An enigmatic duo emerging from the heart of Geneva. Their avant-garde style highlights the bass guitar and drum machines, woven together with analog gear and synthesisers to create a cinematic "romance noir" sound—distinctive, dynamic, and irresistibly captivating.
Leanor Wolf is the ambitious project of Emmanuelle and Julio, united in their mission to create a revolutionary sound. Drawing inspiration from the recording techniques and vibrant, experimental aesthetic of the 1970s — capturing live performances in a single take without edits and embracing an “outside-the-box” approach — they aim to capture the raw essence of creativity and artistic vulnerability. Considering how music is discovered and shared today, Leanor Wolf has chosen to focus initially on a single platform to experiment with and define their artistic vision and identity. Instagram has become their platform of choice, providing a space to showcase their music and express their personality through short, impactful performances that immediately capture the attention of potential listeners. At the heart of this project lies their choice to remain anonymous, freeing them from preconceived identities and allowing them to explore their art without boundaries.
In Leanor Wolf, Emmanuelle transitions from her role as a jazz saxophonist and primary school music teacher to that of bassist, singer, and synthesiser composer. Julio, in turn, steps away from his identity as a rapper to embrace the roles of producer and sound engineer. This evolution of roles reflects their desire to redefine themselves and continually reinvent their music.
With cutting-edge technology and a passion for pushing limits, Leanor Wolf has crafted an instrument that mirrors their vision. A seamless fusion of machines, effect processors, and groundbreaking recording techniques, designed to create sounds never before heard. It’s an instinctive and bold creation, straddling the line between technical mastery and an unrelenting artistic journey.
After two years of experimentation, composition, and deep exploration — marked by hours of listening and recording — Leanor Wolf has developed a 1-hour, 20-minute live performance. A story told through original, intricate, and intense music, with a sound that defies categorisation and blurs all the boundaries.
Emmanuelle Nkowane, known by her stage name Leanor, is a Swiss musician with diverse influences spanning both instruments and styles. She has dedicated nearly twenty years of her life to music. As an alto saxophonist, she has performed in jazz, salsa, and boogaloo bands, while also contributing to various musical and theatrical projects as both a musician and a singer by collaborating with Michele Millner and Yves Cerf at the Théâtre Spirale in Geneva. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Saxophone from HEMU, she completed a Master’s in Music Pedagogy at HEM Geneva in 2016.
Following her studies, she began teaching music part-time in primary schools across Geneva, while also overseeing recording coordination and music production for the Department of Public Education, Training, and Youth (DIP) in the city.
Always evolving creatively, Emmanuelle chose to focus on the bass as her primary instrument. Since 2020, and more recently after winning a competition for intensive lessons at the prestigious Scott’s Bass Lessons—one of the leading online bass schools—she has been refining her skills. During this time, she began writing, composing, and developing the Leanor Wolf project, incorporating her long-held passion for singing. This passion also led her to lend her vocals, under the name Leanor Wolf, to the upcoming album by Butcher Brown, the rising American jazz-funk fusion band inspired by '70s influences.
In 2024, she founded the non-profit organisation "La Tanière" in Geneva to support her musical project.
Julio Mwansa Nkowane, known by his stage name Wolf, is an artist born in the United States to Zambian parents and raised in Switzerland. As a lyricist and poet, he constantly reflects on the human condition and the state of the world. Since 2012, he has built a solid reputation both in the studio and on stage with an eclectic musical repertoire under the name "Rootwords." In 2012, he won the "Swiss Live Talent Award," followed by the M4Music "Urban Award" in 2013, and was nominated for the Swiss Music Awards 2018 in the "Best Act Romandie" category.
Julio has established his presence in the Swiss and international music scenes, with numerous memorable performances, including on the main stage at the Label Suisse Festival, at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Music in the Park), at the Paléo Festival (Club Tent), and at the Jazz Onze Festival. His international reach spans from South Africa to Beijing and Peru, supported by Swiss Music Export, Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Embassy, and the City of Geneva, among others.
In 2018, he founded his independent production house, The Wolf Den Studios, which allowed him to broaden his expertise in recording, production, mixing, mastering, and music video creation, contributing to the development of the Leanor Wolf project.
