NONEXISTER RELEASE VIDEO FOR SECOND SINGLE “DROWNING IN THE VOID”
14th June 2023Zurich-based NONEXISTER thrive on the interplay of electronic energy and heavy catharsis. As if soundtracking an after-hours club at the end of the world, the band function like a pendulum swinging from moments of industrial ecstasy to moshpit-ready fits.
Following on from their very first single “Your Pain Up My Veins“, and its spectacularly dark video, the group has followed up today by sharing sweeping new single “Drowning In The Void”. The song is dedicated to loved ones who have been unexpectedly lost in the prime of life. Regarding the lyrics, singer Nik Leuthold shares, “The lyrics were written after the death of a good friend of mine. They describe the state of shock you fall into when you receive such a horrifying message. The shock throws you into a kind of surreal in-between world and you don’t understand anything anymore. You don’t feel any pain at first, but are left stunned, and the everyday actions you continue to perform seem absurd. You stand bewildered and disoriented outside of space and time, watching the world and oneself in wonder without any real connection to either. The only warmth you find lies in the memory of the lost person, the same memory that hurts so grievously.”
Bandmate Marco Neeser adds about the music, “We combined grounded guitars with electronic noises to create a tension that leads through the whole song. It meanders through the vastness of the desert, leading into a sweeping noisy soundscape before diving back into a deep, dark chorus. Musically, the song is based on a track of my former band Division Kent. I showed the original version to Nik, who loved it, and the track inspired him immediately to write new lyrics and vocal lines. It was striking how this completely changed the atmosphere of the song and gave it a new profound meaning.”
“The video was a wonderful collaboration with director Justin Stoneham,” Nik continues. “He is not only a fantastic and award-winning director, but a wonderful team player. It was clear to me from the beginning that the in-between world would lead the visual direction. Meeting Justin was a huge stroke of luck, because apart from his skills, he knows these situations from his own personal experience and agrees on the image of an intermediate world as an interpretation of them.”
ABOUT NONEXISTER
“The first album I bought was Computer World by Kraftwerk, and the second was No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith by Motörhead – which pretty much describes where I come from,” laughs Marco. “For me, creating music is about creating atmospheres. I like to conjure soundscapes. I try to bring beauty into noise. Nik has a different approach. He’s a songwriter, and he aims to tell stories. The lyrics are very important – and he’s an amazing singer. So, it’s a thrilling match.”
Co-founders Marco and Nik drew on dynamic and distinct backgrounds at the onset of the project. Marco, the electronic maverick, honed his creativity and stage presence in the likes of Swandive, Division Kent, me.man. Machine., and Glitter Wasteland, gracing the stages of major festivals and cities across Europe. Meanwhile, Nik powered the punk upstarts Catchpole, and he voices one of the robots of the ground-breaking robot band Compressorhead, for which John Wright, frontman of the Hanson Brothers and drummer for the legendary No Means No, writes the music and is the voice of the robot singer. Simultaneously, Nik has entrenched himself in Switzerland’s dynamic subculture scene including the legendary Wohlgroth and fostering the launch of initiatives such as the independent cultural and political force Radio Stadtfilter.
Given the intimate nature of their hometown’s music community, Nik and Marco crossed paths many times through the years. After grabbing a drink one evening, they decided to collaborate in the studio, giving rise to NONEXISTER. The two artists went into Marco‘s home studio and began creating songs for the first NONEXISTER album, eventually teaming up at New Sound Studio with producer Tommy Vetterli – the mastermind of Coroner and a member of legendary thrashers Kreator – who added another dimension to their production efforts. It was also Vetterli who brought the two together with guitarist Jonas Wolf, who played most of the guitars on the album, but has since handed over on NONEXISTER to his friend Silvan Gerhard to focus on his role within Eluveitie.
Their first single “Your Pain Up My Veins” – shared earlier this year – boasts a chugging guitar riff with a driving beat and goth-inspired loops. Nik howls and wails as if awakening from a cryogenic freeze with a lust for control on his tongue. Watch its engrossing. disturbing video here. Their latest single, “Drowning In The Void” only gives a hint at what more is to come from this talented, creative group.
NONEXISTER are Marco Neeser [electronics, songwriting, production], Nik Leuthold [vocals, songwriting, production], Reto “Fu” Gaffuri [bass], Siro Müller [drums, backing vocals], and Silvan Gerhard [guitar, backing vocals].
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