Formed back in 2016, Basel-baed shoegaze quintet Moonpools — Marcie Nyffeler (vocals/guitar), Jasper Nyffeler(drums), Francesco Vona (keyboard), Matthias Gusset (guitar) and David Blum (bass). — have released three EPs, 2019’s Turbulent Times, 2022’s Damaged Goods and 2024’s Hide and Seek that moves between dream pop, indie rock and shoegaze, featuring densely layered arrangements paired with Marcie Nyffeler’s earnest delivery and lyrics, which walk a tightrope between melodrama and kitsch, while tackling fear, growing up and self-doubt with an honest, and often self-deprecating eye.
The Swiss-based outfit’s latest single “Fade In” is a punchy burst of unbridled energy featuring a melancholy yet subtly hopeful synth line, a towering wall of buzzing and churning guitars and a breakneck motorik-like groove beneath Marcie Nyffeler’s vocal, which expresses vulnerability, conviction and resolve within a turn of a phrase. On one level, the song captures being stuck in your own insecurities to the point of being indecisive and anxious, but it also captures youthful vulnerability in a way that reminds me of my youth.
The anxious unrest of the song bleeds into the accompanying video directed by Mischa Nüesch, which was shot mostly in the band’s rehearsal room and then fed through analog glitching tools to create visual noise and glitch reminiscent of old VHS-styled tape.
“‘Fade In’ is the first song our guitarist and producer Matthias wrote for this upcoming release, about 3 years ago.” the band’s Marcie Nyffeler says. “It was rough, very distorted, and had a different lead synth melody. Like with all of his demos he sends over, I spent the next few days listening to it non-stop to come up with lyrics and a melody. The chorus that was initially a first draft, stayed the chorus for the next three years. But when it came to recording the tune, I realised I wasn’t fully convinced. It needed to be punchier. After seeing Militarie Gun play in January and shouting along to their whole concert, I wrote the new chorus with less words and syllables, something that’s easier to shout along to. The song’s about giving in to the feeling of being overwhelmed and anxious after trying and failing to overcome said feelings.”