Some songs hit hardest not because they are loud, but because they name a feeling you’ve been living with quietly.
ellakate’s “What Fun” does exactly that. Dark, moody and quietly self-assured, the Atlanta based artist delivers a song that is less like a performance and more like a late night realization finally taking shape.
Listen in here:
“What Fun” explores the emotional whiplash of a volatile relationship. The kind where you start shrinking yourself to keep the peace, second guessing your instincts and replaying conversations long after they end.
ellakate captures that headspace with a striking atmosphere. Her vocals are calm but weighted, as if she is already tired of explaining herself and the understated production gives the song room to breathe without losing its edge.
What makes the track especially resonant is how relatable it feels. This isn’t heartbreak dressed up for drama. It is the slow unraveling of clarity and the quiet relief that comes with recognizing it. The song taps into themes that many people, particularly women, know well – gaslighting, emotional fatigue and the moment you realize your voice deserves space again.
There’s a polished coolness to “What Fun,” but never at the expense of honesty. It’s the kind of song that fits perfectly into a solo drive, a reflective morning routine or the exact moment you decide you’re done accepting less than you deserve.
With “What Fun,” ellakate positions herself as an artist unafraid to sit in uncomfortable truths and turn them into something empowering.
About ellakate
ellakate is an Atlanta based singer songwriter with music that blends alt pop melodies with raw, lyric driven storytelling. Raised in a musical household, and currently a student at the University of Notre Dame where she also fences competitively, she channels her own experiences with mental health, identity and resilience into songs that are full of truth and vulnerability.
Channeling influences from Billie Eilish to Fiona Apple, ellakate is creating music that is bold, romantic and cheekily relatable. She is a fresh, authentic voice in today’s pop landscape. Whether she’s on stage, in the studio or sharing glimpses of her life online, ellakate builds space for honesty and connection through music.
For fans of emotionally charged alt pop ellakate is an artist to watch.
“Entropic Cycle” swirls into the room like a cold draft from a door you didn’t realize was open, bringing with it the uncanny feeling that something in the atmosphere just shifted.
ИΞOlicious, the 18 year old avant-pop experimenter from Glendale is already known for making music that feels like emotional weather, but this new single pushes that instinct into a sharper, stranger and much more focused form. This is the sound of someone willingly stepping into the mess and discovering something almost comforting inside the chaos.
Built on stacked panned violin recordings that bloom into something cosmic, the production moves like a breathing organism.
The track rises with star lit synths and falls into verses that feel raw enough to bruise, while airplane like textures buzz underneath as if the whole thing is in motion even when you’re still.
If there is a thesis to “Entropic Cycle,” it’s hidden in the contrast. In the push and pull, the optimism and dread, the night and the thin glow of the approaching morning. ИΞOlicious has created a pop track that behaves more like a dream or maybe a recurring thought you can’t shake.
What makes the song though, is its sincerity. For all the glitchy shimmer and lunar strangeness, there’s a core belief running through it: that everything matters. Even the parts that feel like static. Even the parts we wish we could fast forward through.
You can hear this philosophy in the way the track lifts, breaks and reforms itself – in the entropy and rebirth stitched together not as a contradiction but as the natural order of things. It’s the kind of music that feels like it was made at 3 a.m. not because the artist had to but because the night is the only time when these thoughts feel safe enough to surface.
“Entropic Cycle” is the opening chapter of the upcoming album LΞT IT BΞ ИIGHT, and ИΞOlicious is quietly setting the stage for something bigger – something conceptual, personal and defiantly experimental.
This isn’t just another debut single trying to get your attention. It’s a signal flare from a new, weird and wonderful corner of the underground.
Italian singer songwriter Daniele Odasso has always moved through music with a rare blend of emotional honesty and refined musicanship.
His new single, “Living in Between,” marks a turning point for Daniele, shaped by a period of deep personal transformation and a return to the landscapes of Tuscany that have long anchored his sense of self. Recorded in Viareggio and brought to life through an intimate collaboration with producer Amira, the song drifts between electronic pulse and soulful warmth, mirroring the emotional space it was born from.
What makes this moment in Daniele’s career so compelling is the clarity with which he speaks about the connection between voice, body and environment. Water, reflection, memory and nature all play a role in the sound and visuals of “Living in Between,” forming a world where music becomes a form of inner exploration.
The accompanying video, shot between underwater frames, pine forests and the glowing dunes of Lecciona doesn’t just illustrate the song. It lives and breathes with it.
We sat down with Daniele to talk about the making of “Living in Between,” the sensory world behind his vocal work, the unexpected joy of shooting underwater and how returning to Tuscany helped him rediscover the path forward.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?
“Living in Between” was recorded while I was living in Viareggio, Tuscany—a place that carries deep meaning for me because of my mother’s family roots there. During that period, I reconnected with nature in a way that shaped the entire sound of the song: the pulsating electronic groove, the layered vocals, and the fluid movement of the electric guitar all echo that sense of being suspended between states.
Water became a central metaphor throughout the making of the record. Living so close to the sea in Tuscany deeply influenced the emotional atmosphere of the track, and it was something I asked Amira to keep in mind while producing the record—this idea of fluidity, immersion, and constant movement between light and shadow.
That’s why the visual concept also begins with water as a symbolic entry point. It represents the emotional space from which the song emerged: a place of introspection, depth, and transformation. As the video shifts into the landscape of pine trees and dunes in Viareggio, it mirrors the song’s inner journey—from being enveloped by the element of water to resurfacing in the brightness of the natural world that inspired the music.
2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
The visuals were inspired by my daily proximity to water in Viareggio and the sensory relationship I developed with it through swimming every day. Because my vocal research is rooted in the Lichtenberger method, which focuses on acoustic perception and proprioception, being immersed in such a fluid medium gave me a new way of experiencing sound in my body. That liquid, tactile connection to water deeply influenced how I approached singing on this record, and Amira’s production supported and expanded that direction.
I wanted the video to reflect this whole sensory world, so I created an initial storyboard centered on an immersive water state and shared it with director Francesco Quadrelli. After exploring underwater imagery with photographer William Petriccioli and scouting the dunes of Viareggio together, the visual arc became clear: starting within the layered reflections and depth of water, gradually moving toward the sunlight near the beach, and ultimately returning to the sea. The visuals mirror the full cycle that shaped the music—nature, body, voice, and sound flowing back into one another.
3. What was the process of making the video?
The process of making the video was truly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I first met the incredibly talented art director William Petriccioli, who also shot the cover and instantly grasped the imagery and intentions behind the project. Shortly after, I met Francesco Quadrelli, a visionary and evocative director who immediately understood the concept and the different technical possibilities for shooting underwater. His visual language aligned perfectly with what I had envisioned and pushed the concept even further.
Shooting the underwater scenes was unexpectedly fun. I had trained myself to move from different directions while keeping my eyes open and staying in constant dialogue with Francesco’s camera. That allowed us to play with the surface of the water from multiple angles, creating those mirrored layers of light that shift with my movements.
We then moved to the “outside world.” The first scenes were filmed in my grandmother’s house in Tuscany—a room I literally grew up in—before heading to the pine forest near the beach of Lecciona in Viareggio. That location has an extraordinary sunset between the dunes and the water, and it became the perfect place to let go and immerse myself at the end of the day.
William and Francesco are an extraordinary team, and because they’re close friends, their trust and synergy made me feel completely embraced and understood throughout the shoot. We filmed in the exact order of the narrative, starting with the morning water scenes and ending with the sunset and my return to the sea. Experiencing that progression in real time felt both powerful and deeply cathartic.
There’s a reason Washington D.C.’s Lakaff keeps calling his sound “heart music.” This is not a gimmick but a mission. A singer songwriter, multi instrumentalist and producer who started ou on French horn and euphonium before teaching himself bass, guitar and production, Lakaff has been steadily building a catalogue of songs since 2023 that blur the lines between indie rock, hip hop, and electronic music. His latest two singles “may.Be” and “Jambles” show just how far that vision has come.
Released earlier this year, “may.Be” is Lakaff’s first Dolby Atmos release and the kind of track that makes you want to sit between the speakers.
It’s built on a sleek electro groove, layering artful drums, shimmering guitar and silky flute and sax lines from Grammy winning guest Johnny Butler.
Emmy winning engineer Cheryl Ottenritter handled the Atmos mastering. This is a song that defines Lakaff’s “heart music.”
Where “may.Be” is expansive and collaborative, “Jambles” is more stripped back and personal. Lakaff channels the wiry guitar energy of early Strokes records, then threads it through the trap style percussion he admired from artists like Future.
Instead of leaning on a drum machine for thetrap meets guitar vibe, he tracked live, kit oriented sounds, giving the song a punchy and human edge beneath its clattering hi-hats and pulsing bassline. Lyrically, it’s a collage of daily life fragments gathered over time, dotted with sly nods to Oasis, “Sk8er Boi,” and other personal touchstones.
Together the two songs function as a kind of diptych. “may.Be” reveals Lakaff the collaborator, reaching outward with a lush and immersive production.
“Jambles” shows Lakaff the diarist, boiling down his influences into something lean and immediate. Both singles are recognisably his. They are playful, soulful and just a little bit restless, constantly looking for new ways to join the organic with the synthetic.
If these tracks are any indication, Lakaff’s “heart music” is becoming something of a signature sound. With more Atmos mastered singles already in the pipeline and live shows on the horizon, both “may.Be” and “Jambles” show an artist whose sound is emerging and coming into focus – immersive, genre blurring and designed to resonate well.
About Lakaff
Lakaff is a Washington D.C. based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Raised on school band brass instruments (French horn, then euphonium), he discovered rock in middle school and taught himself bass while playing along to Aerosmith records, and soon added guitar, vocals, and production to his skill set.
Since 2023 he has steadily released tracks that mix indie rock guitars, trap inspired percussion, dexterous bass lines, horns and other unexpected textures, taking cues from artists as varied as Oasis, Disclosure, Shania Twain, The Prodigy, Kasabian, and 50 Cent.
His singles feature artwork by visual artist Masato Okano, known for designs for Metallica and Murphy’s Law, and collaborations with Grammy winning saxophonist Johnny Butler and Emmy winning audio engineer Cheryl Ottenritter.
With more Atmos mastered singles planned and live performances on the horizon, Lakaff is carving out a distinctive place in today’s music landscape – quirky, playful, and soulful.
With its emotion and frenetic energy, “Shallow” stands as one of Animals in Denial’s most striking and personal songs.
Written by Christian Ines during a tumultuous and destructive relationship, the track captures the chaos of love that is built on lies, obsession and abandonment.
Now paired with a haunting new video directed by Jon Paul Anderson, “Shallow” plunges viewers directly into Ines’s headspace – a first person descent into a relationship unraveling in real time.
We sat down with Christian to talk about the story behind the song, the inspiration for the visuals and how a chance discovery on YouTube led to a creative partnership that brought his vision vividly to life.
Watch the Official Music Video to “Shallow” here:
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?
Well I wrote the song when I was going through a horrible relationship. It was full of drama and part way through I started to realize that this was just some sort of game and that the feelings she claimed to have for me, were completely shallow. It was one of those songs I knew I wanted to have a visual component ie video for, but I was a bit stuck at how to do it.
I wanted it to convey the vibe of where my head was at, and to make a person watching feel like they were a fly on the wall in my head. So the choice to visualize this way was really me finding the right video maker with the right eye and sense of frenetic clarity. The director/maker Jon Paul Anderson, and I hit it off and he completely understood the vision and really fleshed it out more and really nailed it. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to take the lead on the project.
2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
As far as the inspiration for the new video, it was always a song I wanted to have a video for, as it’s really meant to look like you’re inside of my head while I’m going through a relationship that’s really just a train wreck in disguise. I wanted it to feel frenetic yet clear, as during that time and relationship hot and cold can’t even begin to describe it. One minute you’re feeling like you and this person can withstand the weight of the world, and others you don’t even know if she likes you. I wanted it to also convey a feeling of loneliness or more like abandonment as that’s what I was feeling when I wrote the song.
So the video takes a first person view, to try to make you feel like you’re me and going through the motions of something even though you know in your gut something isn’t quite right. Me and the director went back and forth over email and then he went to work filming and editing and what he turned in needed no revisions. I loved it when I saw it and thought he completely nailed it. I hope you like it.
3. What was the process of making the video?
The process for the video wasn’t mine, but it was basically me and the director going back and forth over email. I started looking for cool music videos on YouTube and found a really talented YouTuber named Jon Paul Anderson. He did a video for a nine inch nails song, called “Vessel” that I was blown away by. I reached out to the guy and we hit it off chatting and so I then told him I had a song I really thought his approach would be perfect for if he was interested. He said to send him the track and I’ll let you know. He came back super enthusiastic, and asked if I had any ideas, I replied with what I was thinking about being a fly on the wall inside of my head.
He followed up with me quickly, that he had some footage that he thought would be perfect he also had some ideas for some stuff he could shoot to add. The end result was something I was beyond proud of.
As climate change accelerates and the planet edges toward catastrophe, there are few artists willing to confront the crisis with complete honesty. Revvnant, led by Eliphaz Costus, formerly the drummer ofThe Flying Eyes and Black Lung, has always blurred genre boundaries drawing from trip-hop, dream pop, industrial and doom to create immersive and emotionally charged soundscapes.
His latest single “Rise”, with a striking visualizer by artist Morgan Beringer, channels fear, despair and urgency into a haunting meditation on environmental collapse.
In this feature, Eliphaz walks us through the beginnings of the song, and the process of collaborating with Beringer to translate its themes into a trippy, morphing visual experience.
Watch the visualizer to “Rise” here:
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?
“Rise” is purely about the existential threat of climate change, witnessing the chaos, and how bearing witness affects me emotionally. It’s a complex mix of fear, despair, rage, and eventually apathy to be able to move forward with the day. The tone of the song treads the line between hopelessness, and a call to action…We need to rise up to stop this madness and save our planet.
2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
I worked with an incredible video artist from the UK named Morgan Beringer (https://www.morganberinger.com/), and I let him run with it. After explaining themes of the song, he came up with the concept of using idyllic images of healthy nature devolving into degraded, industrial landscapes. This worked really well with his signature, trippy style where visuals bloom and morph into each other.
3. What was the process of making the video?
That was pretty much all Morgan Beringer’s doing. I gave a few notes here and there, but mostly I stepped aside and let him do his thing. Which I was happy to do after how hard I had already worked on the music.
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