Vexier, the new album by the Swiss trio E-L-R has finally arrived on March 11th via Prophecy Productions. We caught up with guitarist/singer S.M. to discuss their sophomore effort.
What was the process like recording the new album Vexier?
Like Mænad, we recorded Vexier with our long-time friend Remo Häberli at Hidden Stash Studio in Bern. The instrumental parts were recorded on several days in November 2020 and the vocals a bit later in January/February 2021 in individual sessions. Luckily, we all live in the same city, so we didn’t have the pressure to get everything done in one week which made the whole recording process flexible and organic. And as already mentioned, Remo is also a very close friend of ours outside of music and that makes working together very enjoyable. In his presence we always feel comfortable, deeply understood and in good hands. His many years of experience as a producer and musician (PostHumanBigBang etc.), makes up a large part of our recorded music. We appreciate his creative inputs, and he gives our visions the final touch. I think we often inspire each other, and we are grateful for this connection.
How would you compare the new album to 2019’s debut, Mænad?
After Mænad came out, we played many live shows and learned what “works” best for us on stage and for the audience. Our goal for the next record was to create songs that work on an album but also when performing live. And now when we compare the two albums together, we’d say the new material is still dreamy and hypnotic but also more compact and powerful, maybe even a bit more severe and harsh. It still has the typical E-L-R mood, just with a little heavier/darker soul.
How has the pandemic influenced the writing?
Due to the pandemic, we had a lot of time to dive into the writing process of Vexier and we literally formed a vacuum in our rehearsal space. It was (and still is!) our safe haven and going there has always been a silver lining during those uncertain times. Some songs came to us at a rapid speed but some of them really needed a lot of patience. All together I’d say we had a lot of fun shaping those new songs and we really pushed each other to the limits.
What was your experience creating the video for “Opiate the Sun?”
The video ´Opiate The Sun´ started with the idea of having synchronized swimmers because we liked the kaleidoscope patterns in the combination with the psychedelic main riff and beat of the song. This idea led to the entire video concept that was made by our dear friends of Atlov. Honestly, it was quite a challenge for them to make an interesting 12 minute video but they managed very well and we are incredibly happy about the final result. Our good friend Vali is playing the main character and she did a fantastic job too. It’s a nice feeling to work with close friends and evolve together over time!
Do you have any plans for this year you can share with us?
When everything turns out well, we will finally play shows again and we will perform the new songs of Vexier live. We will also continue to write new material for a third record, but we will take our time for that one. Apart from that, we cannot wait to attend shows as fans again! We really miss seeing other bands play.
Is there anything else you want to say or add about the new album?
We want to thank everyone who gives our new record a spin or even supports us with buying it on vinyl or in a digital format. & Take care of each other and your surroundings. See you soon out there!
