About this artist
Dutch duo Weval craft richly emotive electronic music that mixes elements of experimental techno, downtempo, and melancholy indie rock. Their productions are equal parts darkly atmospheric and brightly melodic, and while they prefer a slow build to pop immediacy, their music is remarkably accessible. Following their 2013 debut EP, Weval quickly caught the attention of German techno institution Kompakt, who released the duo’s self-titled full-length in 2016, followed by The Weight in 2019.
Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers met in 2010, when they were both working in the film industry. Discovering a shared passion for music and a desire to create, the Amsterdam-based duo began working on music together as Weval, blending simmering rhythms with processed vocal samples and dreamy textures. The duo began playing shows in their home country, and their first EP, Half Age, was released by Atomnation in 2013. Kompakt was duly impressed, and the duo were signed to the label in 2014, releasing the Easier EP as well as remixing labelmate Gui Boratto. 12″ single It'll Be Just Fine/Grow Up preceded 2016′s Weval, a well-received full-length which earned positive reviews and reached number 25 on Billboard’s Electronic Albums chart. A remix EP and the non-album single “Metazoa” both followed in 2017, as the duo worked on their second album. The Weight arrived in 2019, expanding on the sound of Weval’s debut and incorporating traces of psych-pop. ~ Paul Simpson