French band Syd Matters plays Le Rez-Usine in Geneva on Thursday 19 November 2026. Singer Blumi opens the evening, with doors at 8 pm.
The story
Syd Matters is the musical project of Jonathan Morali, which began in 2003. Four albums came before the current return. Its songs, including “Obstacles”, “To All of You” and “I Might Float”, have reached nearly 200 million streams. They have also sold 100,000 physical copies.
The band has toured France, Europe, the United States and Latin America. It played the Olympia in Paris in 2011. From 2015 to 2019, Jonathan Morali composed the soundtrack for the video games Life Is Strange and Life Is Strange 2. This work introduced his music to a new audience.
After a long break, Syd Matters returns with a fifth album, announced for September 2026 on Creature Record. A European tour accompanies the release, including a return to the Olympia. In French-speaking Switzerland, the band plays Geneva on 19 November, then the Case à Chocs in Neuchâtel on 20 November.
Blumi is the stage name of Emma Broughton, a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She left research in political sociology to devote herself to music in 2018. Her writing draws on folk, jazz and classical music. She gives a central place to lyrics, voice and silence.
Le Rez is a concert hall within L’Usine, a self-managed cultural centre in Geneva. From 1880 the building housed the Usine genevoise de dégrossissage d’or, a gold-processing works at La Coulouvrenière. It took its present form in 1915, after a fire. The company moved to the Meyrin-Satigny industrial zone in 1983.
In July 1989, the City of Geneva, under mayor Claude Haegi, entrusted the building to the L’Usine collective. The agreement is renewed every five years. L’Usine now brings together about twenty collectives and associations, with bars, concert halls, a theatre, a cinema and workshops. It celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019 with more than 30 hours of non-stop festivities.
Who organises it
The concert is organised by Kalvingrad Usine, an association based at Place des Volontaires 4 in Geneva. Kalvingrad runs Le Rez-Usine with concerts, club nights, collaborations and co-productions. The Post Tenebras Rock association is also among the hall’s programmers.
What to find
Syd Matters plays indie folk with warm vocals. The band blends 1960s songwriting, 1970s freedom and modern synthesisers. The audience can expect well-known songs such as “Black & White Eyes” and “Obstacles”, as well as tracks from the new album.
Blumi opens the evening with intimate folk. Her slightly veiled voice has been compared to those of Beth Gibbons, Rozi Plain and Adrienne Lenker.
Practical information
- Date, Thursday 19 November 2026
- Times, doors open at 8 pm
- Venue, Le Rez-Usine, Place des Volontaires 4, 1204 Geneva, entrance on the Rhône side
- Price, CHF 25 in advance, CHF 30 at the door
- Age, from 4 years, under-16s must be accompanied by a legal guardian
- Tickets, online via Petzi
Links
- Official site, Le Rez-Usine
- Tickets, Petzi, Syd Matters and Blumi
- Artist, Two Gentlemen, Syd Matters
- All events across French-speaking Switzerland, Genève Infos Agenda
Sources
- Le Rez-Usine, concert listings, accessed on 14 November 2026
- Petzi, Kalvingrad Usine, Syd Matters (FR) + Blumi (FR), accessed on 14 November 2026
- Guidle, Syd Matters (FR) + Blumi (FR), accessed on 14 November 2026
- Two Gentlemen, Syd Matters, accessed on 14 November 2026
- City of Geneva, L’Usine, accessed on 14 November 2026
- Radio Lac, L’Usine in Geneva celebrates thirty years, accessed on 14 November 2026
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