More by chance than design, my legs carried me to the Club Tent at Paléo Festival. But the sound pouring out from beneath that white canopy was brimmed with unfiltered passion and eclectic energy. Four young musicians were on stage, playing as if their lives depended on it. Fueled by a relentless drum machine, singer Nicolas Roussi danced as if in a trance, eyes wide open, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
That was my first—and, I must say, excellent—encounter with the Swiss quartet Nonante from Lausanne. Since their 2022 debut single, Waterflow, they’ve released two albums, establishing a signature sound ranging from post-punk to 8-bit psychedelic pop.
Today, let’s dive into the still small but promising and compelling universe of Nonante.
Jennifer
We’re starting our journey almost at the very beginning: Jennifer is Nonante’s second standalone single, not part of their debut album GRAND TOUR. A song that begins innocuously, lurking beneath a sense of calm, waiting to stalk the soul. But it swells; Roussi howls in despair into the silence of the night, which is torn apart by a sharp guitar riff. Jennifer has a transcendental quality; no cheap hooks that immediately cry out for attention, but rather a relentless energy that is more reminiscent of electronic dance music, drawing you in ever deeper.
Dead Don't Die
We find the same quality in Dead Don’t Die, only here Nonante pick up the pace. More frenetic, wilder, more virtuosic. This track races along with real punch, pumping out pure adrenaline. And yet the four musicians take the space to let the excellent guitar work shine. It sways, screams, wails, and dances its way to a feverish climax. Here is where cold wave and garage rock collide, and it works exceptionally well.
Kids
A glittering 80s vibe, a funky groove. The love child of Depeche Mode, New Order, and Prince. Kids, like Dead Don’t Die, from their debut album released in 2023, strikes a completely different note, yet still fits seamlessly into their repertoire. Even though this nostalgic escapade flirts more with pop elements, Nonante don’t take the easy route here. Whilst there is a classic chorus, the focus is much more on constant development than on a rigid structure.
Bank Robber
Fast forward. Last year, Nonante released their second album, Monate. And with it came Bank Robber, a track which, alongside Fire to the Dust, not only delves deep into the Spartan post-punk canon but also stands as one of the album’s most ecstatic highlights. Think: Molchat Doma, but with a twink. The synth melody bounces along innocently, undeterred, whilst the guitar indulges in melancholy and Roussi recounts, almost impassively, the story of a repeat bank robber. Beneath this minimalist framework lies a foundation of planetary weight: a primal bassline that vibrates like an earthquake from the deep, making your chest tremble.
Faces
An oriental-sounding melody, sweeping guitar riffs, a driving rhythm and vocals reminiscent of early The Cure. Faces is a daring success. Just like Dead Don’t Die and Kids before them, the juxtaposition of Faces and Bank Robber reveal the absurdly wide range that the band have to offer without losing an all-connecting essence. Nonante collide contrasting elements with effortless nonchalance, giving the instrumentation room to breathe as they indulge in pure, psychedelic nectar.
Support Nonante by buying their music. The full catalogue is available on Bandcamp.
