Weval

Weval, a duo from the Netherlands, shape electronic compositions by fusing experimental techno, downtempo grooves, and wistful indie rock. Their recordings juxtapose brooding atmospheres with luminous melodies while favoring gradual progression over quick commercial appeal, resulting in music that stays broadly inviting. After the 2013 debut EP, the pair attracted the notice of Kompakt, the longstanding German techno label, which issued their self-titled album in 2016 and The Weight in 2019. Remember, their third album blending nostalgic reflections with forward-looking ideas, surfaced on Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint in 2023.

Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers first connected in 2010 during overlapping film-industry roles. Sharing an interest in music and collaborative creation, the Amsterdam-based artists launched Weval, combining understated rhythms, manipulated vocal fragments, and ethereal atmospheres. Local live appearances soon followed, and Atomnation put out their initial EP, Half Age, in 2013. Kompakt took notice and signed the duo in 2014, releasing the Easier EP together with a remix for labelmate Gui Boratto. The 12" single It'll Be Just Fine/Grow Up appeared ahead of the well-received 2016 album Weval, which earned positive notices and reached number 25 on Billboard’s Electronic Albums chart. A remix EP and the standalone single “Metazoa” both arrived in 2017 while work continued on the follow-up. The Weight landed in 2019, extending the sonic palette of the debut with touches of psych-pop.

Weval joined Technicolour, a Ninja Tune sublabel, in 2021 and issued the EP Changed for the Better. Time Goes followed in 2022. Several singles preceded the third album, Remember, which arrived in 2023 and examined memory’s capacity to warp perception while setting distortion against hopeful melodies.