{"title":"Weval","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"tclrdnl040","title":"Weval - Changed for the Better","description":"\u003cp\u003eCritically-acclaimed Dutch act Weval (AKA Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers) arrive on Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint with news of their forthcoming EP “Changed For The Better”. The duo hail from Amsterdam, where they have been cultivating a unique sound that balances high energy electronic funk and emotive synth arrangements with bold, beautifully composed melodies and songwriting. Due to the enforced downtime from touring thanks to the pandemic, the duo recently embarked on a mission to rediscover themselves and what truly drives them, in a process of liberation from self-imposed constraints. Their creative process was reinvigorated with an uninhibited approach and “Changed For The Better” represents Weval unfiltered, accepting themselves for who they truly are. It’s sincere and heartfelt and unashamedly positive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout “Changed For The Better” Weval instil an uplifting energy, merging emotive vocals with pumped up beats and highly affecting melodies and riffs. All four cuts embody their reinvigorated outlook; the title track, out today, was made with a live audience in mind, splicing a funky bassline with Harm’s haunting vocals. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Weval it goes back to the timeless adage that music is a feeling, inspired by the pure innocence of the emotions and feelings evoked as a child listening to a cassette in the back of a car while on holiday with your parents. Weval unearth that naive, untainted energy and capture an authentic feeling of youthful romanticism and sincerity, reflected in the artwork by Vasjen Kastro, where a vintage car (in fact, a 90’s model that belongs to Merijn’s parents, the same car he sat it the back of as a kid listening to music) is engulfed by a cloud at sunset. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003eTheir core influences growing up converge and contrast to produce a perfect balance. Harm listened to more subdued music during the 90’s and early 2000’s. “I always had a true sweet spot for sentimental pop and RnB and from the beginning 2000 hits from N.E.R.D. Aaliyah, Usher and Madonna.” Harm commented. “After some time, I stepped away and discovered Yonderboi and St. Germain and that opened the door to Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis and the whole world of jazz. So much fun to step into new worlds, I guess the red line between all those things is that the sound was not screaming but more gentle and clean”. Merijn grew up with more high energy stuff, “for me, the first time hearing those 90's movie soundtracks like Fight Club, Blade and the Matrix was really influential. Later on hearing DJ Shadow for the first time, RJD2, Amon Tobin.” Merijn added. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 2016 BBC Radio 1 invited Weval to perform live at Maida Vale for their Residency series alongside Moderat, Darkstar, Gold Panda, Jessy Lanza and AKASE. On the road they’ve rocked stages with their five-piece band at a long list of prominent festivals from Nuits Sonores, Lowlands, Primavera, Best Kept Secret and Pukkelpop to Lightning in a Bottle, Rock en Seine, DGTL Amsterdam, Gottwood and many more. They have also sold out headline shows at the prestigious Royal Concertgebouw and iconic Paradiso in their hometown Amsterdam. Upcoming shows include a date with Metropole Orkest at Melkweg for the long awaited ADE 2021. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e11 years since they first met and 9 since they began making music together as Weval, Harm and Merijn have achieved a state of self-acceptance and confidence that shines through in their productions. In a world full of turmoil and trauma, “Changed For The Better” offers hope and comfort. Born of the desire for playing live again to a big crowd the EP feels imbued with positivity and a renewed sense of optimism. Here Weval reveal their true nature, revelling in their liberation and setting a clear course for where they’ll go next.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Changed For The Better” EP is out on the 12th November, with the lead single out now. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ninjatune","offers":[{"title":"12\"","offer_id":45165217513631,"sku":"TCLR040","price":17.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/8563\/5999\/files\/changed-for-the-better-main.jpg?v=1736246332"},{"product_id":"tclrdnl041","title":"Weval - Remember","description":"\u003cp\u003eAmsterdam-based duo Weval (made up of Harm Coolen \u0026amp; Merijn Scholte Albers) announce their long awaited new album “Remember”, out 3rd March on Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour. With the announcement the duo share a new single “Don’t Lose Time”. The album embarks on a high energy journey of nostalgic memories and euphoric emotions, seeing the electronic duo reminisce on their own musical journey while reflecting on key influences and inspiration over the years. “We played and embraced this with unshameful nostalgic feelings around discovering music as young music fans” they commented. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Remember’ plays around with memory and its ability to distort. As Weval elaborate, “Time is constantly escaping you and when you look back, memories distort - sometimes negatively, sometimes fake, sometimes euphoric and romanticised.” This central theme is explored in sonic contrasts as Weval employ heavily contorted beats with the potential to destroy speakers, only to be salvaged from the brink of collapse by melodically hopeful chords. Their new bombastic sound came as a result of new songwriting methods that saw Weval mashing together seemingly disparate ideas that held completely different lives and energies. Elements of pop, dance and every genre in between are thrown in and whittled down to make their most intense, spontaneous and substantial work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe upcoming album follows on from the 2022 singles \"Never Stay For Love\", featuring Dutch singer-songwriter Eefje de Visser, and “Forever”. Both tracks offered early previews to ‘Remember’, leaning on highly textured, driving and sophisticated electronica which the duo have become widely known for. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWeval are well known amongst peers and critics for their beautifully composed melodies and songwriting. Previous press coverage includes impressive support from Pitchfork, Billboard, The Line of Best Fit, Resident Advisor, DJ Mag, Mixmag, Clash, SPIN, Brooklyn Vegan, Crack Magazine, Dummy, Magnetic Mag, The Vinyl Factory and more. Radio highlights include a live performance at the historic Maida Vale studio for BBC Radio 1’s Residency series (alongside artists such as Moderat, Darkstar, Gold Panda, Jessy Lanza and AKASE), plus support from the likes of Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, KEXP, KCRW, SiriusXMU, Beats In Space and many more. Their music has been featured in TV shows Good Girls, Industry, and the HBO hit drama I May Destroy You by Michaela Coel. Weval recently completed a EU\/UK and US tour with stops along Berlin, Istanbul, Brooklyn, Miami, LA, Vancouver and more. They have previously performed with a live five-piece band to emphatic festival crowds at Primavera Sound, Sonar Festival Istanbul, DGTL Amsterdam, Lightning In A Bottle, OSHEAGA, Lost Village, Lowlands, Down The Rabbit Hole, Best Kept Secret and many more. They’ll return to the stage this Spring on a run of EU\/UK and North America dates. Tickets go on sale Friday, 20th January at 10am local time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbout Weval:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst meeting in 2010, Harm and Merijn formed their formidable creative alliance back in 2012 when they were both working in film - when Harm brought Merijn on board to assist with a music video for some friends in a band. They began experimenting together, enjoying the music production more than the filmmaking. Neither had experience of making music before forming Weval, so they have evolved organically together throughout their partnership. It’s an ongoing project that evolves naturally, each new release a learning experience that feeds back into their creative output.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ninjatune","offers":[{"title":"Standard Black","offer_id":45165217906847,"sku":"TCLR041","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Exclusive Solid White","offer_id":45165217972383,"sku":"TCLR041D","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":45165218037919,"sku":"TCLRCD041","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/8563\/5999\/files\/remember-main.jpg?v=1736246332"},{"product_id":"tclrdnl061","title":"Weval - Night Versions","description":"\u003cp\u003eWeval (consisting of Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers) are an Amsterdam-based duo who have established a solid reputation across the globe for crafting highly textured and sophisticated electronic music. They announce a new EP called ‘Night Versions’ which contains brand new, club-focused alternatives to key tracks from their recent critically acclaimed album, ‘Remember’. ‘Night Versions’ is set to release on Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour on 4th October. With the announcement Weval share a Night Version reimagining for title track “Remember\".\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpeaking about these new versions, Weval say, \"It was so much fun to return to the material and make some bold moves. Just to see how far we could push the tracks with the dance floor in mind. We've been road-testing a few of these in our DJ sets lately, and it's so rewarding to watch people dance and hear the tracks blasting on the dance floor. It's addictively fun to experience and see the second life of the songs from the LP.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Remember’ embarked on a high energy journey of nostalgic memories and euphoric emotions, with elements of pop, dance and every genre in between being thrown in and whittled down to make an intense, spontaneous and substantial work. PopMatters noted the album as \"a kaleidoscopic, gut-turning, jaw-dropping wondrous journey\" while it received additional support from the likes of Cool Hunting, Clash Magazine and Stereogum among others.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ninja Tune","offers":[{"title":"LP (Signed)","offer_id":45908484751519,"sku":"TCLR061SW","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/8563\/5999\/files\/night-versions-main.jpg?v=1736246297"},{"product_id":"chorophobia","title":"Weval - CHOROPHOBIA","description":"\u003cp\u003eCritically-acclaimed Dutch electronic duo Weval (AKA Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers) announce their long-awaited new album ‘CHOROPHOBIA’, due for release on the 5th September 2025 on Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour. Alongside the announcement the duo share up-beat new single “JUST FRIENDS”, which follows on from UK-bass-infused “DOPAMINE' released recently - both tracks signalling an exciting new direction for the duo. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen it came to making their fourth album, ‘CHOROPHOBIA’, Weval faced their fears. Despite being grouped into the dance scene since their 2013-released debut EP ‘Half Age’ and going on to play festival stages including Nuits Sonores, Lowlands, Primavera, Best Kept Secret, Pukkelpop and DGTL Amsterdam with their five-piece band, Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers have actively pushed away from being known as a floor-filling act. But, more recently, when the pair stumbled across the phrase chorophobia - which means a fear of dancing - they decided to lean into the irony and get out of their comfort zones. “Until that point, we had always worked on records with a 'listening' mindset,” Harm reflects of Weval’s second and third albums (2019’s ‘The Weight’ and 2023’s ‘Remember’) – “we realised that we’ve been scared of making dance music for all of our journey as producers”. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJumping in at the deep end has resulted in Weval’s most extroverted collection to date. While they teased this new direction with 2024’s groovier ‘Night Versions’ EP for Technicolour, letting go of their inhibitions has required patient artistic evolution. “we wanted to commit in a way that still felt liberating and true to us”, Harm says, adding that calling it a dance record not only felt like a u-turn but freed them from the boundaries and cliches of certain categories. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unrestricted, genre-crossing ethos made room for guilty pleasures, higher BPMs, big drops and an increased number of hi-hats. The titular intro sets the scene and is ominous enough to soundtrack a 70s horror movie, before acid synths take it in a wiggier direction, flowing seamlessly into the spiralling build up of ‘MOVEMENT’. Comparatively, ‘JUST FRIENDS’ would suit a Tame Impala record perfectly, and the funk-infused ‘BETTER’ sits in a similar sphere to records from the Motown era. Featuring vocals from club favourite KILIMANJARO’s brother who spontaneously joined a studio visit, ‘HEAD FIRST’ - ups the ante, as does ‘DOPAMINE’, while the subtler ‘MERCATOR’ forms a bridge between Weval’s previous releases and this record.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn album designed to be experienced with others - ‘CHOROPHOBIA’ is sure to satisfy both longtime fans and lead them to discover a new audience. Not only is it a hedonistic expansion to the sonic world that Weval spent almost a decade building, their stylistically-brave fourth record is proof that doing what scares you the most often ends up being the most thrilling choice to make.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘CHOROPHOBIA’ is out 5th September. “JUST FRIENDS” is out now.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ninja Tune","offers":[{"title":"LP (Signed White Label Vinyl)","offer_id":62165392228511,"sku":"TCLR062WL","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP (Exclusive Yellow Marble)","offer_id":62165392261279,"sku":"TCLR062ND","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":62165392195743,"sku":"TCLR062","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":62165392294047,"sku":"TCLRCD062","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/8563\/5999\/files\/chorophobia-main.jpg?v=1747825084"}],"url":"https:\/\/merch.ninjatune.net\/collections\/weval.oembed","provider":"Ninja Tune","version":"1.0","type":"link"}