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Alternative

Alternative music (also called alternative rock, alt-rock or merely alternative) is a style of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. In this instance, the word refers to the genre’s distinction from mainstream rock music. But the term’s original meaning was broader, referring to a generation of musicians unified by their collective debt to either the musical style or simply the independent, DIY ethos of punk rock, which in the late 1970s laid the groundwork for it. The term is a broad umbrella term consisting of music that differs significantly regarding its sound, social context, and regional roots. By the end of the 1980s, magazines, and zines, college radio airplay, and word of mouth had increased the prominence and highlighted the diversity of it, helping to define some distinct styles (and music scenes) such as noise pop, indie rock, grunge, and shoegaze.
– Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia

Honest Thoughts on the Past that had Lead to Now and Never.

by A.J. Kaufmann



My first solo cassette was recorded in 1998. It was awful. I had some good ideas for a kid, but no talent at all, maybe except a knack for lyrics, and a bit of a gift for classical guitar and bass, definitely not for singing. I was also interested in much different music than most people my age in Poland back then. That’s why it took 4 years to form my first band in 2002. To take the shortcut, it took 9 more years to release my studio debut album “Second Hand Man”. In 2012, I started Sauer Adler, my second real band. And to take the shortcut again, in 2022, I formed Psychedelic Mayhem, and in 2024, I formed Bezkwit. Along the way, I also jammed, recorded, played, composed, and improvised whenever and wherever possible, with whoever was available at the time. That, through many shortcuts, takes us directly into the once-very-futuristic year 2026 (certainly around 1998).

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On The Spur Of The Moment

by Hugo Espírito Santo

têmpora - hugo espirito santo


Dissipation, flow, forces in flux. With têmpora, I dive back into my musical universe, taking listeners on a journey through dark, gloomy electronic soundscapes. têmpora explores the idea of fluidity and stillness in motion, while being deeply influenced by ambient, minimalist, and concrete music.

This new project, mostly instrumental, is the result of 12 months of experimentation with synths and sound collage. The ethereal atmospheres and soundscapes serve as a representation of the abstract, non-linear forms that constitute the core of the artist’s usual visual work. têmpora follows the raw ideas and textures of my previous project, debris (ep, 2024).

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String Decay: Inside “CrIspP,” My Collaborative EP with Aymantium

by treeholder


Music is often perceived as an act of pure creation. However, for our new collaborative EP CrIspP, my partner Aymantium and I wanted to explore the primal beauty of decay. The central concept underlying the entire release is dark, surreal, and provocative: the decaying body of Jimi Hendrix. It serves as a metaphor for the disintegration of traditional guitar-driven rock music, left to decompose and mutate into a chaotic electronic ecosystem. To bring this vision to life, I took Aymantium’s original tracks and completely turned them on their heads. I pulled apart the seams of his arrangements until his guitar work literally turned to dust, assembling these sonic particles into something utterly alien, fluid, and heavy.

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Finding a New Beginning in the Silence of a Good Goodbye

by AEUNA

AEUNA - Light


Writing Light felt like a silent eye opener for me. The kind that doesn’t announce itself but lands softly. It came right before I was about to fully jump into a new beginning, letting go. Not a dramatic revelation. Just a quiet, honest look at what I was leaving behind, and what I was choosing to carry forward.

I’m AEUNA (pronounced ay-yu-nuh), an independent singer-songwriter and producer from Cebu, Philippines. On April 24, I’m releasing my new single, Light.

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Forever and a Day

by The Nouve

The Nouve Band Logo


For Leonard Cohen, Felix Flaucher, Karl Liebknecht & Rosa Luxemburg…

So yes, I’m writing songs, producing songs, mixing songs, writing lyrics, novels, screenplays, essays, doing video clips, short films, sure… but you want to know WHY? Great Question, man! What makes us doing what we do? Is there a rational and catchy answer, maybe a citation (Where is Leonard Cohen when you really need him? Why did he had to go at all??) – Well, “Music was my first love”, eh right, that’s what they all say… but that never led to give up their normal lives: they never had the idea to look behind the curtain, sell themselves at the Crossroads and die on the dream to release just this one and only song that sounds like it did in their head once before they recorded it.

So why? It doesn’t make sense if you could have stayed on the safe and secure consumer site, does it?

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One True Song

by Anna Karney

credit: Tanja Nixx

After my previous album, Creatures In The Garden, I didn’t think I had another one in me.  But suddenly this chorus just popped out, lyrics, chords, and melody all at once,  “We will all come out together for love, love, love.” And I really needed to hear these hopeful words, because of the daily barrage of sad news. It was enough to start me off on my next album journey.

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Too Goth to be Punk. Too Punk to be Goth.

by Scott Hays of Black Rain


Black Rain – Three grumpy men from the North East of England. We are excited to share our debut album with the world. We’ve poured our hearts and souls into creating something that truly reflects who we are. We’ve always felt like we exist in a unique space – “Too Goth to be Punk. Too Punk to be Goth.” – a phrase from a review of one of our early gigs, and we felt it captured what we are about far more concisely than we have ever managed to.

We’ve come to embrace the idea that we don’t fit in to one particular musical pigeon hole and in fact it’s something we wear with pride. A sonic storm of raw energy, brooding atmosphere, and razor-sharp intensity. The music blends the cold, jagged edges of classic post-punk with a modern a unrelenting drive and dark overtures. You’ll find haunting melodies, pounding rhythms, and a relentless emotional pull that we hope you won’t be able to ignore.

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Memphis Tattoos

by Michael Graber of Delta Stardust

Delta Stardust - Snakes Made of Light


Delta Stardust began as a studio project. We were seeking that alchemical, psychedelic sound from blending acoustic, electric, and digital instruments. We also wanted to capture a haunted, mystical Memphis/North Mississippi vibe even as the music–the song forms and sonic undercurrents – kept expanding. We call the genre Roots Psychedelic music.

Our first album, Snakes Made of Light, was released in January. One song was written after I was nearly hit by a bullet while jogging in America’s most crime-ridden city, my hometown of Memphis.

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Unbearable Circumstances

by Vadym a.k.a. last past.

last past. - do you feel?


I often think about injustice in life. Sometimes, circumstances turn out so that the life you lived yesterday no longer exists today.

I could feel it when I left my hometown to go to university and left my closest friends behind. I still miss them very much because we can’t see them often.

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How an Emo Rock Opera Saved my Life

by Tucker Coughlin a.k.a. In Luna’s Garden

Mina / In Luna's Garden


Desperation Breeds Creativity.

Mina vs the Pit of Despair is an album born out of desperation. I’ve struggled with chronic depression and suicidal thoughts since I was 11 years old. I’m sure many of you can relate to teenage years full of tumultuous emotions and searching for answers. My memories of high school and early college are filled with trips to the doctor, seven different therapists, countless medication modifications, and reading philosophy and religion, all culminating in a 3-month inpatient residency. No matter what I did, nothing could convince me that life was worth living. In a final attempt, I decided to construct my own thesis on why life is inherently good. This effort would coalesce over two years into my debut album, Mina vs the Pit of Despair.

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