Silyn

These absolute mad-lads of sound design are always back where I least expect them with even crazier stuff and ideas.

Originally, I was mainly listening to their music for their crazy reese bass design driving the unique vibe of their music. It’s probably derived somehow of Neurofunk or Drum and Bass, but their take is way more chill and technical than what I was used to hear. Listen to any of their older tracks, you’ll get what I mean. Even older than that, they were featured in this legendary collab. That shit is 12 years old and the mix is absolutely pristine. Do you remember what EDM sounded like in 2012? Not like that that’s for sure.

As of lately, they seem to have gone for a more narrative approach to music and sound design. They surprised me by making me enjoy and look forward to what is effectively the album equivalent of an art film.

I wasn’t initially sure whether I wanted to put Lena in this list. Not that I don’t like her music, but more so that it’s not the kind I usually listen to. I say that in the sense that most of the artists here I listen to at least a couple times a month, or generally come back to. Lena’s music is more of a once-in-a-while thing for me, heavily depending on my mood. She has this something with her music, that I can’t quite put my finger on, that makes it so special. Every music I listen to from her manages to make me feel something other than “Yo WTF this is soo gud”. Maybe part of it is the games she wrote music for. Or maybe it’s her music that adds that special something to those games. Probably be a bit of both actually.

Don’t take it the wrong way, I defeinitely love the feeling of “Yo WTF this is soo gud” of DTM and electronic dance music, it’s just interesting to get something else once in a while. And most of the more relaxed stuff I listen to don’t capture the same level of stuff as Lena’s music does for me.

I decided to put her here anyway for two reasons. First I do whatever I want, it’s my website and it’s my curated board. But also because I deeply respect her work and dedication. I respect what she stands for as a musician and as a game designer. The emotion she so perfectly captures in her music is something I strive for in my own work even if in another genre.

I remember discovering Glacier while autoplaying Monstercat releases on YouTube. I was immediately struck by the quality of the mix he was managing. His music has so many elements working with each other in (literal) harmony to create one of the most complex yet beautiful soundscape I can think of.

His style is pretty close to what I’m trying to get to with my own music, so he has been one of my biggest inspiration. It’s a mix of what we would call today Botanica or Petalcore, but maybe in a bit more mainstream way.

I definitely still reference a lot of his tracks when I write my own music, and I’m more generally coming back to his music regularly. I literally cannot get tired of it. And god knows how fast I can get bored of the music I listen to too often.

I remember when Miro Calliope first debuted as a v-tuber in the Hololive English group. I didn’t immediately realize who she was until she started singing. Then I knew I had already heard her before. She had accompanied me during the end of my highschool days, and my time in Classe Préparatoire, when I was studying for my entrance exams to engineering schools (to which I never actually ended up going to). I must say, I found it a bit funny to find her under this new identity.

And new identity, in that case, also meant new music. I was already quite fond of her music before, but with bigger resources and access to a wider range of producers, her music just got to a whole new level. Somewhere between doujin rap music from Japan and DTM high quality productions, her music is a mix of a little bit of everything I like. She really learnt to find a style of her own, and each release seems to get better than the last.

Now she even signed with Universal, which is a big deal for the independent undergroud artist she was a few years back. I hope she can make this kind of music more mainstream. I’m really happy for her and I hope she keeps on making music for a long time.

I remember discovering Exyl the day he released his first Ping!, about when it was going viral on YouTube. That funny clip I shared to my friends back then turned out to be the rise of what would be eventually one of my favorite artists. The time he spends on both his music and the visuals that accompany hit is something that I deeply respect.

Pretty sure his music is meant to be something like Complextro but I don’t really consider it as so anymore. He’s literally grown out of the genre, following what is pretty much a style on its own.

Exyl also holds a spcial place in my heart because it’s his music that motivated me to get back into music production in early 2023 after almost two years of not touching my DAW.

Riku has been one of my inspirations since I discovered him in 2023. That guy is versatile I tell you. From fast and joyful J-Pop, to chill beats, to aggressive trap, to EDM, there is no single genre to fit that guy in.

And it’s not just vibes! His résumé is genuinely staggering. He’s a platinum-selling songwriter and producer with Oricon & Billboard Japan #1 hits to his name. He wrote “1999” for King & Prince (Universal Music) and “Unstoppable” for Kid Phenomenon (LDH/Sony Music Publishing). These are household names in Japan. The dude is casually operating at the very top of the mainstream J-Pop world while still deeply rooted in the VTuber and anime community.

When I think of where I want to be skill-wise and carrier-wise if I’m lucky and good enough at some point, becoming that guy is my target.

Camellia is, if I remember correctly, the first big realization I had in music. It was the first time I thought: “yo WTF this is so creative!”. I’m pretty sure I started listening to his music with his EP Cyphisonia and it’s been a wild ride ever since!

That guy has such a unique style you can recognize him even on random BGM tracks he made without checking for the credits.

Whether it’s crazy full-flavor electronic drops or impactful and effective melodies, if you like ryhthm game music and are ready to let yourself be surprised by his impredictible drops, then do yourself a favor and go listen to his entire discography. Even his older stuff is absolutely wild and (quite literally) genre defining!