I am always looking for new features to keep the blog interesting, sometimes grouping similar sounding bands in the article, Five dream-pop / shoegaze EPs to check out, bands with “unique configurations” in Bands without guitars or concerts in Four memorable concerts from local bands: Zurich.

This new idea is quite simple: one of each refers to a song, EP, album, music video and live session which the contributor has been liking a lot lately. Even though, I will be kicking off the series, I already have the next edition all prepared to be posted shortly afterwards. I hope the replies in this article and the next article will inspire others to partake. I enjoy getting a lot of recommendations through many different people and sources and I hope this article will inspire you to think of your current “one of each”.

And, of course, if you like the bands/music, I put in the Bandcamp links to support the artists.

Single/song: basalte - Le vide est plein d’atomes (from the album, Cent Hyènes, Bandcamp)

If you’ve been reading the blog over the last few weeks, you will know how much I have been into basalte. The band talked about their most recent album, ok chaos, providing the background to each song on the album in a new feature on the blog called, Track by Track. The song which I chose is from their debut album, Cent Hyènes, which was also released on Table Basse Records (interview with the label here)

The music and the imagery from the lyrics go really well together to craft a story about new relationships and all the excitement at the beginning. After a while, a choice has to be made - let the spark fizzle out or fight to construct a future. The mixture of optimism, nostalgie, disappointment and heartbreak all mixed in together makes it quite an emotional song at times.

EP: Satarma - Kangiten (Bandcamp)

This EP found itself on repeat towards the end of the summer and it fit perfectly to the warm weather. It only took the opening bars of Pictures of Tomorrow to draw me in and the record finishes with my favourite track from it, Unity.

I am a big fan of the six-piece band’s neo-psychedelic style which brings together a lot of aspects - dreamy passages, well-crafted soundscapes, 60s psychedelic rock influences, lead guitar motifs and solos whilst being driven along by upbeat rhythms. The ideal introduction to the band, I hope you get as much joy from this EP as I have done lately.

I added Kangiten to my record collection lately and it came with the pleasant surprise of having their EP, Planuit, also included on the vinyl. I am definitely looking forward to seeing how the band evolves.

Album: Chaufau - C’est nos vis (Bandcamp)

Definitely, one of my favourite albums of the year. I feel that I can listen to this album over and over and will never get bored of it. Ever since, Chien fou, was released as a single, it got me very excited for the upcoming album. It is the perfect starting point for entering the chaotic world of Chaufau and reminded me of their concert at Ebrietas in Zurich which was a big inspiration for the blog.

C’est nos vis really captures the energy of the band, they have the ability to go in different directions during songs, mixing psychedelic rock with electronics with the occasional hint of krautrock whilst throwing in absurd lyrics. The band are also able to show a softer side in songs such as L’Argentine, Je ne veux plus and Poisson and there is still a majestically-crafted atmosphere to them.

These days, a lot of bands test the waters with EPs but Chaufau really went all in by starting with an album and it paid off.

According to their Instagram, it seems that the band are already working on the next release!

Music Video: Beurre - Cleanse (from the album, Resonate and Amplify; Bandcamp)

Very haunting video, fits perfectly to the atmosphere of the song. I really like the description from Chadi Messmer, the bassist of Beurre, from our interview recently, which sums up the video a lot better than I could ever do:

The video feels like a meditation on suffocation, isolation, and ultimately transformation. The lace mask, fragile yet oppressive, becomes a metaphor for the invisible structures that confine us, delicate, almost beautiful on the surface, but suffocating when worn too long. The solitary figure wandering through the empty landscape embodies that tension between fragility and despair, the sense of being trapped in silence.

And then comes the fire. At first destructive, it quickly takes on another dimension: a ritual of purification, a way of turning suffering into something luminous. Fire consumes, but it also clears space for renewal. That moment resonates deeply with the spirit of Cleanse: the idea that pain is not only something we endure, but something we can actively transform. The song speaks about learning to let go, about connection as a practice, and about the duty we have, as passing souls, to turn weight into light.

For me, Camille de Pietro’s imagery captures this perfectly: disturbing, raw, yet charged with the possibility of transcendence.

Live session on YouTube: Fomies - Live at B-Sides Festival, Lucerne (Bandcamp)

It’s always great to see Fomies songs in HD quality on YouTube, I’m not sure how often I have watched or listened to Suffocating Jaunt from Nox Orae in 2021.

Their show at Alles Post- MusikFest! earlier in the year was an unforgettable experience and this video at the B-Sides Festival in Lucerne brings back great memories. The five song set on YouTube includes three cuts from their most recent album, Liminality, including the second single, Colossus II, whose video was directed by Radiana Basso.

Honourable mentions:

(in the next article, the contributor chose some honourable mentions that didn’t make the list, so here are some of mine)

Minus One - Dream from the EP, Azur (Bandcamp) - the whole EP is worth checking out, been listening to this song a lot since discovering the live version on YouTube
Swear I love you - Cheap Idol (Bandcamp) - The all-round feel to this EP is superb - the production (including mixing by Aria Konishi), the song writing, big fan of the ambiance, reminds me of Church and Love & Rockets
Gans Sauvage - Guin Sauvage (Bandcamp) - the follow-up did not disappoint! Very enjoyable EP.
delicate prey - feasts (Bandcamp) - great atmosphere throughout the songs, reminds me a bit of King Crimson and the album Vibes Addiction by Italian band Sonicatomic whilst creating their own unique sound
HATHORS - When The Sun Is Out / When Skies Are Grey (Bandcamp) - solid album from start to finish
Leopardo - live at Rubber Gloves, Denton TX (YouTube link, Bandcamp) - a good live quality set featuring a lot of songs from the latest album, SIDE A / SIDE B
Cyril Cyril - Foucoupe session (YouTube link, Bandcamp, Foucoupe website) - wonderful images, great set, a really good introduction to the band

Related articles:

One of each: Reverb Dream

One of each: Samuel Riedo

Interview with Binary Sunset