Can you tell us about this track?
C: “Mausi” is like a long tunnel where space and time blend into a cocktail of emotions. It’s an intense piece, a never-ending surge of expression, but also a huge relief. For me, it’s impossible to play anything else afterward— this track completely drains me of everything that makes me human, and I need a good moment of isolation to recharge afterward.
E: It is one of those accidental tracks that kind of happens in a break between rehearsing, when everyone is just playing anything and being unfocused suddenly turns into this moment of, wait this sounds funny, let’s just play this for 10 minutes. I think I was looking for a sound on my synth, and while the one we hear on the recording is probably not at all what I was looking for, it really matched what the others were doing, so there we go. I think it grew to be one of everyone’s favourite songs, because the energy of this riff is so insanely powerful and it’s so sparkling to play that live. And of course, most importantly: There is no linear f*ing time.
L: I wasn’t in the band during the writing process but playing it live is pretty challenging considering it’s usually the last song on the playlist. It requires a lot of endurance and it’s physically demanding, since every step up is a no turning back point from which you can only go harder and further sonically, regardless of how long the rest of the song is. It can feel like an impassable mountain when we start it, but the loop-never-stoppin-like feel of this riff actually puts you in a sort of trance state that makes you go on and on and feel almost like it’s easy.
What's your process?
E: Usually our composing only works when we do almost everything together. This music only makes sense when it is totally embodied, and when we are into it 200 percent. It’s just not possible to do it with half of the energy, or to isolate things. So everything is basically rooted in jams, where we try to find a certain state of transcendence. We do this until it feels right, most of the time it needs to be really heavy and extreme to reach its emotionally transformative potential. Then add some structure and disruptiveness, voila.
L : Couldn’t answer this better.
C: We need to immerse ourselves in a mass of sound, seeking tension and energy. We loop riffs over and over to grasp them, set them aside if they don’t feel right, and sometimes revisit them from the opposite angle if needed. It’s a lot of trial and uncertainty until we reach a point where all three of us feel comfortable with what each of us is doing. Everyone has their instrument and their role, but we play for the three of us above all, not just for ourselves. We work in a residency format, in focused blocks where we can dive in 200 percent with as few distractions as possible.
Tell us about being a musician in Switzerland.
L: I personally feel like it’s one of the easiest places to do so. Being a touring musician for over 15 years, I can see the struggle and the sacrifices it implies in other countries that I’ve visited—in Europe, North America, or some parts of Asia. Being able to apply for grants and getting them (not saying it’s easy though, it takes time and work) makes things a lot more affordable and doable even as a niche genre band. I know everyone’s experience is different but I’m very much speaking from a personal point of view here.
We get to play in more than decent structures, well equipped venues with a lot of qualified people, and at the same time, there is also a very dedicated DIY crowd working effortlessly with no subs from the government to make every kind of show happen. I feel lucky to be able to experience both sides as a musician as well as being part of the audience.
C: Just like Luc. I might add that, in a way, we are the rich among the poor (or the other way around). If we compare our (financial) situation to the Swiss average, it’s catastrophic. But compared to the rest of the world, we are highly privileged. Otherwise, I feel a general exhaustion around me in the cultural scene—many burnouts and overall very fragile mental health. With the societal changes we are going through, it seems necessary to find new ways of operating.
E: Yes, it really depends on the perspective you look at it from. And it concerns not only musicians, but everyone that is involved on the day of the show, technicians, promoters, everyone behind the scenes, cultural workers in general. I am deeply impressed by the amount of people who dedicate a lot of energy into making things happen. But to earn a living, everyone is still pressured to have a massive output and to think about their cultural work in economic patterns. This leads to an over-exhausting grind culture and everyone is somehow part of it. And I think these problems have to be addressed and solved on a much wider scale than just cultural work.
Who are your favorite Swiss artists?
E: Kush K, Radon, Leoni Leoni, and Alice Köppel.
C: Elie Zoé, Film 2, Rebecca Solari, Elischa Heller, and Luc Hess. <3
L : HEX, Murmures Barbares, Glaascats, Dubuk, Louis Jucker, Chien Mon Ami, J&L Defer—I could keep going on because there are so many more and no this is not a band name.
Who would you like to see perform in Switzerland?
E: Fire-Toolz, Eliane Radigue, Ben Vida+Nina Dante, Carebender, and Thierra Whack.
C: Daudi Matsiko, SUUNS, Fairuz, Arca, Oranssi Pazuzu, Helvetia, Uboa, and Hamza El Din (rip <3).
L: Beak, Agriculture, Lil Simz, Big Thief, Young Fathers, Eartheater, and Deli Girls.
Any shoutouts?
C: Massive shoutout to the resilience of the Palestinian people and in general to every person fighting against colonialism and oppression.
E: What Chadi says. <3
L: Yes.
