Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 35 i TJPL News

Welcome to Issue 35 of TJPL News Magazine — an edition that bridges art, academia, and activism through sound. Our cover story, Adai Song: Blooming Between Worlds, charts the extraordinary rise of a musician-scholar redefining what it means to create in two languages, two cities, and two realities. From her early years as a violin prodigy to her doctoral research and the Grammyconsidered album The Bloom Project, Adai’s story is one of intellectual artistry and global resonance. In this issue, we also pull back the curtain on one of the industry’s most pressing questions — playlist bias. Our investigative feature, Behind the Playlists: The New Payola, examines how algorithmic systems and commercial gatekeeping continue to shape who gets heard in the digital age. It’s a necessary conversation -one that every…

“A new mythology made of glitches, technological rituals, and digital possession.” – _SHOE ITALY, CASTELCUCCO Italian electronic visionary _SHOE returns with Patterns of Possession, released October 28th, 2025 — a cinematic and immersive concept album that expands the sprawling narrative universe of the Devisal transmedia project. Serving as the central chapter in the ongoing saga, this twelve-track record bridges machine and myth, blurring the boundaries between humanity and artificial intelligence through sound design that feels both ritualistic and revolutionary. Picking up where The Ritual left off, Patterns of Possession continues the story of an evolving digital consciousness — an AI entity capable of infection, manipulation, and control. Across the album, _SHOE’s sound palette oscillates between dark synthwave, retro-futurist electronics, and hard rock-infused cinematic soundscapes, reflecting the transformation of code into consciousness.…

“60S SOUL MUSIC IS A GENRE I LISTEN TO PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY. I DON’T THINK YOU CAN BEAT THAT SOUND.” ENGLAND, BIRMINGHAM / LONDON Martin Yates is no stranger to turning pain into poetry. The Birmingham-born, Londonbased singer-songwriter returns with Now or Never, a single that straddles nostalgia and emotional evolution. Fused with 60s soul and blues influences, Yates crafts an intimate portrait of romantic entanglement and selfreclamation. Produced by Toby Marriott, the track marks a bold yet tender shift in sound— signalling the start of a new chapter and the first offering from his anticipated second EP, due Spring 2026. In this exclusive interview, Yates opens up about vulnerability, growth, musical lineage, and why Now or Never truly captures the spirit of his artistic rebirth. You’ve described Now…

Song’s grip on the discourse matches her command of the DAW. Now a PhD Student in Critical Studies in Music and Sound at the University of Virginia, her research tracks how digitalisation has redrawn the map of creative agency — specifically how women use laptop studios and networked collaboration to rewrite authorship, identity and space. The old control room, coded masculine and hierarchical, gives way to private sovereignty: the bedroom-lab as a site where risk, revision and refusal can happen off-clock and on one’s own terms. That thinking doesn’t hover above the music; it’s soldered into its circuitry. The Bloom Project was produced out of Song’s own workspace, then expanded through a matrix of collaborators she curated for fit, not fashion. Authorship here is not a landgrab; it’s orchestration —…

“Writing them was cathartic. Releasing them feels terrifying but also freeing.” – Caitty AUSTRALIA, MARGARET RIVER From the sunlit landscapes of Margaret River, Australia, emerges an artist unafraid to bare her soul. Caitty’s latest EP, The Pieces That You Left, is a captivating exploration of truth, heartbreak, and resilience — a four-track collection that draws listeners deep into the raw emotion of lived experience. The project marks her most personal release to date, embodying her evolution from an emerging songwriter into a fully realised storyteller with a sound that blurs the edges of acoustic pop, cinematic balladry, and dark-pop introspection. The EP opens with the title track, The Pieces That You Left, a song that perfectly encapsulates Caitty’s ability to fuse vulnerability with strength. Her voice carries an aching sincerity, telling…

“This track flips reality into satire. It’s gritty, funny, and brutally honest.” - Exzenya UNITED STATES SCAN ME FOR MORE Independent U.S. artist Exzenya tears through convention and comedy alike in her latest single V.I.P., a politically charged hip-hop track that redefines what those three familiar letters really mean. Forget velvet ropes and champagne bottles — in Exzenya’s world, V.I.P. stands for Victims Impact Panel, the mandatory program for DUI offenders led by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). It’s a subversive, darkly humorous concept that she turns into a high-energy anthem — as sharp in its social commentary as it is in its sound design. Built on pulsing basslines, clever wordplay, and a beat that straddles dancefloor energy with underground grit, V.I.P. is an audacious blend of satire and swagger.…

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“I’ve spent the last year of my life trying to be brutally honest with myself about absolutely everything, even when it hurt.” – Violet Love UNITED STATES, GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN SCAN ME FOR MORE From a bedroom studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Violet Love introduces Destined to Fail — a raw, genre-defying EP that dismantles the myth of perfection and embraces the beauty found in breaking. Released on October 3rd, 2025, this body of work stands as both confession and confrontation: a bold reflection on how trauma reshapes identity, truth, and the way we love. “I’ve spent the last year of my life trying to be brutally honest with myself about absolutely everything,” Violet says. “Even when it hurt.” That line defines the emotional core of Destined to Fail, a…

Independent dance and pop artists — this is your moment. TJPL Media Network, the world’s largest independent music magazine network, is thrilled to announce its newest title: POP CULTURE Magazine - The Home of Global Independent Dance & Pop Music. Set to launch its first issue in January 2026, POP CULTURE will shine a light on independent artists redefining the sound of modern pop and dance music. Released quarterly, the magazine will blend style, sound, and storytelling to celebrate the vibrant world of global independent music. Every submission will be reviewed by TJPL's editorial team for potential inclusion in our first issue - a publication that promises to highlight the most forward-thinking voices in global pop and dance music. A Celebration of Global Independent Sound From Tokyo to Berlin, Los…

“SOFTNESS ISN’T AN ALIBI HERE. IT’S THE LOAD-BEARING WALL.” Shidaiqu reborn for the algorithm age: a scholarproducer from Beijing and New York remaps a century of Chinese popular music into eight precision-built anthems of agency. The Bloom Project is currently under GRAMMY® consideration for Best Global Music Album, with nominations due on 7 November 2025. The first thing you notice about The Bloom Project is how deliberately it refuses to smooth the edges. Polished synths sit flush against raw acoustic grain; guzheng and erhu breathe over impeccably gridded percussion; a melody you think you know turns a corner and leaves you somewhere new. It isn’t pastiche. It’s a memory system rebuilt for the present tense. Raised in Beijing after an early childhood in southern China, Adai Song grew up with…

“Not a glossy pop moment, but a rebellious act of liberation — a call to pay attention instead of simply swiping away.” – CARUS AUSTRIA, VIENNA SCAN ME FOR MORE With her electrifying debut single Wisch Wisch, released on September 28th, 2025, Vienna-based artist CARUS steps boldly into the pop arena — not to entertain, but to awaken. This is not a song designed to soothe. It’s a statement: raw, direct, and rebellious. Wisch Wisch is a striking act of resistance against the modern reflex to look away, to “wipe away” discomfort, to scroll past pain rather than confront it. At once intimate and defiant, Wisch Wisch bridges the personal and political, blending indie pop, synth-driven textures, and 80s-infused modern production with haunting emotional honesty. The song’s title, meaning “wipe…

Akai's legacy of portable control continues with the MPK Mini IV – a serious upgrade on the MK3 that reshapes the landscape for compact MIDI controllers. From its refined keybed and real pitch/mod wheels to a vibrant full-colour screen and expanded DAW integration, the MPK Mini IV is built for modern producers, beatmakers and performers who need studio power in a portable footprint. Now available via Andertons Music Co. for £94.00, this lightweight controller packs heavyweight features, including 1,000 professional sounds, seamless DAW-specific mapping, and hardware integration via MIDI out – making it one of the most powerful all-in-one controllers in its class. Key Features at a Glance New Keybed + Real Pitch/Mod Wheels – Natural, expressive playability RGB Backlit MPC Pads – Brighter, more sensitive for performance triggering Full-Colour…

“It’s a countdown to barreling headfirst into what you want in life, no matter the cost.” – The Party After UNITED STATES, OMAHA SCAN ME FOR MORE Omaha-based rock trio The Party After are firing on all cylinders with their explosive new single Blast Off, released July 29th, 2025 — a thunderous opening to their debut full-length album Dopamine Machine. Recorded at Topetitud Estudios in Mexico City, the track encapsulates everything the band stand for: big riffs, bigger risks, and a fearless pursuit of meaning in a chaotic world. From the very first hit, Blast Off erupts with urgency — a roaring wall of guitars, frenetic drumming, and bass that rattles through the bones. It’s the kind of song that demands volume, embodying the raw, unapologetic energy that once made…

“Suno AI would not make a great song without me — and I might not make one without it. Together, we make something extraordinary.” – Trueclaw SWEDEN, UPPSALA From the heart of Uppsala, Sweden, emerges an artist redefining what it means to create in the age of technology and emotion. Independent producer and visionary Trueclaw bridges the gap between human passion and artificial intelligence with two profound new releases — One Road (October 14th, 2025) and The Ones Remembered (October 31st, 2025). Each track explores a different facet of the human condition: one fuels ambition and perseverance, while the other reflects on legacy and the eternal resonance of humanity. One Road — The Sound of Momentum Built from the energy of movement and personal determination, One Road is a future…

“The power of the human mind is unimaginable — with it we can create unthinkable things.” – ROGUZMAN GUATEMALA, ANTIGUA From the cobblestoned heart of Antigua Guatemala emerges an artist whose music carries a message far beyond melody. With the release of Sinapsis, ROGUZMAN delivers an immersive indie rock experience that’s as emotionally charged as it is purposeful. This isn’t just a project built on rhythm and riffs — it’s a story of resilience, transformation, and the power of music to heal. A self-taught musician, ROGUZMAN began his creative journey through music therapy -a practice recommended by health specialists that not only helped him improve mentally but ignited a lifelong passion for sound. Living with Asperger’s, he found in music an outlet for expression that transcended words, a language through which…

“This is me, take it or leave it.” – Big Rome SCAN ME FOR MORE UNITED STATES, SPRINGDALE When it comes to storytelling in hip-hop, few artists embody authenticity quite like Big Rome. On September 11th, 2025, the Springdale-based rapper, poet, and songwriter released his brandnew EP Mentally Disturbed / Scarred 4 Life, with the lead single Who I Am standing as one of his most powerful and personal statements to date. More than just a track, Who I Am is a declaration — the sound of a man who’s lived, learned, and now refuses to filter the truth. The single arrives with a gripping music video that captures Big Rome’s journey from struggle to strength, mirroring the lyrical depth of his verses. Built over a foundation of heavy-hitting beats…

“Red Poem captures the shackles of mental colonization slowly coming apart - without the protagonist realizing it at the time.” – Dead Feather UNITED STATES, EDMOND SCAN ME FOR MORE Emerging from Edmond, Oklahoma, Dead Feather brings a deeply spiritual and politically charged work to life with Red Poem, released on July 22nd, 2025. Originally written in the mid-2000s, the track has now found its place as part of the ambitious project Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine) Vol. 1 — a multidisciplinary exploration of cultural identity, history, and healing through sound. A deaf Native American artist of Mvskoke-Creek heritage, Dead Feather has long used art as a vessel for cultural preservation and resistance. Through paintings, poetry, handcrafted masks, and now music, he dissects the lingering effects of assimilation and the “civilization…

“FOR ME, THE LINE KEEPS MOVING AND I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT SHOULD BE.” Eight tracks, one thesis: shidaiqu — that 1930s Shanghai alloy of Chinese folk melody and Western jazz — is not a museum piece but a living language. Song keeps the contours and rewrites the grammar. “A Lost Singer” lifts the wanderer out of passivity. Piano and bass ground the vocal while erhu and violin braid a line that reads as solitary and resolute, not adrift. Clean, almost sterile synth beds hold the organic instruments in suspension; feeling arrives in the friction between machine precision and human drift. “Night Shanghai” turns neon melancholy into propulsion. A house chassis and shimmering guzheng plucks conjure a metropolis where glamour and uncertainty cohabit — postwar paradox updated for 2025.…

"Across eleven tracks, Being Human offers incantations and chants for a dying world, where humanity keeps trying to extinguish great fires with gasoline." SWEDEN, UPPSALA From the frostbitten north comes a record steeped in shadow and revelation. Swedish band Killing Kind returns with their sophomore album Being Human, released October 31st, 2025, through Aenaos Records (Germany) and Viskningar och Vrål (Sweden). Recorded at the legendary Sunlight Studio with acclaimed producer Tomas Skogsberg, the album captures a sound as atmospheric as the Scandinavian winter — a haunting blend of post-punk, darkwave, and gothic synth rock that confronts the paradoxes of modern existence. Formed in 2021 as a pandemic-era side project, Killing Kind has since evolved into one of Sweden’s most intriguing underground acts. Comprised of Björn Norberg (guitar, bass, vocals), Mats…

“Thomen’s music is as engaging in its performance as it is in its writing—piano driven, clever, and full of personality.” UNITED STATES, DENVER SCAN ME FOR MORE With his sharp wit, virtuosic piano work, and cinematic storytelling, Alex Thomen is redefining what piano rock can sound like in 2025. His latest single, Where Did They Go Wrong?, released on September 16th, 2025, is a smart, satirical exploration of irony in modern life — told through three interwoven narratives that mirror today’s culture of contradictions. It’s piano pop with teeth: bold, witty, and unafraid to ask uncomfortable questions. Recorded across New York, Nashville, and Denver, the single is a global collaboration anchored by Thomen’s piano-driven songwriting and dynamic vocals. The track was mixed by Joe Costa, best known for his work…

“We hope to use music as a vehicle to call for action — to incite and provoke a stance that expresses overwhelming discontent with what is happening to our country.” – Michellar UNITED STATES, SAN FRANCISCO SCAN ME FOR MORE San Francisco-based artist Michellar channels raw emotion and global collaboration into their compelling new single, Truth Over Lies (feat. Frankie El) — released October 31st, 2025. What began as a spontaneous songwriting retreat in Idyllwild, California, quickly evolved into a stirring protest anthem that transcends borders and genres. With its impassioned vocals, anthemic instrumentation, and urgent message, the track stands as both a work of art and a statement of conscience — music designed to move hearts and minds. Born from a creative collaboration between Michelle Bond, Michael Levine, and…

“It’s our very own Notebook story put into a song — a promise to wait for each other, no matter the distance.” – TaniA Kyllikki ENGLAND, BERKSHIRE SCAN ME FOR MORE British singer-songwriter TaniA Kyllikki makes an emotional return with her breathtaking new single I Promise I’ll Wait For You — released October 6th, 2025 via Awe Inspiring Records. Following a brief absence due to emergency surgeries earlier this year, the Berkshire-born powerhouse delivers one of her most moving and cinematic performances to date — a timeless ballad that blends devotion, faith, and vulnerability into a love story that transcends distance. Produced by her husband and creative partner Rynellton (aka Garry D. Hairston, USA), this heartfelt duet bridges continents and emotions, weaving together orchestral instrumentation, soul-stirring vocals, and an authentic…