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PAIN GAIN - Prizefighter

The focus single of their debut release self-titled LP, "Prizefighter" is the latest video single from the Australian conglomerate PAIN GAIN. Drawing its membership indie-electronic outfits members of Kllo, SWIM, and CRUSH3D, the unlikely alliance sees Kllo's Chloe Kaul taking the helm as its frontwoman.

A hallmark of PAIN GAIN's unique production, "Prizefighter" like others from their discography finds itself centred on Chloe Kaul's distinctive drawl and soft vocal undertones. Building over a heaping anacrusis, "Prizefighter" retains an additive quality which gathers with each subsequent verse. Rather than chasing the beat-driven, the single's slow, stalking soundscapes compliment rather than compete with Chloe's vocals. Treading deeply with its resonant percussion, its melodies reinforce Chloe's ethereal billow, and purposely muted climaxes provide for pristine framing; saturating in the melancholy of her gentle, purring emotion.

Dedicated as a song to anyone mentally shadowboxing, "Prizefighter" was born from tape experiments and the very specific exhaustion of staying too long in something that was never going to change. Watch the accompanying cinematics formed from Chloe's pensive moments and her horseplaying bandmates in the video below:

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MIRA PAULA - 0MG!

MIRA PAULA is the personification Alicante, Spain's Paula Ruiz's bedroom pop aspirations. A Valencian multi-hyphenate, who is perhaps better known through her support roles in female-led Spanish bands such as GANGES, HINDS, and Natalia Lacunza; Paula returns with the summery warmth of "0MG!"

Despite its alarmist title, "0MG!" is soft, breezy, and intensely floral in its dotted bokeh. Recruiting the aid from her closest friends, the song prides in its DIY-aesthetic; a simple video shot in a park where Ruiz takes in the warm, summery air. Thematically, the track is about taking in emotional setbacks and seeing the light and warmth, in a place where there is cold and darkness. Sonically, Paula's vocals on the track while inviting are soft and timid, crumbling at its frosty precipice; contrasting to the warm shuffle of its bossa nova swing.  

You can check out the track below:

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Nutrias Garden - Meet Me Here

A newly-reformed trio formerly known by the name of Darien Geep, the nature-loving outfit Nutrias Garden is Bremen, Germany's Edda Pohl on vocals with Julian Kraus on synths and Weert Diepen on guitar. Sharing their third single-to-date, "Meet Me Here" is a soft, yet bristly track that captures the emotions of summer love. Playing along its casual pacing, the track's minimal production sifts through grooving bass lines and off-kilter percussion where its vocals, gentle and demure glisten along its hypnotic pulse. Though decidedly unhurried, the track still retains a dynamic quality, one where emotions swell as its playful synths twist and gnarl and Edda's quiet vocal purr becomes more succinct and tonally immediate. Speaking about "Meet Me Here", which the band describes as suspended somewhere between longing and hope, this is what they had to say:

"Lyrically, it captures the feeling of a summer crush - the quiet pull of missing someone, wishing for their presence, and finding comfort in the idea that they might still be close. Repeating motifs and floating imagery give the song a weightless, almost cosmic quality, while its warm melodies keep it grounded in human emotion."

You can listen to their other recent works, including the nocturnal escapade that is "Cold Nights" and their debut single "Diamond" an introspective exploration between creativity and self-doubt that eventually became the blueprint of Nutria Gardens newly-forged sound.

"Diamond"

"Cold Nights"

"Meet Me Here"

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Elissa Mielke - Don't Have to Hate You

I could hold onto everything you did like a bad tattoo, But forgiveness is a gift - it’s for me not you.

Returning with her first solo release since her 2022 EP "Mouse", Elissa Mielke returns with her latest single, "Don't Have to Hate You". Reframing the blame from retribution to absolution, the Los Angeles by way of Hamilton, Canada artist's lyrical motifs fall along the proverbial lines of "forgive and forget". Though rooted in an emotionally heavy backstory, the track's narrative feels quite literal, retracing the seemingly quotidian with supposed reverence. Ultimately, through retrospection, these emotional artefacts and attachments are given meaningless absurdity. Musically, the track is decidedly warm; bluesy yet bucolic. Trudging softly to its percussive warble and lounging to the glinting buzz of its electric piano, Elissa beams with her vocal melancholy; cracking ever-so-lightly under the tint her gentle yearn. Speaking at length about the track's creation with her storyteller's prose, Elissa had this to say about her latest single:

“We recorded this song live in upstate New York at Outlier Inn, with sheep walking around outside the window of the studio. The song is a joyful surrender and the recording felt like that too; we all played our parts live in the room with no headphones on, just vibing out and then Haldeman did that wonderful meandering guitar solo at the end. To me this song is saying “look, It's easy to think that clinging to the past is somehow holding the people who hurt us responsible, but it’s really only hurting us.” Time to let go and roll down the windows and finally get to live again!”

A candid video shot to capture the moments in the seemingly mundane, "Don't Have to Hate You" features slices from Elissa's life and contributions from friends and fans playing along to her song with "air guitars". You can check out the video below:

Don't Have To Hate You

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Maryn Charlie - Hit By Lightning

A thrilling synth-pop track delving into the world of self-doubt, "Hit By Lightning" is latest track from Amsterdam native, Maryn Charlie. Serving as the focus track to the her third EP to date "Threads", the single is an accelerated, lyrically-dense track that packs in all its emotions while hitting the ground running. Pulsing with the swift, darting tempos of its drums, the track is instantly put against juxtaposing textures. These contrasting elements give the track its voluminous form, where its fervent speed is met with the dreamy delay of its ethereal vocals and the slower, oblong spread of wobbly synths. The result creates a claustrophobic space for Maryn Charlie, whose anxious emotion convergingly narrows at the precipice of each successive verse. Compounding emotion at each opportune moment, the track signals a sentiment that is fragile and uncertain, yet filled with a desire to move forward with confidence, as the Dutch artist explains:

"'Hit by Lightning,' is about the longing to stand out and be recognized in a world where you felt invisible for a long time. I have felt invisible my whole life. When I was a kid I was very shy, I was too scared to say anything in the classroom. Sometimes I even thought the teachers didn’t know my name. With this song I'm portraying the feeling of wanting to be seen. Not in a way of ‘look at me, I'm amazing’. But I'm ready to show the world who I am, in my own way."

You can check out "Hit By Lightning" beside other tracks on her EP "Threads". Tracks include the heaping anacrusis and celestial overlay of "Freezer"; the retro-futuristic and action-hero arc of "Hot Glue" with its gunning bass lines and thunderous drums; "Naked" with its splattering percussion and its resonant riffs, and the towering and anthemic closer "Are You Bored Yet?", which is dotted with a zip of quirky synths that provide a rubbery squeak for contrast.

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Pain Gain - Turning Point

A trifecta uniting some of Australia's most noteworthy indie-electronic creators; Pain Gain is Hamish Lefevre (swim.pdf) and Samuel Cooke (CRUSH3D) with Chloe Kaul (Chloe Kae/Kllo) leading as its frontwoman.

Lingering in contemplation before seeing s proper release, their long-awaited debut "Turning Point" is lyrically minimal yet potent in its emotion labours. Instead, the track drives emotion through repetition, where its simple yet poetic lyricism amplifies through ambient space. The soar and poignant flare of cosmic synths which appear on the track provide an additive effect to Chloe's yearning vocals; amplifying the track's longing emotion like a resonant echo chamber. Moving at a pace that is deliberately slower, Chloe’s choral prowess builds gradually with the force of her tidal momentum, where solemn yet anthemic tones accumulate and intensify with each iteration from the song’s emotional pull. Speaking about their foremost release on its inspired sentiments, Pain Gain had this to say about "Turning Point":

"‘Turning Point’ is about facing a moment where everything shifts. For us it was a discovery of a new way of working, a new sound and a new feeling. When we first made this song, the three of us listened to it for hours and hours on repeat. We always knew we wanted it to be our first offering to the world.”

Accompanying "Turning Point" is a gorgeously lit video bathed its yellowed vintage tones, where dreamy sunset hues and the soft flicker of candlelight offer a visual meditation of the conflict that exists between the inner self. The imagery mirrors the song's emotional landscapes where its dimly-lit intimacy offers a quiet retrospection.

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Migluma - Elsewhere (prod. Maria Paskevic) / Vilnija Vilnia

Migluma is a Lithuanian artist and alumni Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, who honors her cherished hometown of Vilnius in a two-part video release. The first, “Elsewhere,” builds with its quickening tempos; distilling arpeggiated flows through the feathered texture of its brisk synthesizers. As the track progresses, it's joined by sparkling ornaments and spliced operatic harmonies which weave into the dark, drifting undercurrents of its techno‑trance and future garage accelerations.

The latter half of the song which provides the track's climax through "Vilnija Vilnia", is anchored in its neo-classical prose. On the track, Migluma's voice merges with the polyphonic traditions of Lithuanian folk song, where the meteoric soar and crash of emotion represent the fluvial sway of the Vilnia River. Acting as the source of the track's inspiration, "Vinija Vilnia" traces the ebb and flow and contemporary life in Vilnius. Using the metaphorical space of the dancefloor to represent an escapist reality; the track moves through patterns of apathy, betrayal, reconciliation and ultimately loss. It's these emotional currents which evoke the clever wordplay of the track which translates to the "Land of Vilnius" but also "rippling waves" in Lithuanian. Chronicling the ancient history of her beloved hometown and its otherworldly folklore through "Vilnija Vilnia", Migluma had this to say about her latest video release:

"'Vilnija Vilnia' is a musical journey blending ancient tales with contemporary fervor; a timeless homage to my cherished hometown. The creative process took me back to times before my existence, with an archaic charm evoking Laumės (water nymphs) bathing in the moonlit Vilnia River. I invite you to experience it; hoping it resonates."

You can check out the video for "Elsewhere" (prod. Maria Paskevic) and "Vilnija Vilnia" below:

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HANQYZY - Shaitan

HANQYZY, meaning Khan’s Daughter in her native Bashkir, is the project of Ufa, Russia DJ and producer Leyla Vladimirova. Hailing from Bashkortostan in the Ural–Volga region, Leyla first gained traction online by interweaving global pop hits into the local context of the Bashkir and Tatar pop‑folk classics she grew up with.

Her third release-to-date, HANQYZY's “Shaitan”, or "Satan" is an introspection. Rather "Shaitan" is an ode to Leyla’s inner demons that she seeks to recognize rather than aimlessly subdue. Pulsing with demonic fervor, "Shaitan" is a hard techno/bounce track that acts as an continual shapeshifter; its blurting percussion acting as the track's anchor. Against this relentless percussion, HANQYZY summons the folkloric textures of the Eurasian steppe where bassy, guttural throat‑singing; the metallic twang of the kubyz (jaw harp); and the dry, breathy wood-grain of the kurai, a traditional Bashkir flute interplay. The result is an unlikely marriage of both mysticism and modernity, where ancestral sound meets industrial grit. A compelling symbiosis of both the traditional and technological, "Shaitan" simultaneously channels both the East and West; mirroring the nomadic and sedentary currents that have long shaped cultures across the Eurasian steppe.

A reflection of the pressure and overload that comes with episodic depression, "Shaitan" represents a head-on collision with intrusive thoughts. Speaking on her "latest effort "Shaitan" which has seen its recent release under Moscow's electronic tastemakers and boutique label System 108, Leyla shared the following:

"I wrote 'Shaitan' during my last episode of severe depression. It’s not about fighting or healing, it’s about the state itself; about the inner void and continuing to live when you’re not coping. This is a protest against the stigmatization of mental health."

You can check out "Shaitan" below:

"Shaitan"

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CARNE - Polly's Desire

Hailing from Brighton, UK, CARNE is the alternative rock quartet of Carmen "Iza" Mellino, Milo Hill, Emia Demir and Joe McTaggart; who in their latest offering "Polly's Desire", provide a critical examination of PJ Harvey's "Is This Desire?" Their dissertation in song is a full-throttled, grungy perspective on femineity, focusing on how womanhood is shaped by our external influences. "Polly's Desire", while notably loud is not one to be masked by raw aggression. Using ambient space and distance between musical elements with precision, the track maximizes on its emotion. The song builds on its dramatic takeoffs and multi-layered approach where uneasy chatter rattles past the harmonies of its wailing vocals and distant guitars. It's through the track's gradual unease where the song builds into its melodic paranoia. Relentlessly circling and harassing, "Polly's Desire" carefully stalks, striking at your emotions at each opportune moment. Musing over the works of PJ Harvey and multi-faceted views of femininity, CARNE had this to say regarding their latest track:

"Inspired by a rediscovery of Is This Desire?, the track explores the gravitational pull of Harvey’s persona while celebrating the feminine archetypes that shape my world. The song examines how we find our own womanhood through the mirror of our idols. To me, 'Polly' isn’t just one person—she is the collective spirit of the musicians, family, and friends who surround me: imperfect, vulnerable and inspiring."

You can check out " Polly's Desire" alongside recently released tracks from the yesteryear including the saturating grunge and spire of "LURK"; the dreamier, and free-from sensibility of "VAST" that push and pull between its whimsical thunder and the sharp contrast of "J.U.M." where childlike glee is juxtaposed to a post-rock drift and the hammer of its industrial power-chords.

"J.U.M."

"VAST"

"LURK"

"Polly's Desire"

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Asenssia - Goodbye

Asenssia is the artistic name of Yekaterinburg musician Anastasia Ivanova, one of the long-held exponents in Russia’s stoner‑rave microgenre, which emerged in the early 2020's. Blending Slavic folklore, dance‑punk, Southern hip‑hop, and being especially influenced by witch house, the style cultivates a dark, brooding atmosphere that filters folk motifs through an urban, industrial, almost brutalist construction.

“Goodbye,” Ivanova’s first English‑language track, leans more heavily into witch house than her earlier works. Drawn from her recent EP "Matter", the largely instrumental release shifts away from her usual harmonic polyphony toward sharper, more abrasive textures. Channeling witch house in a classic sense, Asenssia frames the EP as a quasi‑experimental detour while acknowledging that its stripped‑down approach may feel stark compared to her previous, more layered compositions.

Her latest single “Goodbye” unfolds through its staggered slowdowns, and a break‑beat percussion with deliberate drag that compliments its hazy and narcotic vocal delivery. The track whose emotional core lies within its blurred atmosphere and distorted pacing channels the dark romanticism that she portrays so well as a notable part of personal brand.

You can check out "Goodbye" below:

"Goodbye"

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Defne - Ere

"Ere" or "Эре" Tatar for "melt", is the latest track from Tatarstan's Defne whose latest musical offering muses over those cold, lonely winter nights. Rich with metaphor and snowy imagery, “Ere” leans into the season’s quiet beauty and moments of tender vulnerability where companionship and feels all the more necessary; re: cuffing season. Soft and airy, Fauzia Kadyrova of Defne builds a soundscape that drifts to the snowfall of her billowy falsetto. "Ere" being both dreamy and nostalgic channels hues of the anachronistic "millennial blue", where the fluttery R&B track fills with a tender lightness and a minimalistic percussion reminiscent of the early-aughties and Frutiger Aero aesthetics.

Alluding to the legend of the elusive Snegurochka or Snow Maiden, whose ephemeral beauty appears from the forest cold only to melt away in the sun, Fauzia rewrites her interpretation of the folkloric being. Instead of being pulled the away by the siren's call of mythical beings, Fauzia instead offers her protection in the form of a real and tangible love; providing the warmth of her cheeks for her cold, frost-bitten love.

Ere

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Nina Vizhu Tebya - Ne Stala

A creative tour de force, Nina Moiseeva has come to embody the definition of a polymath; wearing multiple hats as model, actress, musician and mostly prominently as a videographer for Moscow's creative scene. Under her musical moniker Nina Vizhu Tebya (Нина Вижу Тебя), Nina begins a bold new relaunch on her music career reviving a project which began almost a decade earlier and which briefly materialized with a few, now-forgotten demos released nearly six years ago.

With her musical alias translating to “Nina, I See You”, Moiseeva's debut single feels almost self-revealing. "Ne Stala" (Не Стала) which translates to "Didn't Become", ruminates on visibility and expectations. On the track, swelling emotion bursts with towering, ominous synths, a nod to electronic music pioneers Ratatat and their distinctive pitch‑bent production. A grabbing track, "Ne Stala" is magnetic; where retro-futuristic zip/zooms meet the pacifying calm of her soft, honey‑tinted vocals. Providing her quick reintroductions and her musical ethos, Nina had this to say about her mode d'être:

"'Nina, I See You' is my musical project about how I see myself and this life! These are bright experiences about dark feelings, blooming in the contrast of music and vocals. The song is about unfulfilled expectations of myself, about living through an internal crisis, returning to childhood and about who I didn’t become when I grew up. We shot the covers and (visual) content for the release in an unfinished apartment on the 23rd floor - no elevator (and) with all the equipment on our shoulders."

You can check out the track below:

"Ne Stala"

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B.Miles - +1

B.Miles makes it clear she’s nobody’s second best with “+1”, a track about personifying the "extra body" when company fails to show up. Centered as the midway point of her newly released LP "Time Doesn’t Heal. It Hides.", the song's slower tempo and retiring pace finds a fitting place as the album's physical glue and anchor. Minimal in its prose, the track drifts gently to its bluesy melancholy and sparse percussion, never overwhelming the gentle purr from B.Miles' vocals. Emotionally bittersweet, "+1" is a quiet surrender where the fear of being left behind will inevitably gives way to loneliness. Speaking at about the conflicted feelings on the track Brenna "B.Miles" had this to say:

"'+1' basks in the heat of being wanted, even when you know the emptiness that follows. It’s that familiar kind of pain you can’t forget - but still reach for anyway. A cycle of longing, intimacy, loneliness and desperation - stuck on repeat since Twenty Fifteen. Every time I’ve reached for the warmth, I’m burned.”

You can check out "+1" alongside the slinky bass lines and husky wisp "Too Close to the Flame":

"Too Close to the Flame"

"+1"

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SASSY - Undercover

SASSY is the trio of three musicians based in Barcelona; Emory, Gus, and Alex, whose musical enterprise was born from a shared belief that their converging ideas could reach new heights. Their latest track is a testament to that; a sudden spur of inspiration from a slick bass line which would later evolve into a saucy vampire romance. Titled "Undercover", the track is an ode to fatalistic love; an imagined tale of a man seeking to be seduced by a vampire. Following the track's snappy bass lines, the track is a bit of electro and a bit of punk; where its zippy sound and punch is defined by overdriven guitars and its raw edges soften by its flirtatious vocal allure.

You can check out the track below:

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NTsKi - ESC (feat. Chloe Kae)

“ESC” is the latest single from NTsKi (pronounced N-T-S-K-I), an anonymous Kyoto-based artist known solely by her name Natsuki. Featured as the focus track on her newly released album "Euphoria", the track includes a cross-hemisphere collaboration with Melbourne’s Chloe Kae of Kllo fame. Sleek and urbane, “ESC” palpitates with a slow yet deliberate creep, where cylindrical midtones seep through the tubular frame of its minimalist house construction.

Bringing together the distinct sonic signatures of its two protagonists, "ESC" is noted by its beckon and call structure. Alternating between NTsKi’s sharp, pitched vocal delivery and declarative tones and Chloe Kae’s huskier melancholy, “ESC” builds a dynamic interplay that heightens the track’s emotional tension.

Chloe Kae’s contributions both in vocals and synths usher in a slow, literally bridge-burning climax, where a sullen warmth adds a darkly textured depth anchoring the song’s introspective mood. Using repetition as emphasis, the track explores themes of entrapment, emotional escape, and release. A metaphorical press on the “ESC” key to signal a break from strained relationships, failed negotiations, and unspoken ultimatums; "ESC" represents a boundary drawn from deep hurt.

You can check out the track and its respective video below. Mixing and mastering is courtesy of The Anticipation Illicit Tsuboi, who previously worked on NTsKi’s releases "Orca" and "Calla".

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Didirri - I Wanted It Easier Than This - (Live at The Act)

As a teaser of what to expect for his ongoing Canada tour with partner-in-crime Rowena WIse, Didirri shares a stirring rendition of “I Wanted It Easier Than This” from his 2023 album "Caught in the Act". Filmed at The Act in Newcastle, the performance is part of live music spectacle centered around its 360-degree stage; an intimate, device-free experience with no phones, no distractions but simply presence. Raw in its indie-folk vein, the track reveals itself through sparse instrumentation and a solitary guitar, allowing the crack of Didirri’s emotion to carry the weight of its lyrical introspection. A performance that contemplates on distorted truths and false memory, Didirri's single metaphorically points to unreturned library books and forgotten pages from lost literature to evoke the emotional disarray and introspective longing heard on the track.

You can check out "I Wanted It Easier Than This" alongside "A Kind of Moving On". The latter, co-written with Rowena Wise is a reflection of past, future and present.

" I Wanted It Easier Than This"

"A Kind of Moving On"

Didirri's remaining tour dates below:

Nov 04 – Lethbridge, AB – The Slice Nov 06 – Winnipeg, MB – Public Domain Nov 07 – Montréal, QC – Casa del Popolo Nov 08 – Toronto, ON – The Baby G Nov 14 – Melbourne, VIC – Werner Brodbeck Hall Nov 16 – Sydney, NSW – St Stephens Uniting Church Nov 14 – Brisbane, QLD – St Andrews Uniting Church

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44 Ardent - Hold On (Forever)

"Hold On" is the latest track from 44 Ardent, the musical alter-ego of Brisbane, Australia, electronic artist and ornithologist Callan "cln" Alexander. Introspective and moving pensively, "Hold On" navigates a slow, liquid haze. On track, sustained synth leads and the aqueous slow of blurry vocals meander a shadowy terrain; carefully treading across clattering garage beats and the incongruency of its electronic textures. Though subtle, 44 Ardent builds on a climactic construction, where its crescendos build into towering spires of synth and soaring sound. With regards to its lyricism, "Hold On" is decidedly subtle instead building on word association and metaphorical symbolism. Lamenting of the "cold iron" and "hot brand", the single's lyrics are allude to how people can be needlessly cruel to each other. Reflecting on the his need for expansive sound for those who grew up in the SoundCloud era, and speaking on the motifs explored in the song, 44 Ardent had this to say about the song and his broader creative horizons:

"I’ve always loved a big, emotional, wall-of-sound drop with lots of elements and complexity. Back then, people would literally scan the waveform and skip straight to the drop, so artists put a lot of energy into making that first moment hit hard. These days, it feels like hooks at the very start are more important, but for me, old habits die hard."

“'Hold On' is about how words can be painful. At the time I was thinking about how needlessly nasty humans can be to one another."

You can check out "Hold On" and previous singles including the glitchy, game-like house beats of "Wake Up" and the slow, hymnal crescendo of "Curtain Call" with its lo-fi mash of beats from his recent discography below:

"Curtain Call"

"Wake Up"

"Hold On"