Browsing Tag

indie producer

maxhauer – fifteen: Cerebrally Melodic Indie Pop

Maxhauer’s sophomore single, ‘fifteen’, sweeps listeners into an indie pop sphere of celestial fluidity and exhibits how the innovative artist has honed his sound after a promising 2023 debut to re-emerge with a melodically cerebral piece that cradles his vocals which are so light they become the oxygen you breathe as you follow the diaphanous progressions as they lead to gentle, ambient crescendos.

Positioned somewhere between the evocative expressions of Death Cab for Cutie and Elliott Smith, maxhauer channels the introspective spirit of these indie legends while marking his territory as the boygenius of a new era. His sophomore single reveals an artful orchestration, seamlessly weaving expansive, lush harmonies that paint a vivid scene of emotional intensity, satisfying those yearning for a more complex, emotionally dense soundscape.

Maxhauer, as a multi-talented producer and vocalist, will undoubtedly become revered for his unique ability to infuse the nuanced longing of adolescence into his music. His compositions are both a revolution and an evolution in the indie music scene, where plaintive vocals and expansive harmonies intertwine to create a sound that gnaws at the listener with its raw, poignant beauty.

After one hit, your rhythmic pulses will crave the emotive journey for the catharsis in the candour. Safe to say, he’s one for every indie fan’s radar.

Stream fifteen on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Captain Lo-Fi reached the serotonin-spilling pinnacle of feel-good music with his genre-fluid hit, ‘Joker’

With eccentrically sweet vocals that will instantaneously steal the hearts of any Modest Mouse and Grandaddy fans over some of the most genre-fluid instrumentals that you have ever heard, Captain Lo-Fi’s seminal single, Joker, is almost tear-jerkingly sweet.

The Germany-hailing musician and producer has been fine-tuning his sound in his own studio since 2013, working with artists from various genres and producing beats for artists and companies, including Loopmasters.

This goes a fair way in explaining the organic ease of the experimentalism in Joker, which throws all sense of pretence to the wayside to deliver funky, indie hip-hop-meets-pop instrumentals that his sunny-side-up vocals drift above. Creating authentically ‘feel-good’ music is no easy feat, but Captain Lo-Fi’s willingness to let his endearingly pure soul spill across his productions allowed him to reach the serotonin-spilling pinnacle.

Stream Joker on Spotify and follow Captain Lo-Fi on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cade Whitt quietens ‘Loud Thoughts’ in his colourfully cathartic alt-indie hit

The up-and-coming alt-indie singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Cade Whitt has recently released his 100% DIY single, Loud Thoughts, which mellowly reaches out to frenzied minds with ample colourful catharsis.

Notably, there are few genres that the 18-year-old artist is unwilling to draw from in his eclectic sound. Around the angular indie guitars that are fed through plenty of echoey tape delay, there are hints of 80s pop, soul, and a smattering of indie-funk to bring the grooves. Cade Whitt’s connectable resolving indie vocals are the cherry on the aural cake, as they work through the consoling lyrics in a semi-lucid fashion; it’s a vibe.

Check out Loud Thoughts on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast