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I wrote most of this post before I heard the playlist it goes with. I was able to do this not because I can bend time, but because the Indie Music Feedback Discord family and the output of its members is becoming like the air I breathe, and I pretty much know how the air feels & smells.

I’m a little hesitant to even write and share some of this stuff, because I think IMF might be maybe the best kept secret for musical creators — an oasis of eclecticism, mutual respect, and support, that’s really unique in my experience. And for absolutely no reason, I worry a bit that if too many people find out about what we have here, that very thing will cease to be. So, like all survivors, my first instinct is to pull up the ladder after myself.

I’ll resist that instinct.

I’m a newbie to IMF. I joined just about a month ago, although it seems much longer. I was actually shocked right now when I looked at my Discord profile and saw how recently I first logged into the server. I don’t recall ever experiencing a similar creative and technical evolution in my long life of making music as I have in this (holy poop only a) month.

Also, I was shocked to learn just a couple days ago that IMF Discord is just a bit over six months old. It feels like the sort of thing that’s been around a long time. The IMF subreddit that birthed it is itself only a year and a half old, and it’s OK, but the Discord is on another level.

About a year ago, I came back to music production after two decades away. That time was a period of lack of inspiration to make music, a thing about which I was once passionate, but had lost my spark. From this experience, I recognize a need within myself to nurture that spark, constantly and intentionally.

IMF is a thing I didn’t know I needed until I found it. It’s a place where the primary mode of operation for all of its members is outspoken support and active collaboration. Other creative communities I’ve encountered have been competitive in a way that IMF is just not. And this way of being is a direct result of the small army of moderators and active members, personified in the voice of IMF mama, Pax Libertas, whose sweet and gentle way of shaping the community she oversees makes it really feel like family.

Anyway.

I didn’t need to know what tracks were on this playlist. I knew without question that they would be good…better than good. They’re from composers, musicians, producers, and knob twiddlers from around the world, in a collection of styles that only make sense when you kinda blur your eyes and look at them a little sideways. That’s how we roll.

The tracks were chosen by the creators — they picked their own tracks. Mostly pretty recent ones, but some dug in crates for older tracks.

My track on this list is the first thing I ever did on the IMF discord — I played a game called genre-spin, which challenges players to make a track in a week based on a randomly assigned theme. Everyone who plays comes together and for a listening session where everyone shares their creations. We learn to bend genres by paying them genuine homage, and not taking anything too seriously.

Listener, you are lucky to have encountered this playlist. It’s a Voyager space mission golden record, a message from and about a certain place and time: the Indie Music Feedback community in September 2020 — a unique (and actually kinda fraught) time and place in world history, and in music making.

Please do enjoy. We’ll be doing this playlist monthly, so you won’t need to wait too long for another IMF drop.

popijininsky

LISTEN TO THE IMF SEPTEMBER 2020 PLAYLIST

Playlist & Track Notes

Tone Deaf Jeff — Planets to Ashes

Tone Deaf Jeff is an American MC specializing in nerdy subjects like D&D and Halo. His latest track Planets to Ashes is about a mech pilot in the far-off future fighting aliens to save the universe.

Suhail S., feat. Tone Deaf Jeff — Assassins

Suhail S is a multi-talented producer of several different genres, including electronic dance music and hip-hop. His projects include creations under several different names, including Brass Monsta, Neon Protocol, and Partial Cigar. His latest track, Assassins, is a collaboration with Tone Deaf Jeff, and showcases a narrative inspired by the middle-eastern flare of the music.

Jimso Slim — Madeline

Dreams of Lasers — In America

Wrote and recorded this song in a single week in June when it seemed like so many things happened all at once and everyone was angry. Things that have been a problem forever were being brought to light. This is just me grappling with the problems for myself and wondering how to make things better. It’s my attempt at a protest song but it’s probably more about disappointment.

Striped McCoy — Greed

Hi I’m Striped McCoy and I like sad songs, long walks and voting. This song is about greed and environmental issues. my vision for this track revolved around my usual atmosphere but also a chonky bassline. from there, I begged all the other instruments to fit in the mix until it sounded good. Crying was involved.

Avdrav — Rooster

Avdrav is an Indian-American composer residing in New Jersey. Since his first release earlier this year, he has become a prolific producer, with releases ranging in influence from motown to industrial. His current obsession lies in analog hardware synths, which he began collecting in an attempt to free himself from the constraints of a DAW.

Fax Bot — Devious Steve

Soran Leif — Devious Steve

By focusing on emotional resonance, Soran Leif builds musical worlds for listeners to enjoy. Being an artist that is influenced by all genres, he is a true embodiment of a post-genre era artist that fuses many styles of music into his own creative style. With help from his amazing pup Bentley, Soran Leif strives to uplift his audience moods with heartfelt pieces of art.

Kalix Zee — Not Listening

Kalix Zee is an American rapper and producer who uses his experiences with suicide and depression to help those facing mental health challenges.

Barrabas T. Jones — Rejoice!

Barabbas T. Jones is an American musician from Tennessee. His music fuses local bluegrass roots with a love of punk and public enemy in a signature blend he calls ‘Karate Pop’. When he is not busy working on his own art, he interviews other artists for his weekly show, The Stay Creative Podcast. He loves making music and encouraging people, so many of his projects are an effort to combine the two. His newest album “Eight Left Feet” is an electronic dance album and an adventurous departure from his usual sound. Check it out now!

Gladius Synthetic Orchestra — Betrayal

This track portrays a protagonist in the midst of betrayal. I aim to create unique, often dark, soundscapes and stories through my music.

Felknia — Angel of Dance (Extended Version)

So I made this for my gf who’s a kathak dancer, she asked me to remove the end part because it’s not fitting with her style, so this is the “extended version” with the extra ending 😀

homesick — let me go

homesick is a 17 year old indie/alternative artist who focuses on a indie pop/lofi sound, he can occasionally branch out to some melodic emo rap and has a very unique voice adding a fresh element to his sound.

Tag Lee — Overcome

Tag Lee is my project used to explore the human condition and personal expirience through music. I take influence from all kinds of music from soul to industreal. The ultimate goal of my music is to connect with people in a genuine way. Overome is the first single I released on this project, described by fans as “dreamy and chill” and “A relaxing kind of melancholy warmth”

Bug — Dreams of Spring

Bug is an interdisciplinary artist interested in music, art, and more, with music which ranges from wall-of-sound shoegaze tracks to contemporary lo-fi hip-hop beats.

Fegyo — Easy

Fegyo is an independent artist based in Salt Lake City. They grew up playing the classical guitar as well as undergoing formal compositional training. Although the music tends to sound more like indie pop. Fegyo utilizes everything they have learned to write, perform and produce the music of the Space Witch.

Jeff Zaroyko — Z99

Jeff is a music producer who lives in Sydney, Australia.

Sam McBride — F.E.I.M.B.

Sam McBride- I started writing songs about 2 years ago as a hobby. As I continued, I built up enough content for my first album release. My hope is to use any income I generate from my songs for good. My first release is focused on raising funds for shark conservation/reasearch. Can’t wait to hear the playlist!!

Skarholm — Seeking the Stone

Pastellraum — Clockwise

With solid melodic lo-fi/downtempo undertones, Pastellraum is not bound by genre. He expresses his passion for music in a range of styles. This singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer has gifts to share with the world, and is hard at work creating them. He also wants you to know he’s not German — he lives in Turkey.

DHXP — Normal Things

Normal Things is the first song I have shown at IMF, and it’s the first song that I have released to stores. It’s different from the tracks I make right now and could be described as synthwave.

popijininsky — Foreign Cinema

popijininsky is a producer of arcane electronica, influenced by prog rock, dub reggae, disco, Frank Zappa, Ween and Talking Heads. He persists in music making despite being unable to fix his location in the music genre family tree. This track was made as a genre challenge with the theme ‘Foreign Cinema’, and is inspired by the soundtracks of Ennio Morricone.

Somewhat Incognito, LOHM — Hey There Lurker (LOHM remix)

Lohm stays very busy. Remixes, collaborations, orginals, or just making random noises, the lights never turn off in Lohm studios.

Somewhat Incognito — Like Day Says

Somewhat Incognito is my hobby music project with a primary goal of having fun making music. 2 new tracks are released monthly.

Slackerman — Infinite Kung Fu

Slackerman is a digital art concept series that combines bedroom produced electronic music and videos. The music mixes elements of Hip Hop, Rock, and Psychedelia.

Antedeluvian Projekt, feat. Flora Lin

This is a collaborative track from Antediluvian Projekt, a US-based one man trumpet-djazz-metal project, and alt rock/dark pop singer Flora Lin. A blend of smoky and bright jazz-noir-inspired trumpet, heavy metal guitars/synths and ethereal vocals.

Summersick — Out of Town

SUMMERSICK is the feeling of being ready to reach the end of an emotional winter. Out of Town started as a celebration of the desire to get away, have fun experiences, and find yourself. It has since also become an anthem of lament for the pandemic not allowing that to happen.

BAMBOO LEAVES — Ikigai

Dewi — Pretty Girl

Dewi is a folk/blues inspired amateur guitar player and professional sad boi. He is very much looking forward to crying at an open mic after the pandemic is over.

Mannech — Snazz

Mannech is a producer, famously acclaimed by artists such as foxhunt, foxhunt and also foxhunt. I’ve currently produced for 5 years. I usually produce a wide variety of different EDM subgenres, my new tune Snazz does not differ from that trend. Snazz consists of 3 different drops, the first one is groovy Electro House drop very reminicent of artists such as Justice, then a much simpler drop follows, consisting of just some bass and ofc drums. Then the last one is a odd industrial drop with dark bass textures and a pulsating triplet frame, ended with a simple yet melancholic piano melody. Hope you guys like it!

JEN$ — One Night

JEN$ is a Canadian Recording artist, who doesn’t stick to one sound for too long. A discography consisting of RnB and melodic Trap, JEN$ is still struggling to find his sound. His track “One Night” was written after a long and difficult relationship, and this song is meant to symbolize his release from it.

IMF Round Robin Collab — WOW YOU REALLY GOT IT (feat Sonic Catalyst, ProcArgh, Goloid, King Salmon, Ayavaron)

Ya gotta love group challenges. People from great distances coming together and jazzing out some synth jams? It’s compulsory to love this song and it’s also compulsory to submit to this song’s bouncy groove. Bouncing is mandatory

Crash Ivory — I’m Leaving

I sort of genre hop. Think of me as a virus that keeps spreading as I slowly ruin genres with my lack of expertise.

arpeggi — Stem (000)

I’m a 14-year old experimental ambient/drone musician who is otherkin. This song was meant as filler in an upcoming album by a collective I’m in, although I was told that it didn’t fit. If this doesn’t make it, I’ll save it for my own album.

Mitch Werth — Adventure Island

Mitch Werth used to play punk music in a band in the midwest. Now he’s alone in the Pacific Northwest without his bandmates. During the 2020 pandemic he befriended his computer and asked it if it would like to be his new bandmate. It said yes. Within a few moths they started to get to know each other better and the tunes began to flow along with their friendship. Mitch and his computer now have at least two solid tunes under their belts and they hope to release an ep within the near future.

Grizzzly Panda — Buffalo

Grizzzly Panda is a hobbyist musician experimenting with blending genres and sounds. The difficulties to recording/mixing/mastering on your own are endless, but the road is worth it. This song is about the feeling of a bittersweet “breath of fresh air”.

Cat In a Zoo — 1202 (It’s Cold Outside)

Cat In a Zoo is a project created in Sao Paolo, Brazil by Heitor Lopes and Edilson Oliveira, our music has the purpose to bring awareness to mental health and brainwash systems within society. Evan Landi is our newest member and he lives in Orange County, LA. “1202 (It’s Cold Outside)” is a song to be played on a 7 chapter novel written by me. It’s about grief and feeling guilty losing someone.

Televangeles — The Story Of How Bronys Got His Bus Pass

TVLA is a Californian musician who lives in London for some reason. This song was put together using a Lithuanian chorus and a 1.5 year old Catalan child. It also features vocals by the amazing @floralinmu and is accompanied by the first chapter in the story of Bronys Javtokas.

Frances Gein — I’m Not So Happy

Frances Gein is a Scottish musician who can’t decided if she likes writing sad songs for happy people, or happy songs for sad people. This track was inspired by social media bringing up old photos, and old memories that would rather be forgotten.

Longlegs — The Constant March

I’m Longlegs, I make eclectic music that I honestly have a very hard time describing, the closest label I could give to it would be “Art Rock” but that’s an extremely broad label. I would talk about my influences, but I also don’t know what they are. I believe in music pushing the envelope, I think it can carry messages in a way other art forms can’t, that’s why I’m working on this project of mine, The Constant March, a concept album about time. I really hope you enjoy my music, if you don’t that’s perfectly understandable, I know it’s not for everyone, but if you do please share it to like-minded people.

6limp — Zone

My name is 6limp. I make music depending on my mood. If I’m feeling angry I might make some grungey screamo music. Or if I’m just vibing I’ll make some cool chill melodic music. I really don’t know what to say lol I’m bad these types of things.

ROHJA II — Picshit 8

Rohja is a Finnish producer whose music fuses various funk, lo-fi, phonk, and electronic influences, including George Clinton, Nujabes, and Khruangbin.

Neuby Wan Kaneuby — Read the Meter

I am Shane N (Neuby Wan Kaneuby). I started quite a few years ago writing songs and just having fun. I mostly write rock/punk songs, but recently got into electronic/sampling music. I just like to share my songs and hopefully people enjoy them.

Deadpanned — Ginseng

I’m Deadpanned. I initially started a few years ago making boom bap / lofi beats, but nowadays I make a variety of (mostly) sample-based electronica. I’m fascinated with sample manipulation, storytelling through instrumentals, and buttons/knobs that make weird sounds.