Tag: Lausanne Switzerland

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Mary Middlefield Shares Roaring “Young and Dumb”

Mary Middlefield is rising, 22 year-old Lausanne, Switzerland-based classically trained violinist, folk-pop singer/songwriter and guitarist, who has received attention for crafting steam-of-consciousness songs that veer between pop-punk fueled intensity and folk-inspired softness inspired by Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Claud, Jockstrap and The Japanese House. Thematically, the young Swiss artist’s work sees her wielding high drama, desire and vulnerability as keys to making meaning in a complicated universe, where abuse and love coincide. 

Slated for an April 26, 2024, the young and rising Swiss artist’s forthcoming EP, Poetry (for the scorned and lonely) is reportedly her most cathartic release to date that will not only allow her to move forward with a clear mind and clean palette, but features music for listeners who are feeling stuck, scorned and lonely. Essentially, the EP’s material is an invitation for those who are suffering to scream their hearts and souls out alongside her.

The forthcoming EP will feature “Sexless,” “Heart’s Desire” and “Atlantis,” a breathtakingly gorgeous and remarkably accessible song built around a sparse arrangement of strummed acoustic guitar, ukulele, shimmering strings, atmospheric synths and a subtle yet supple bass line serving as a lush bed for Middlefield’s yearning and expressive delivery. Recorded at Lausanne-based AKA Studio with Alexis Sudan and Gwen Buord, “Atlantis” as Middlefield explains is a sadistic love ballad that explores the dilemma of being infatuated with a person who offers very little in return. 

Originally written as a stripped-down track, Middlefield and Buord rearranged the song’s second part with intricate ukulele arrangements. Then they also tweaked the track a bit more, by adding strings and synths and an underwater-like feel to make the song sound dreamier while readily embracing a folk pop sound.

“Young and Dumb,” Poetry (for the scorned and lonely)‘s latest single may arguably be the most rock-leaning song of the EP’s singles to date. Built around a grunge-like song structure that alternates between textured and fuzzy, power chord-driven choruses and dramatic and dreamy verses with cinematic strings, the breakneck “Young and Dumb” features a narrator, who excoriates someone, presumably a love interest, who made a fool of her — and flagellates herself for her own naiveté and inexperience. Although I’m now in my mid-40s, the song captures a fairly universal sentiment of anyone who’s young and attempting to make their life in their own image, but not quite getting where they think they should be.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Mary Middlefield Performs “Atlantis”

Mary Middlefield is rising, 22 year-old Lausanne, Switzerland-based classically trained violinist, folk singer/songwriter and guitarist, who has received attention for crafting steam-of-consciousness songs that veer between pop-punk fueled intensity and folk-inspired softness inspired by Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Claud, Jockstrap and The Japanese House. Thematically, the young Swiss artist’s work sees her wielding high drama, desire and vulnerability as keys to making meaning in a complicated universe, where abuse and love coincide.

The young Swiss artist’s forthcoming EP is reportedly a cathartic release, that will not only allow her to move forward with a clear mind and clean palette but is also music for listeners who are stuck, scorned and lonely. The EP is essentially an invitation for those who are suffering and yearning to scream alongside her.

The EP’s latest single “Atlantis” is a breathtakingly gorgeous and remarkably accessible song built around a sparse arrangement of strummed acoustic guitar and ukelele, shimmering strings, atmospheric synths and a subtle yet supple bass line paired with Middlefield’s yearning and expressive delivery. Recorded at Lausanne-based AKA Studio with Alexis Sudan and Gwen Buord, “Atlantis” as Middlefield explains is a sadistic love ballad that explores the dilemma of being infatuated with a person who offers very little in return.

Originally written as a stripped-down track, Middlefield and Buord rearranged the song’s second part with intricate ukulele arrangements. Then also tweaked the track a bit more, by adding strings and synths and an underwater-like feel to make the song sound dreamier while readily embracing a folk pop sound.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Willy Hobal Shares Infectious Banger “Willy from the block”

Willy Hobal is a Dominican-born, Swiss-based singer/songwriter, actor and multi-disciplinary artist, who like countless artists and creatives have supported himself with a full-time job as a luxury hotel marketing specialist.

As a musician and recording artist, Hobal specializes in high energy, entertaining music featuring Caribbean rhythms meant to get people moving. Last year, Hobal exploded out of the gate with two singles, the Raniero Palm-produced “No Pares” and “Nadie me conoce,” which led to performances at the Somos Latinoamerica Festival in Lausanne, Switzerland and the Miss Universe Switzerland pageant.

Last summer, Hobal announced that he was working on his debut EP, VIRGO, which is slated for a summer 2023 release. The six-song effort explores the qualities of those born under the zodiac sign of Virgo, and to two zodiac signs that share similar qualities with Virgo. The EP is specifically for open minded people — and as Hobal says “for the black sheep, the people, who seek the freedom to be themselves through dance and music.”

The EP’s first single “Willy From The Block” is a swaggering, dance floor friendly banger that features a slick mixture of Europop and Dominican dembow rhythms — and a sonic nod to Jennifer Lopez‘s “Jenny From the Block.” Thematically, the song also draws a bit from Lopez’s smash hit with teh song encouraging the listener to work hard to overcome any of the obstacles they may have to face.

Fittingly, the accompanying video is a colorful, high energy visual that stars the Dominican-Swiss artist at a ranging house party with some ridiculous hip-hop cliches, including large piles of cash and a collection of incredibly attractive Virgos — who have the Virgo zodiac symbol on their heads.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Switzerland’s Etienne Machine Releases a Brooding and Uneasy Single

Lausanne, Switzerland-based trip hop act Etienne Machine is a fairly mysterious, emerging indie act. Their latest single “RIFT (Erased Your Face)” is a brooding and hypnotic, Portishead-like take on trip hop centered around twinkling Rhodes, skittering beats, wobbling synths and electronics, shimmering guitars and ethereal vocals.

The song evokes the claustrophobia and unease of a relationship on the brink, full of the complicated and bitter emotions, the contradictory push and pull, the longing and regret that often accompanies relationships.