STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION’s latest single, “HIKARI”, marks another stunning release from R.O.N. highlighting his signature blend of electronic and pop elements.
The song was written as the theme for the HIKARI Festival 2024 in Poznan, Poland, and it perfectly embodies the festival’s ethos of connection and unity through music. Influences from both Poland and Japan are brought together to create a sound that is truly unique:
The production is immaculate; the song opens with an atmospheric intro that layers various sound recordings captured in Poland. It immediately sets the tone and evokes the excitement and anticipation of a live performance. As the track progresses, R.O.N. mixes a mid-tempo electro-pop beat with a dreamy melody. It’s a subtle, soothing track, yet its emotional gravity is undeniable.
The chorus, with its repetitive “la-la-la-la-la” chant, stands out as the heartbeat of the song. This simple, yet evocative refrain elevates HIKARI, giving it a haunting, ethereal quality that’s hard to shake.
“HIKARI” reflects on themes of connection and distance, resonating with R.O.N.’s comment that “Even though we are far apart, we are still connected.” The song’s message is universal and timely, making it especially powerful in a world where music is one of the few things that can truly bridge gaps between people and cultures.
HIKARI is a beautifully composed and thought-provoking track that embodies STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION’s ability to craft music that can connect with its audience.
STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION is the music project of R.O.N., an acclaimed producer known for his sleek, digital-forward sound.
He has composed theme songs for internationally popular anime series like Beyond the Boundary, Food Wars!, Moriarty the Patriot, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. R.O.N.’s distinct style, blending electronic elements with a modern, stylish edge, has earned him a strong following both in Japan and abroad.
Kristen Rae Bowden is a singer-songwriter with deep musical roots, hailing from Boone, North Carolina.
Growing up in a family of musicians, Kristen developed a keen ear for harmony at an early age and taught herself to play piano before expanding her skills to include classical flute and earning a BFA in acting and musical theater from Elon University.
Since releasing her debut album in 2019, she has become known for her storytelling and music that blends folk influences with pop and Americana. Her music reflects a balance between vulnerability and strength, turning personal experiences into cathartic, universally relatable songs.
Her latest single, “Skateboard,” captures the exhilarating rush of young love, likening its emotional highs to the thrill of skateboarding.
With lyrics inspired by her own memories and co-written with Joe Lawlor (Dave Matthews Band), Kristen continues to create music that resonates deeply with listeners. In this interview, Kristen shares the story behind the music video to “Skateboard,” offering insights into her creative process and the visual storytelling that brings the song to life.
Watch the music video here:
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?
“Skateboard” is a song about the breathless exhilaration of young love in the newfound freedom of college.
When I was 18 there was a time when I was still with my high school boyfriend, in a long-distance relationship as he’d gone to a different school. He was a skateboarder. (I definitely was not!) We would visit each other on weekends. It was early September, the weather was still very hot in that “dog days of summer” stagnant way, and I remember waiting until late at night for him to arrive, with heavy anticipation. When he did, we’d go out skateboarding together around the lamp-lit streets and brick paths of the campus, enjoying the cooling breeze of movement as the heat radiated off the pavement, still hot from the sun of the day. We’d stop at various parties, sometimes a home-made half pipe in a parking lot, and drink beer or a PJ concoction out of red solo cups. (I could only pretend to skateboard after I’d lost some of my inhibitions.) We were in love and on our own for the very first time. That feeling of freedom and youthful elation is what inspired the lyrics for this song.
Even though this specific experience of mine is what inspired the lyrics, the song is really about the semi-universal experience of that feeling… the rollercoaster high of young love. Skateboarding is a great metaphor for that thrill.
So I chose to visualize the song with all sorts of different young couples, and skateboarders catching air.
My hope is that all sorts of folks can see something in the visuals that resonates with their own experience of being young and unsupervised and in love.
2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
Instead of telling a narrative story with this video, I wanted the visuals to impart a feeling of euphoria and exhilaration. What could be more exhilarating than flying through the air (or falling in love for the first time)?
Also, this is a lyric video, so I had the opportunity to use different text styles and animation as a visual expression of what I’m singing.
The verse lyrics, “If you knew me once / then you know me still / Would you still recognize me?” are quiet and intimate, and sung from the present day as I’m looking back and remembering. I chose a cursive script and gave it a glow effect, as if I’m writing an imaginary letter to all my former lovers.
In contrast, the chorus vocal is soaring and expansive: “Feeling so high / when you’re driving all night / to my front door.” This is me living in the memory of that euphoria, so I chose an expansive outline font and made it transparent, so the skateboarders could fly through the lyrics, and the viewers’ eyes can take it all in at once.
Animating the chorus lyrics was really fun… I love how they give you a sense of the rhythmic patterns.
3. What was the process of making the video?
I made this video myself on my iPad. First I chose stock footage and licensed it… which is really fun, making a giant folder of footage that might work to tell the story and capture the vibe, and then going lyric by lyric deciding what works best. This song really lent itself to that… I basically ended up with a folder of badass skateboarding footage!
Then I used an app called Videoleap to combine and edit… it’s really geared more towards vertical TikTok videos and such, but I found that I could use it to do everything I was picturing in my head. I enjoy using the touch screen of my ipad for a lot of it, as opposed to a mouse. When I animated the lyrics I was literally dragging them with my fingers to wherever I wanted them to go. Something about this makes the process more fun and engaging to me.
When you don’t have the budget to do a big original video production, these are great options for expressing yourself and using your own creativity to expand on your art as an independent musician. I’m so grateful to all the artists out there who captured this footage and made it available to license! And the editing tools these days have almost no learning curve… anybody can get creative with them.
Siren is back with a bang, delivering a potent mix of gritty storytelling and visuals in their latest single, “Dead Beggar.”
Known for their melodic rock fusion and thought-provoking lyrics, the band takes listeners on a journey into the heart of societal divides, tackling the age-old battle between the wealthy elite and the oppressed.
Inspired by the epic power struggles of Game of Thrones, “Dead Beggar” paints a raw, emotional picture of the haves and the have-nots, with a triumphant twist- the underdogs finally win.
To bring this powerful message to life, Siren partnered with acclaimed video director Isaac Deitz, who transformed their vision into a stunning, cinematic masterpiece.
The video, filmed across Coral Springs, FL, and downtown Atlanta blends striking visuals with a storyline that symbolizes the fight for control and the eventual rise of the downtrodden.
In this exclusive interview, lead singer Rob Phillips opens up about the creative process, the inspiration behind the song and its striking video, and how the collaboration with Deitz elevated “Dead Beggar” to a whole new level.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?
We wrote the song with a Game of Thrones vibe. It is about the haves and have nots. The visualization was the work of our video director Isaac Deitz. He is extremely talented and has a gift for bringing our music to life on the screen.
2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
We wanted to show a power struggle between the classes of the wealthy and the poor. The orb in the video represents the power that eventually gets taken by the poor. Isaac did an amazing job delivering a powerful visual representation of the song.
3. What was the process of making the video?
The narrator shots were done at our Coral Springs, FL Studio with a black screen. The remaining shots were done in downtown Atlanta, Georgia with the two other actors, the boy and the villain.
They both did a fantastic performance.
Siren’s latest single “Dead Beggar” is distributed through The Orchard / SONY via Madison Records.
The Bobby Tenderloin Universeis a band, a community, and a movement; but, most of all, it’s an excuse to don your western wear and give yourself over to the song and dance at the heart of every BTU show. Bobby enraptures his audiences with his deep, rich voice and thoughtful, tender lyrics, rustling up a fresh new take on the old country we all love. Some say he exhibits the sincerity of Johnny Cash, the wit of Roger Millar, and vocal stylings and production sensibilities of Lee Hazlewood. He and his band are lifelong friends and it shows in the way they bring the songs to life.
“Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch” is a brand new song about guilt, how love is the only thing that can conquer it, and ego death. Bobby wants his listeners to remember that these human experiences are universal and that you’re not alone.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
The song was written back when I was the Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch. I learned a lot of important lessons during this time, and I guess they came out as a song. The video is separated into three acts. The first act depicts Bobby on a journey. The second signifies him letting go of his guilt, and the third represents ego death.
2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
Making this video was an attempt for me to become one step closer to ego death in my life, as an artist and as a performer.
3.What was the process of making this video?
Filmmaker Ryan Leedu called me up one day and asked if I had any songs coming out because he had some time in his schedule, so we decided to make this video. It happened that I had spent the last year collecting three of the same HI8 cameras and planned to make a music video on my own. The timing was impeccable. I knew what would be possible having Ryan involved so the concept came quite fast. The river where we shot the second two parts of the video has been a very special place for me over the years. The two-day video shoot felt magical, and we both were so inspired and focused. We originally planned on shooting all three parts at the river location, but after getting parts two and three done the first day and returning the second day, we found the water level had risen above our location! We needed a new location, so I remembered a day when I walked home from a Uhaul in the country. We just replicated what I did that day because it included a bunch of bad-boy type stuff. Ie. Running across a highway, walking on train tracks, etc. Ultimately, Ryan and I are both very proud of this video and are excited now that it’s in the world.
North Carolina born, Mexico City based vocalist, songwriter, and producer, Meraki Trice is sharing a new single entitled “Waste Your Breath,” written in the aftermath of a transactional relationship.
The hazy and ethereal song mixes analog, digital, and acoustic sounds to create a richly produced soundscape which Trice likens to the feeling of walking in the clouds or floating in the air. “Waste Your Breath” blends elements of electronic music, rnb, and pop to create a highly melodic plane of existence.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?
Waste Your Breath is a commentary about dating as a queer person, from my experience I have had many partners mislead me and themselves about their intentions. The title comes from a statement that my grandmother used to say when she knew me or another person was about to lie, she would say “Don’t waste your breath” as in I know you are about to lie. This song to me is a refusal to go along with half-truths or out right lies, but to be honest and clear about the intentions of others with me, and I with them.
2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
The video takes place after a crash landing on a foreign planet, Meraki as depicted in the video stumbles from the wreckage to hallucinations of his lover. He searches the landscape to find the love that feels just on the edge of being reciprocated. However their efforts are to no avail, the video looks to explore imagery of queer love, in its less marketable elements. To show the lack of commitment and unhealthy attachment styles that exist within the community and I have personally experienced in many of my relationships. Even queer love in 3023 has a bit of sour with the sweet. The inspirations for the video were many afrofuturistic and Scifi novels from the Parable of the Sower to Dune
3. What was the process of making the video?
The production timeline for the video included 9 months of planning and execution. We created every costume and accessory in collaboration with designers from Mexico, Argentina, and the United States. The script was created before the music, or songwriting had begun. The main priority was to create this futuristic world filled with queer love and tell a story that could resonate with people in and outside of the community. From there the script was created, and permits were secured with the Mexican government since the video location was in one of Mexico’s more primer national parks. Meraki and 3 dancers learned choreography that was created in collaboration with a rising Venezuelan choreographer, the set was designed to be constructed on location inside of the mountains by our art department. Shooting spanned two days, thousands of miles above sea level, in rain and fog with 4 different shoot locations spread in and around Paso de Cortes, a mountain pass way that sits in between two active volcanos. From there we colored the video to evoke more of an otherworldly look and then shared it with the world.
Stonehocker’s powerful vocals are the focal point of any show. Accompanied by acoustic guitar, minimalistic electronic beats and samples, the live shows capture the unique, alternative sounds of his music. As a personable and unique individual, Stonehocker puts on a well-crafted performance with songs from his multiple albums.
Stonehocker’s music is a dialogue of his learning about himself, how to love and forgive himself. The lyrics are an examination of the conflict in his own life. His latest track, “I Am Divided,” is a driving arrangement that speaks to feeling lost in life and conflicted by your own decisions.
I am broken, there is a war inside of me, but am I lost? – Stonehocker
Modern Mystery 