Musician and vocalist Eli Zoë, previously known as Emily Zoë, has unveiled his fourth studio effort, Shifting Forms. This release marks a significant milestone in the artist's career, arriving shortly after his public announcement regarding his gender transition in October 2024.
Critics are already hailing the record as a "second debut"—a powerful body of work where the artist’s identity, voice, and physical presence converge into a singular statement of creative liberation. The album’s soundscape successfully retains the signature aesthetic established in Zoë’s earlier releases, seamlessly blending catchy pop vocal melodies with robust guitar riffs and the raw, live energy of the drums.
Zoë commenced work on the material in early 2024 but intentionally paused live performances. This hiatus was necessary to master his vocal technique anew, accommodating the changes in his range. According to Zoë, his evolved delivery is now characterized by greater calmness, depth, and a richer tapestry of subtle nuances. The expanded vocal scope allows him to navigate effortlessly from soft, high registers down to velvety, resonant lows.
The nine tracks featured on Shifting Forms were recorded during the summer of 2024. Symbolically, the recording took place in a studio constructed entirely from recycled materials—a fitting backdrop for an album centered on rebirth and the redefinition of form. Production duties were once again handled by Louis Jucker (Humus Records), a long-time collaborator recognized for his dedication to the DIY aesthetic.
Together, Zoë and Jucker established the unique recording space at the Humus Records site in La Chaux-de-Fonds, where the entire album was captured.
The single "Change My Name," which dropped on March 28, 2025, serves as a powerful manifesto for this new era of energy. The composition fuses heavy guitar parts and the raw percussion provided by Luc Hess (Coilguns) with Zoë's vocals, captured using Jucker’s vintage microphones. The latter half of the track incorporates ambient forest sounds and personal voice messages contributed by loved ones, transforming the piece into a musical meditation on how language can forge a space for freedom and beauty.
Thematically, Shifting Forms delves into the connection between humanity and all living organisms, drawing inspiration from Zoë’s deep anthropological and biological interests. The instrumental palette is deliberately sparse and controlled, utilizing only electric guitar, drums, and piano. This minimalist approach crafts an intimate yet universally resonant statement concerning the nature of change and the necessity of inner stillness.
To support the new album, Eli Zoë is embarking on a European tour. Performances are scheduled for October in Lausanne and Zurich, followed by dates in November across France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Zoë, who previously won the Indiesuisse award for "Album of the Year 2022" for Hello Future Me, is once again connecting with his audience, proving that profound internal restructuring can be the most precise instrument for artistic expression.
The artist summarized his motivation simply: "I just wanted to hear what my real voice sounded like," transforming sound itself into a living form.