well.

The final concert of the year took me to Einsiedeln to the wonderful Mauz, another venue with a very welcoming atmosphere, to see Hook, Line & Sinker and Fomies. Terre Brûlée by Hook, Line and Sinker was another album that got a lot of airplay at the end of Autumn, I am definitely a big fan of their latest offering and how their compositions have developed. After getting a taster with the Freunde and Résilience Session, the trio put on a strong performance that I thoroughly enjoyed. Fomies wrapped up the year perfectly and they were an unstoppable, well-oiled machine. Definitely one of my live highlights up there with Beurre and hubris.