Digital Gaze

Illuminated paths is a well-known label in the underground scene ever since its arrival in 2014, they have released over 800 different albums ever since then. I had the pleasure to interview josh and ask him some very intriguing questions.  - Which year was it when you first started your label? I took over IP on January 1st of 2014 when Wes Ables (aka Public Spreads the News) had decided to instead follow a burgeoning shoe empire idea. He had created and launched the label on Bandcamp around the MIDDLE of 2012, the label was intended to release artists he enjoyed digitally and some of his solo stuff. So I took over and started doing releases from IP-020 with the resurgent cassette culture in mind. -Are there any records on illuminated paths you would suggest to our readers? We at IP only release that which we see the potential in and never release anything we don’t already thoroughly enjoy. Take a chance, roll the dice, spin the wheel. It is guaranteed to be a journey of epic and pleas

wedding cake mix tape by derivative誰 To celebrate derivative誰 wedding he has created a 6 track vaporwave EP titled "wedding cake mixtape" as a present for his significant other surprise 先生 (Desired remix) is the first track to kick off the EP, it has a classic vaporwave feel to it. Mellow drums as well as sampled saxophone pieces feel the air in the room, this track also has hints of R & B mixed in. Through the track, there's  a spoken word that says "Thank you all for joining I've been waiting for this my whole life" which left a smile on my face knowing that derivative has found someone to be with forever. スタジオ is by far my favorite track from this EP, I'm a fan of schoolboy and this remix is stellar. The vocals have heavy reverb on them that defiantly sets the mood of the setting,  I feel like this would be played at derivative誰  bachelor party a few nights before getting married while you're hanging with your best friends having fun. &quo

   It's Saturday once again so that only means it's time for single Saturday! For this week's edition, we bring you a track by two great underground artists deelovesamy & zachedellic. The title of the track by the duo is "mind games"  when I first began listening to "mind games" I was in complete awe, the first thought that came to mind was how very hypnotic and dreamy it is. I have to say listening to "mind games" helped ease the stress that I had all week, the drums are mellow as well as the piano Rhodes you hear throughout your listening experience, If you listen closely enough there is an 808 bass line that gave this track some room to bounce. deelovesamy did a fantastic job of chopping up the samples extremely well and adding his own unique twist to the beat. deelovesamy and zachedellic have created something amazing, "mind games" is something you would kick back and relax to after a long week of stress. It did a great job of

Burnt Speech by Audrey Hornet   This week's single Saturday features a track by the very talented Audrey Hornet After a brief vocal recording that reminded me of what it must have felt like to be at the Salem witch trials the track begins, right away you're consumed with heavy industrial drums accompanied by vocal chants that say "Burned by the witch" this track builds up every second you listen to it. The tempo quickens as different kinds of synths are added to the mix, I could hear many influences of genres that Audrey was inspired by, Such as digital hardcore, IDM, as well as post-hardcore, and a touch of noise pop.  The lyrics are straightforward throughout your listening experience as I mentioned, but in the middle of the track there's a breakdown with a sample of someone speaking but Audrey takes that sample and adds a glitch effect at a very fast speed, I thought that was a unique way to add to the atmosphere of 'Burned by the witch". A

Rift09 is a artist from Guatemala that has one of the most unique sounds in the underground scene, he has released over a dozen projects ever since 2021. I had the pleasure to chat with him a few days ago. Where are you from? I'm from Guatemala, I've lived here all my life, and I'm still here  I've always wanted to travel there, heard great things about Guatemala  Yeah, there are great things, but it's kinda dangerous  You should visit sometime though Which DAW do you use to make music with? Well, I have used FL studio, but because I'm studying music I'm learning other DAWs, mainly Ableton and Logic That's very cool, I started off using FL studio but now I use Ableton. Oh, really? Nice Who was your favorite music artist growing up? Oooh, man... I don't think I have a single favorite But I think I might have to go with Michael Jackson since most of my childhood was surrounded by his music Can you tell our readers the meaning behind B R U H

VNR2022 COMPILATION by VARIOUS ARTISTS VNR has just recently released a very special compilation album with 22 tracks featuring the finest underground artists in the scene The first thing that I would like to say is that there are many different types of music on this compilation, you have tracks such as marth Daul's "Endangered" that starts off the album with a bang. Beautiful noise-styled ambient sounds that will make you stare off into space throughout the whole duration of the track, there's a very unique field sample of rain mixed into "Endangered" which was a nice touch. An artist that I featured on here not too long ago was emptybrother7, his track "weekend" is a downtempo/chillhop banger that didn't disappoint at all. This would be something you'd listen to while you look up at the stars on a summer night while you have a few drinks with your friends There are harsh noise tracks on here such as Sidekick Wave's "So Col

vibes by Da Tengu God To kick off this week's single Saturday we bring you a track by Da Tengu God titled "vibes" Right at the beginning of "vibes", you can tell right away in for a treat, the old-school hip-hop sounds will have your head nodding along to the instrumental immediately. There are not just hip hop influences but all types of genres as well, my favorite part of this track is the drums, they are very in your face and carry the track from start to finish. You will hear vocal chants in "vibes" that reminded me of the first wave of trap music I listened back in the day. There are also multiple layers of synths I noticed throughout my listening experience which were mesmerizing to my ears, if you're looking for new music to bump this weekend then you can't go wrong with Da Tengu God.  Connect with Da Tengu God Twitter Listen to Da Tengu God Music Bandcamp -VDMR

newer digital 2020 by THICKLY FAINTED WALLS Hey everyone! For this week's single Saturday we bring you a track by a good friend of mine THICKLY FAINTED WALLS titled "gaze new shoe" from his album "newer digital 2020" which he released a few years back. From the beginning of the track I was consumed by the heavy ambient sound texture, I could hear loads of different sounds rushing over me. The feeling was like being underwater swimming in an endless cavern with no place to escape insight gave new shoe is very psychedelic but also has a hint of noise that thickly painted walls are known for, in the background of the track you will hear drums that have a mellow downtempo sound to them which indeed made it very pleasing to the ears. There are shoegaze influences present in "gaze new shoe" as the name suggests just by the use of effects such as the use of reverb that gives it that wave of dreamy sort of feeling, a bit of distortion to give it that n

n∅ll-sp∅c∅s by waavypanda x chaosbrokenmind Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! For this week's single Saturday we bring you a track by waavypanda titled "new wastelands" I have to mention right away if you're a fan of breakcore you'll love this track, it's very upbeat and has so many textures of sounds. The glitched vocal sample you hear at the beginning of "new wastelands" smacked me right in the face it wasn't something I was expecting, the breakcore drums are sequenced very well with the wall of sound you hear throughout the track. The pace slowly starts to build with every minute you listen, you'll notice there are machine-style drum & bass influences. Certain parts on this track will make your heart race, as well as other different styles of music that are surreal. At the end of the track is where it gets chaotic, every sound is blasted at the listener all at once which in my eyes is a great ending as it showcases the so

7GAWD by EMPTYBROTHER7 For this album spotlight we have an album by EMPTYBROTHER7 titled "7GAWD" this album features southern chopped and screwed vocals, fast trap beats, as well as various samples as well.  "FULL METAL OHANA" is the first track that kicks off the album, southern style chopped vocals are introduced which immediately make the track bounce, the bass is very overpowering so much that you have to listen to it on a good stereo system to get the full effect. The lyrics that caught my attention were  "Smoking blunts sipping 40's" which made me feel like I was back in my younger days partying with all my friends and having a good time, the beat has a very trippy sound to it which makes it stand out from some of the beats on this project. "IN N OUT" is mad chill, I love the melodic piano keys on this one the most. The percussion is on another level, fast machine gun hi-hats are present throughout "IN N OUT" which

For  this week's single Saturday we have a collab track by Skeleton Lipstick featuring w I n t e r q u I l t titled " Should you find the peace you seek" I was amazed at the very start of the track because of the beautiful ambiance, it automatically changed my mood and made me feel like I was floating threw space. You can also hear a slight piano lead in the background that evolves into something incredible as you remain listening, there are so many different layers of sounds on "Should you find the peace you seek" that will leave your brain trying to figure out each one. One of my favorite sounds was the arp that was introduced in the middle of the track which I thought was a nice touch and added texture to  "Should you find the peace you seek" this track has a very detailed amount of effects such as the reverb that gives it a huge wall of sound and the slight pitch of chorus and delay that give it a warm feeling. Winter did a fantastic job wri

It's that time again for single Saturday! This week we have a collab single for you guys titled "Everywhere You Go" featuring 3 artists rybaby, Boyfriend, Maddie Lives The tracks begins with a groovy house rhythm and sliced vocal chants then the build-up drops and you're greeted with the main vocals, the singer's voice is so smooth. Throughout the track the lyrics are simple yet mesmerizing, "Everywhere you go" is the main vocal accompanied by a 4/4 uplifting beat. This track has influences of big room house mixed with EDM as well as a touch of tropical house, one of the things that stood out to me in the track is the different types of layers sounds. You can hear arps mixed with catchy synth leads as well as other huge ambient sounds, as the track progress, the instruments evolve over and over again to create something magical. The trio of Boyfriend, Maddie Lives, and rybaby have created a banger track that you will certainly have on repeat all

assorted panda works vol 1 by waavypanda Hope everyone is having a good weekend, for this week's single Saturday we bring you a track from the artist waavypanda titled "behind these eyes v2" To start the track waavypanda introduces a lush synth pad that's very calming and melodic, then the tracks start to build up into something you weren't expecting.  Glitched-out vocals that evolve into a massive soundscape are present throughout the entire track, there are layers of different types of sounds on "behind these eyes v2" which make it wonderful for the listener to sit back and dive into. waavy panda isn't shy of mixing different elements in this masterpiece, this track has influences of glitch hop, ambient, noise pop, and many more genres of music. At times the track might seem mellow but then it fires back within your face drum patterns that will leave you on the edge of your seat and have you wondering "what's gonna happen next?"

Forest Kids Collective is a musician from Philadelphia, he specializes in creating mind blowing music. FKC has released more then a dozen projects under different aliases, He's also a multi-talented artist that dabbles in various genres such as slush wave, ambient, and dream pop, I had the pleasure of interviewing this amazing artist. How's your day going? Going pretty good, felt inspired so I'm continuing a tune I started last night. Just a lazy Saturday I guess  Sounds fun! How long have you been incorporating your vocals into your music? Oh shit. since like the beginning honestly. Like "modulation" from Phlegmatic Stare which is like a 2011 release of mine uses "vocals" to achieve some of those background textures. I've always used my voice as much as I could where I would seem fitting.  In my lofi and electronic stuff, I typically use it for oohs and aah's just for some background textures. Although my favorite way I use vocals is in my proje

NEOPOLISM Y22K by PKSkyler The track starts with an eerie melodic vocal sample, when PKSkyler's first verse begins it gets very heavy. "Tap into the wire, download your soul" hits different seeing as we're in the age where anything can be downloaded from the internet, the beat is very mellow that Boseby produced it has influences of many genres combined into one. On one hand, it has an ambient vibe on the other hand it has the percussion element that bangs hard and reminds me of early clams casinos instrumentals. PK's flow on this is amazing his vocals rides the wave of the beat very well, the lyrics on "FREE ROAM" are on a whole different level when PK said "All around the world is rotting" I felt that because of all the chaos that's happening around us every day. I also love the 808s on this track they make the instrumental stand out, from the experimental beat to the very unique vocals BOSEBY and PKSkyler have outdone

Thumb & Kid 1 by emptybrother7 & MJC   Thumb & Kid 1 is a beat tape by emptybrother7 & MJC, this project dabbles in many genres different genres and is very experimental. I had the pleasure of listening to this masterpiece early and loved every track, here are my thoughts   "Caddy Trap" is the first track on the album and its bangs, lush piano synths fill the air with catchy drum percussion, the ambiance is so uplifting on this one too. Caddy trap would be something you'll bump when you're cruising down a highway at night,  The second track in this album is titled "Soul In Lofi" the beat starts with a chopped r&b vocal sample, then suddenly you're introduced to a crunchy lofi beat style. You can faintly hear the vocal chops through the duration of the beat, which play into the melody very well. The 808 bass reminds me of early future bass sounds. "In Search Of Silence"  is very unique,  from the start you&#

EXiL3 · EXiL3 - amphetamine binge *MUSIC VID IN DESC* For this weeks single Saturday, we have a track for you by EXiL3 titled "amphetamine binge" The track begins with a distorted guitar sample that EXiL3 is known for, when the vocals are introduced it hit me hard. If you've ever done stimulants then the first verse "Amphetamine binge haven't slept in weeks" will make you relate to what the artists message is, "haven't eaten in days but that's ok" is the result of bingeing on different types of substances,  I feel like EXiL3 was trying to spread a special meaning behind "amphetamine binge" even though the track is catchy is still will make you feel how he felt during a period in his life. The trap drums bang hard and give the track a lot of energy, it will for sure amp you up so your best bet would be to listen while driving around. If I had to classify this track I would say it's alternative with emo-rap in

죽음ᵈᵉᵃᵗʰᵖᵒᵉᵐ is an ambient/vaporwave from Tennessee, he specializes in making music that will take you to another realm of existence. With a new record in the works the sky is the limit for 죽음ᵈᵉᵃᵗʰᵖᵒᵉᵐ I had the pleasure to interview him a few days ago When did you begin making music? i started making music around the age of 13. I started playing guitar around the age of 10, but became obsessed with the idea of recording music, and made my first rough demo around the age of 13. it was probably some terrible metalcore or whatever I was into at the time haha. That's very cool, one of the first bands I discovered was a metalcore band back in middle school haha Amazing! Some of your projects give off dream punk vibes, how do you vision the dream punk scene in a few years? I hope that it continues to be about expression and experimentation, and I hope it constantly evolves. I feel like it will eventually become unrecognizable from what its origin point once was, and honestly,

hellvalleyskytrees by hellvalleyskytrees For this weeks single Saturday we have a track by hellvalleyskytrees titled "who died and made you king?" The track starts with distorted and vocoder vocals that will melt your brain, the vocal pitch changes ever so often. This song will ease the anxiety you had throughout the day because it has a very slow and moody sound, the percussion is buried under the mix well and makes the sound atmospheric, there's also a synth lead that carries the song which I enjoyed very much. My favorite part of the track happened halfway through it when hellvallyskytrees transposed her vocals to create a screaming type of vocal, the effects on all the different sounds are on a different level of production, love every second of it. hellvalleyskytrees is in my opinion a fantastic songwriter, her lyrics match the track with ease. The artist did a fantastic job on the mixing end everything blends well, "who died and made you kind?'

    Greatest Hits! by 80ssitcomdad Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far, for this weeks single Saturday we have a single by the artist known as  80ssitcomdad titled "seatones"  "Seatones" is a mix between different styles of music such as ambient, dream punk, lofi and more. 80ssitcomdad blends all these genres into one and creates a masterpiece effortlessly, from the start of the track you will hear layered drone sounds accompanied by lush ambient noise. Through the duration of your listening experience you may notice how calming but dark this track is, the added effects on seatones are a nice touch as well. You can tell the artist has taken influences from a variety of different types of experimental music but has added there unique sound that you can tell right away that she's created this track just by listening. There's also a guitar sample in "seatones" you can faintly hear in the wall of sound that I enjoyed as well, all in a

Blush (EP) by The Cherry Wave   For this edition of Single Saturday we have a single titled "Blush" from the band named The Cherry Wave  At the beginning of "Blush," you are quickly introduced to a dreamy guitar, you can hear the guitar riff throughout the whole track. The vocals are present but they're buried in the wall of sound like most shoegaze music. Heavy effects of reverb and delay are present on "blush" that give a huge sound that can't be replicated, there are so many different layers of instruments that I can only compare it to the production of My Bloody Valentine. The drums on this are amazing and have a texturized rhythm that immediately made me zone out, I honestly felt like I was floating in space that's how uplifting the sound Is. There's a slight bit of distortion that gives Blush a gritty sound on certain parts as well but mostly it's a very mellow shoegaze song. If you're a fan of shoegaze and want something rela

MASHUP PARTY!! @ LAZZZZER TAG PIZZZZA PARTY 4 by magenta skull It's a single Saturday once again!  This week we have a track by  Magneta Skull titled "666core - Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, and Mia X VS Nebulist" "666core" is a Mashup of a few songs all mashed together perfectly, I love the first track vocals "Sipping on some syrup" reminds me of old Memphis rap, you can tell the artist "Juvenille" loves dirty sprite as he raps about it. The trap drums make this track bounce, let's not forget the wavey synth you hear throughout "666core" which gives it that 90's type of vibe. The pitched-down vocals are present as well,  Magneta did a great job adding that to the production, it makes this track different and unique. There are also influences of Phonk on this track but Magneta adds her twist to it.  Magneta has the sound that makes her stand out in the underground scene, if you haven't listened to her yet then you'r

   MagentaSkull is an artist that specializes in creating mashups, she's released 2 albums so far but has more content on the way. She's also the founder of the Headless Blood Idol Community which hosts a community show every few months that showcase artists from around the world. I had the pleasure to interview her a few days ago When did you begin making mashups? Well, I was mashing stuff up audio style in like 2002, I was doing mashup Wednesday way back in the day on a web radio station, but like I'm doing now with the videos and stuff, it's been since like November of last year? I started up the show in Oct of last year, and then switched to a video about a month in I had been messing with rave.DJ like barely, and she was already slaying at it and mentioned that there was probably no way that it would be allowed to live too long, and that kinda spurred me to like, see if I could grind enough bangers out to do a video show That's very impressive, you put a lot of