Flying the flag for Swiss indie electro pop, TRUE are highly creative Bern-based duo formed by Daniela Sarda on vocals & keys and Rico Baumann on keys, drums, drum machines & sound design. Emerging out of the jazz scene and having cut their teeth on numerous musical projects, the duo came together just over two years ago with the aim of putting their brand of sleek, elegantly-produced synth beats on the European electronica map.
Their sound is deliciously enveloping
True to their aim, the duo have already gained quite a reputation for their sultry, downbeat singles and EPs which are always accompanied by exquisitely made art-house videos directed by film duo Nicole Pfister and Kapuly Dietrich. Their sound is deliciously enveloping due to many strong ingredients: Daniela’s rich sultry voice very apt at carrying emotion, haunting synth arrangements and sparse, compelling beats. As Rico explains, “We like songs that you could play on a guitar or piano, and we put it into an electronic context”. Singles like ‘What I’ve Lost’ and ‘Colors of my Estimation’ are late-night slow-burners that cast shadows on the musical landscape. The lyrics are full of bitter-sweet introspection which hint at the origins of the groups name – “a commitment to unadulterated truth”.
A collectable item in a precious series
Visually, each video and photograph is a studied performance in itself. Not only are True’s videos filmed with a fully live rendition of the song, but each clip has its own particular style, colour and tone, almost as if it were a collectable item in a precious series. The quirky, upbeat ‘Vertyko’ is a seamless take of Japanese 80s-style choreography, blueish hues, mixing up the retro with the futuristic. The timbre of ‘Colors of my Estimation’ is sombre and monochrome to match the moody beats whereas ‘What I’ve lost’ comes at you with dazzlingly bright lights, white attire and a sharp, bouncy rhythm.
Championed regularly by BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music, the duo can be seen at the prestigious M4 festival on the showcase stage at the Moods club in Zurich on 28th March. Keep an eye on this classy Swiss synth pop outfit, released on Mouthwatering Records out of Bern, their name is and their aim is TRUE.
Interesting additional reading: an in depth article entitled “Switzerland: in the creative Spirit” on The Formant blog where TRUE, Kamikaze, Snow Ghosts, Len Sander among other artists from the Swiss electronic scene are well represented.
