YARD 2026

“Berenice” is the name of the folk-pop solo project by the former Juicy Lemon Club singer and guitarist. Inspired by Joni Mitchell’s storytelling, the introspection of Sufjan Stevens, and the modern folk aesthetic of artists like Adrienne Lenker and Phoebe Bridgers, she explores in particular her vulnerable and fragile sides, which are otherwise rarely expressed in this way. Her debut EP, “Moon Bloom,” co-produced with Alon Ben (Black Sea Dahu), will be released at the end of July 2026.

New Talents by JKF: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 6.30 p.m.

Rainer is one half of the Basel-based DJ collective Konzeptlos. He has always been passionately searching for rare records from the ’60s and ’70s. Since the mid-’90s, he has been bringing these crackling gems to the dance floors.

Since 2014, the collective has also been organizing the “Konzeptlos presents” concert series, bringing rediscovered artists, legends, and up-and-coming musicians from all over the world to the city’s stages. Musically, the audience can expect a mix of raw funk, soul, jazz, and traditional music.

Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 7 p.m.

Tiny Satellite ist das Soloprojekt von Giovanni Vicari, eine hybride Folk-Ein-Mann-Band, die sich im Laufe seiner langen musikalischen Reise entwickelt hat. In den letzten Jahren ist Giovanni mit verschiedenen Gruppen wie Malummí, Nola Kin und Pina Palau aufgetreten. Tiny Satellite verkörpert Giovannis Faszination für das Universum, die Geheimnisse zwischen Leben und Tod und den Zauber alltäglicher Momente. Es spiegelt auch seine persönlichen Erfahrungen mit Verlusten in seiner Familie wider. Nach einer Zeit der Entwicklung und des Nachdenkens ist Tiny Satellites neuestes Werk „Your Smile Lives In Me“ nun fertig und bereit, Hörer:innen zu bezaubern.

New Talents by JKF: Mittwoch, 29. Juli 2026, 18.30 Uhr

Basel-based DJs Bio Goat & Donna Softa from the Avalon collective share a deep love for music—and for bass that you don’t just hear, but feel. Ever since they found each other behind the decks, they’ve been making dance floors shake with their sound and, together with the Avalon collective, creating unmistakable rave atmospheres, tender as the night.

With a spot-on mix of driving rhythms, emotional melodies, and bold genre shifts, they deliver sets brimming with energy and emotion. Whether it’s techno, breaks, or bass music—the main thing is that it gets under your skin.

Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 7 p.m.

Inspired by brutal honesty and softness’ strength, the duo “Permeableo” draws its colors from industrial beauty and earth’s rumbling. Where organic sounds meet plastic noises, where elitism dies while pain and joy coexist. Expect nothing.

New Talents by JKF: Mittwoch, 5. August 2026, 18.30 Uhr

Sammy was exposed to music from an early age: His parents took him to jazz and classical concerts and even to the opera. As a child, he played the piano and guitar. Over time, he developed his own musical taste. By his twenties, he was already DJing at well-known clubs in Zurich, steadily expanding his record collection along the way.

Later, he began to appreciate anew the music his parents had introduced him to. Genres such as jazz, funk, disco, Afro, and Latin became increasingly important to him. Today, Sammy is part of a group of selectors known for their eclectic sets, ranging from jazz to house—always open to new and unexpected sounds.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 7 p.m.

As typefluss, Shannon Hughes writes short poems that blend everyday observations, dreams, identity, and longing. In a duo with Juri Schmidhauser, they create a captivating flow that bridges spoken word and indie pop, inspired by music on repeat, field recordings, and the interplay between words and sound.

New Talents by JKF: Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

Johny Holiday has made a name for himself not only as a DJ for Brandhärd but also, starting in 2017, as an independent solo artist with an impressive musical evolution. With his very first release, he laid the foundation for his unique style, which blends hip-hop tradition with modern influences. Since then, he has continued to evolve and steadily expand his musical range.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 7 p.m.

A multifaceted and socially conscious artist, KT Gorique is today one of the most influential figures on the Swiss music scene. A Swiss Music Award winner, a standout finalist on the Netflix show “Nouvelle École,” and a true pioneer of Francophone Afro-drill rap, she embodies a new generation of artists who blend substance, style, and independence.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 8:30 p.m.

Janna Massiel, from Aarau and of Caribbean descent, blends Afro-diaspora rhythms, R&B, and neo-soul with Spanish and English lyrics. As a queer Black woman, she explores themes of identity, heritage, and self-determination. Her music moves listeners both emotionally and physically, and her live shows radiate presence, energy, and depth.

New Talents by JKF: Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

For the past ten years, he has been the presenter and host of “Sounds!” on Radio SRF 3. He has been promoting indie music on dance floors for at least twice as long. Despite extensive field research, a definition of “indie” has yet to be found.

Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 7 p.m.

On their new EP, Hide and Seek, the Basel-based quintet Moonpools presents a sound that is distorted yet accessible, loud yet inviting. The five songs on the EP are an exhilarating blend of shoegaze and dream pop, culminating in the standout track “Say Anything.”

Moonpools was founded by Marcie Nyffeler (vocals/guitar), Jasper Nyffeler (drums), and Francesco Vona (synths), and is rounded out by Matthias Gusset (guitar) and David Blum (bass). Blum is known for his work in various Basel-based projects such as She Loves You, Don’t Kill The Beast, and Mastergrief.

Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 8:30 p.m.

Anouchka Gwen (b. 1997) is a singer-songwriter, bassist, and cultural creator who was born and raised in Switzerland and currently lives in Zurich. With their dreamy, bass-heavy voice, they aim to express their deepest and most honest thoughts and boldly claim their space. As an artist with Congolese roots, they are influenced and inspired by repetitive, soulful, and rhythmic melodies, which they blend with their love for electronic, psychedelic, and expansive pop soundscapes.

After a much-needed break from performing as a frontperson, Anouchka Gwen has decided to return to their roots, take the stage solo, and express their deepest thoughts in a vulnerable way using only their voice and bass.

New Talents by JKF: Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

The Basel-based DJ bestBoi likes his sets to be as diverse as possible—ranging from UK garage to hip hop, jazz, soul, and funky stuff, all the way to the occasional cheesy ballad and a select pop gem.

Always hungry for new styles and connections, he blends the old with the new, the fast with the slow, the mainstream with the obscure, creating eclectic musical collages for dancing, listening, and enjoying.

Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 7 p.m.

Zurich-based producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer Kevin Wettstein, also known as Melodiesinfonie, has been consistently releasing music for over a decade.

Following album releases on Melting Pot and Jakarta, Wettstein began to evolve from beatmaking toward a more organic musical style. Inspired by a concert by Yussef Dayes, he bought a new drum set and, at the same time, rediscovered his love for the guitar and bass—which formed the basis of his current sound.

Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 8:30 p.m.

There is a world before the world—a dark, humid expanse where life begins in the mud. Under the alias souped, brings Irie Qiwen Cao this primordial underworld to the dancefloor. Rejecting the rigid confines of genre, souped approaches the DJ booth not as a mere selector, but as a worldbuilder. By mixing experimental dub, emo punk, deconstructed club, and beyond, they pave the steps to the underworld with gritty bass and glitchy effects, lighting the path with flickering, ephemeral melodies and vocals.

Saturday, August 29, 2026, 7 p.m., as part of the Super Saturday

Chinese born RUI HO has been making buzzes with heavy and playful DJ sets throughout the European experimental underground scene as well as in China and finally back to Berlin for continuing their work in electronic music. Even though She has built a reputation as an eclectic DJ, she doesn't make the formulaic four-to-the-floor techno you might expect. Rui's first release was in 2016 on Chinese label Genome 6.66Mbp and from the outset her sound was something totally unique. Her referenced Chinese melodies, fusing them with energetic European club music, manifesting a truly original take. Her next two EPs on Planet Mu sub-label Objects Limited explored different forms of growth, both as a trans woman ('Becoming Is An Eventful Situation') and referencing allegorical Chinese folklore ('In Pursuit of the Sun 逐日').

Continuing with the theme of growth, RUI HO released her debut album 'Lov3 & L1ght' on renowned UK electronic music label Planet Mu in 2020, which walks the thin line between pop and global club music with determined style. After 2 years of resettling in their homeland mainland of China because of the pandemic, RUI HO released a 3 track EP Tension on Chinese independent imprint Modernsky, marking their bridging into newer styles in musical expressions.

Saturday, August 29, 2026, 8:30 p.m., as part of the Super Saturday