Live sessions
Live sessions are a great way of getting a band’s music out to the public and making them more accessible - a collection of songs which the band would like to showcase in a live environment with a high quality recording. A collection of three to four live songs allow the potential listener to get a taster of the band before possibly digging deeper into the band’s catalogue.
Since the most well known live sessions, the Peel Sessions (from John Peel), the internet, especially with YouTube, has allowed fans, new and old, to have the visual aspect of the performance.
I can remember the era of Juan’s Basement, most notably with the recordings and interviews of M83 and Silver Jews, and the Parisian-based La Blogothèque - I am not sure how often I watched the video of Menomena performing the song Wet and Rusting in a courtyard in the French capital. Also by coincidence, the association is back with a new style of shooting, Fin de service (end of service - in a restaurant, at the end of a shift) which I discovered a couple of days ago. These days, one of the main players in the world is KEXP who regularly produce a lot of live sessions from bands across the world.
Since starting Reverb Dream, I have come across a lot of live sessions from Switzerland that I have enjoyed a lot and I am slowly beginning to dig deeper to find how it works. There are TV channels and radio stations using their regional platforms and independent associations who are driven and passionate to help bands gain a larger audience.
Below are some of my findings so far, if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. The only criteria is that the videos are between 10-30 minutes long, minimum three songs and are all in one video or a playlist that allows the songs to be played one after the other.
Yet No Yokai - Confederation Music Sessions
Starting with one of my favourite musical discoveries lately, Yet No Yokai, released the excellent Wir Sind da album, of which the last song, Aufzug / Liebe Liebe was on the last Reverb Dream playlist. The psych/krautrock band from Lucerne perform four songs on RSI for the Confederation Music Sessions - YouTube playlist here - from the excellent opener, Nebelmeer, the group draw the listener in instantly.
RSI is the main TV channel/radio station in Ticino, the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. Arguably, the sessions with the biggest budget on this list. They have been particularly active over the last two years putting out at least 10-15 live performances (and interviews of the bands) mainly from a sound set/stage. I am still going through the recordings but next to Yet No Yokai, I also enjoyed the performance from Harvey Rushmore and the Octopus.
Binary Sunset - Mitschnitt (Radio 3Fach)
Another band from Lucerne, Binary Sunset, have also been one group whose discography is getting constant plays on my headphones and speakers at home They recently released their first album, Les Grandes Vacances. The band bring a positive, summer vacation feel with all of their tracks, which are also sung in French. The latest album, as well as their EPs, are all worth checking out and have been getting plays here lately.
This session with their local radio station, Radio3 Fach, has the band perform in a bike shop as part of their Mitschnitt Sessions - YouTube Playlist link here. Radio3 Fach have also been particularly active over the last couple of years with sessions from local and from bands across Switzerland performing either in a studio, on a stage or in a more unconventional location.
LØRE - Foucoupe
We are now moving into independent territory starting with Foucoupe and their latest video with LØRE. Foucoupe is an association which is passionate about the music scene and shoot sessions for bands, mainly from West Switzerland, and organise concerts in several unique locations. In this video, LØRE deliver an intense performance from the school gym in the Vieux Collège in Monthey and their EP, Mom Torello, is worth checking out.
I would also recommend delving into other sessions from Foucoupe such as the ones from Peter Kernel, and its hypnotic set design, Alles Post-! MusikFest favourites Winter in Deutschland’s two performances (first session, second session) and from Glaascats on the Foucoupe YouTube channel. If you enjoy their work, I would also recommend supporting them by becoming a member.
Penkowski - Club Soda
Club Soda have produced a few sessions but have been quiet over the last couple of years. I haven’t been able to find out too much about the association except for a description on the culture Vevey website that they offer visibility and professional audiovisual content for emerging regional bands and bands with small budgets.
One of my favourite sessions is the Biel/Bienne post-punk rockers performance in a scrapyard (or at least surrounded by used cars). Performing mainly songs from their highly-rated album, Final Destination Disneyland, this performance has been getting regular views on my YouTube account and the version from Butterfly made it onto the Summer Playlist. I am also a big fan of the Leopardo session - in which they arrive on a tractor and play outside in a farm/big field.
Batbait - Cold Storage
According to the YouTube video description, the Cold Storage Sessions is a collaborative project between four bands from the record label Cold Storage - each of them releasing a 15 min live set, supporting each other by filming, mixing, editing, and sharing knowledge. Driven by the urge to create something together, these sessions were born.
In this one-off collaboration which during took place during 2021, the Zurich-based four piece Batbait unleash their mesmorising, bass-driven psychedelic alt-rock songs. The band have teased a couple of songs and played a couple of shows lately since their 2022 album, Dirty Clothes, and I am looking forward to their next songs and albums.
I hope you enjoy the videos and if you have recommendations for other associations, sessions and live performances, feel free to let me know.