Issue #12 Features

The following features are now included in our online magazine which is also available in print.

Issue #12

Becky Raisman – Earth Goddesses Radiates Warmth and Growth

Becky Raisman presents an outstanding musical experience with her EP release *Earth Goddesses*, an album that combines pop music with heartfelt emotion. Born in Highland Park, Illinois, Raisman pursued her music studies at Columbia College Chicago before making her home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. *Earth Goddesses* combines Becky Raisman's nostalgia and introspective style with catchy hooks and harmonies.

Raisman cites *Degrassi: The Next Generation* as an inspiration for her emotional authenticity in music. Becky Raisman's style also bears some resemblance to artists like Sara Bareilles and Maggie Rogers; nonetheless, Becky Raisman's voice shines uniquely in her own style. The EP release *Earth Goddesses* is an outstanding example of Becky Raisman's optimism in her music, similar to *Solar Power*. *Earth Goddesses* is an outstanding release that radiates Becky Raisman's confidence in pop music.

Alexander Abreu – The Driving Force of Modern Havana

Alexander Abreu is an outstanding figure in the music scene in Cuba today, leading the popular band Havana D'Primera. As an outstanding trumpeter and vocalist, Alexander Abreu combines many musical styles in his work, including salsa, jazz, funk, and Afro-Cuban music. The result is an orchestra-like sound that combines Havana's streets with musical genius.

Alexander Abreu's work is often compared to that of the legendary Irakere and the funk giants Los Van Van; nonetheless, Alexander Abreu's music is an outstanding example of Cuba's musical heritage carried forward in the present day. Alexander Abreu's music narrates the stories of Cuba's daily life in an honest manner, while his Latin Grammy nomination is an outstanding example of his international recognition in music. Alexander Abreu's music is an outstanding example of Cuba's vibrant music scene, including artists like José Alberto El Ruiseñor.

HOLY TRIGGER – Cinematic Tension on Painted

HOLY TRIGGER is an electronic music artist that creates immersive soundscapes, and with the release of “Painted,” there is an undeniable evolution in style. The Parisian multimedia artist Ira Rokka delivers an enchanting 100 BPM track that combines pulsating bass with enticing rock-infused vocals. The release through Taktic Music is reminiscent of nighttime tension and cinematic grandeur.

The song is reminiscent of edgy artists like Fever Ray, Gazelle Twin, and FKA twigs in terms of dark appeal, but there are also hints of Twin Peaks that add to the unsettling dreaminess. The song does not seem like an electronic dance track but rather an audio film that is both sensual and tense while evoking cinematic imagery. HOLY TRIGGER is an artist that brings cinematic quality to electronic music while reminding us that sound can be both pulse and portal.

Maria Duque – A Defining Voice in Cries of Redemption

Maria Duque assumes the role of the defining voice in the track “This Is What It Feels Like” by Cries of Redemption. The song started off as a feature track but evolved into something more profound with the introduction of Duque’s six-layered harmonies and dramatic projection style. The NuMetal band Cries of Redemption was founded by the enigmatic Ed Silva, focusing primarily on addiction and recovery themes. The track combines Broadway-level vocals with NuMetal grandeur while inviting Evanescence and Lacuna Coil comparisons while also evoking White Pony by Deftones in terms of emotional content. However, Duque finds her own space in the song that is precise, powerful, and central to Cries of Redemption’s evolution.

The Theos Variant – The Slow Burn of Starfall

The Theos Variant continues its steady climb with Starfall, a song built on patience and atmosphere. Anchored by vocalist Dan Lentz and multi-instrumentalist Geoff Haught, the duo has honed the balance established on Auras (2023) and further refined on Mechanical Organism (2024). The guitars build in appropriate measure, the rhythms develop with restraint, and the emotion builds slowly and surely instead of on cue.

While drawing on the likes of Tool or Breaking Benjamin in sound, the build is more in line with the tension of Drive or Annihilation in pace and atmosphere. The band has received recognition from the International Songwriting Competition and other sources for its efforts and remains dedicated to its craft and not its pace of release. Starfall is a testament to this and demonstrates the power of slow-building rock and roll.

Changxiao – Grief in the Quiet of If I Could Turn Back Time

Changxiao enters the world of stark vulnerability with If I Could Turn Back Time, a piano-driven ballad as part of the Constell8tion Year Of Constell8tion series. The song is a stark and emotional entry into the world of virtual artistry and is carried by the vocals and piano alone. The apparent heartbreak is revealed as a reflection on the shock of absence and irreversible change.

The music video further emphasizes this as a reflection on absence and loss and is presented as a short film of quiet devastation and reflection. The emotional stillness is similar to Blue Valentine in atmosphere and restraint, while musically it is similar to JJ Lin in balladic reflection and emotion. Changxiao's performance is a reflection on the power of virtual artistry and its ability to convey emotion and power in the absence of spectacle and artifice.

D3PRT – The Tension Beneath You Will Never Know

D3PRT makes music for solo time spent at home. This is precisely what "You Will Never Know" encapsulates. The song is based on a strong sub-bass foundation and disjointed garage beats. The song holds itself back in terms of release. It has created a sense of tension through the space between the disjointed beats.

It is quite apparent that the song has been influenced by UK bass music. The sound is reminiscent of Burial. The song has a sense of restraint similar to Hessle Audio. The song has a personal feel. From a cinematic perspective, it has a similar feel to "Under the Skin," a movie. This song has a sense of thickness in terms of sound. It doesn't try to evoke a particular feeling. This is precisely what "You Will Never Know" has attempted. It has a heavy sound. It has a sense of tension. It is quiet. 

William Kalmer – A Quiet Return with Graceland

William Kalmer has released a new song titled "Graceland," which is a quiet song featuring Audrey Karrasch. This song has been produced by Edward George King. This song has a quiet feel to it. William Kalmer has a background in film scoring. This song has been based on quiet piano. This song has a quiet feel to it. It has been based on quiet piano. This song has been quiet. This song has been based on quiet piano. This song has a quiet feel to it. William Kalmer has released a quiet song. This song has been quiet. This song has a quiet feel to it. This song has been based on quiet piano. This song has a quiet feel to it. William Kalmer has released a quiet song. This song has been quiet. This song has been based on quiet piano. This song has a quiet feel to it. This song has been quiet. This song has a quiet feel to it. This song has been based on quiet piano. This song has a quiet feel to it. This song has been quiet. This song has a quiet feel to it. 

Hidden Shores – Human Feeling in the Glow of AI

Hidden Shores is an EP that looks at artificial intelligence not in terms of novelty but function. The Belgium-based teacher's work is an exploration of artificial intelligence in terms of human instinct.

The EP was clearly influenced by Radiohead's reinvention drive in the wake of OK Computer and Kid A. The music is an exploration of textures that are familiar but remade in terms of fragility. The EP also bears some resemblance to Bon Iver and James Blake in terms of the exploration of artificial intelligence and emotional restraint.

The EP does not look at artificial intelligence in terms of threat but in terms of function. The result is an EP that is modest but thought-provoking in terms of the exploration of artificial intelligence in music.

Bleach Dreamer and the Art of Staying Out Too Late

Bleach Dreamer is an act that does not make an effort to introduce itself. The music seeps in like the darkness of the night, gradually. The act is based in Hamilton, Ontario, and the music is clearly designed for those nights when the streetlamps blend into each other and the mind becomes sharper.

The EP, Even If You Care, set for release on January 9, 2026, via Star Seeker Records, is an EP that knows exactly what it is doing. The three-track EP does not seek to grab anyone's attention but sets the mood and lets the listener do the rest.
From the first moments of "Paradise Cove," it is apparent that Bleach Dreamer is utilizing contrast. There is movement in the song, a beat derived from 80s club music, but it is shrouded in a haze. The beat drives forward while the textures lag behind, giving the sense of movement while emotionally being elsewhere. There is tension in the post-punk undertone, not aggressive but restless. The song has a sense of neon lights in puddles, shiny but melancholy. It is the type of music that fits naturally alongside a highway at night.