Explore Our Latest Music Discoveries Of Talented Independent Artists.
Welcome to Discovery 10/10, where we highlight ten standout artists in every edition. Each feature includes a short, impactful review alongside the artist’s music, making it easy to dive right into the music. Whether you’re here to find fresh talent or just explore new sounds, Discovery 10/10 has you covered. Stay tuned for the latest picks.
Yannick Fortin — Collision:
“Collision” unfolds as a commanding cinematic orchestral work built on a lush, meticulously layered arrangement that immediately establishes emotional gravity. The sweeping strings form a powerful melodic foundation, delivering grandeur, fluidity, and depth with unwavering clarity. The brass sections add unmistakable weight and authority, surging with intensity in moments that convey urgency and the immense scale of the oceanic world the composition embodies. Deep, resonant percussion, anchored by commanding drum and timpani strikes, drives the rhythmic momentum and heightens the dramatic impact, reinforcing tension beneath the orchestral sweep. The sound design fully immerses the listener in a vast marine atmosphere, with deliberate swells and echoing textures that create a sense of boundless space and submerged resonance. Every instrumental element is intentional, cohesive, and narratively aligned, forming a sonic landscape that feels both monumental and emotionally charged.
The production of “Collision” is spacious, refined, and expertly balanced, allowing each instrumental layer to breathe while contributing to a unified and powerful orchestral whole. The mastering emphasizes rich lower frequencies that provide depth and resonance, while maintaining pristine clarity across the mid and high ranges to ensure melodic lines remain vivid and expressive. Dynamic control is handled with precision, enabling seamless transitions between soaring crescendos and solemn, introspective passages without losing intensity or cohesion. The result is an auditory experience marked by poignant beauty and reflective gravity, capturing both the majesty and fragility of the natural world with striking emotional force. Through its orchestration, mix, and structural control, “Collision” communicates its conservation-driven message with certainty, elegance, and profound impact.
Lou Ciantar — Traverse:
“Traverse” is a masterfully composed and emotionally resonant piece that places Lou Ciantar’s voice at the absolute center of its artistic power. Her vocal delivery is controlled, expressive, and deeply intentional, carrying the weight of lived experience in every phrase. She does not rely on excessive ornamentation; instead, she uses tonal shading, breath control, and deliberate phrasing to communicate depth and clarity. The lyrics form the core of the song, exploring movement through life, emotional evolution, identity, maturity, and the courage to embrace one’s personal journey. The writing is introspective yet accessible, poetic yet grounded, allowing listeners to see themselves within its narrative. As the title track, “Traverse” embodies transition, not as uncertainty, but as strength earned through experience. The theme of passage is conveyed with confidence and lucidity, presenting growth as a conscious, empowered act. Emotionally, the song balances vulnerability and resolve, creating a lyrical atmosphere that feels intimate, dignified, and unwavering.
Musically, “Traverse” is structured with precision, its rhythm laced with soft percussion that provides gentle propulsion without overpowering the vocal narrative. The mid-tempo pacing establishes steady forward motion, reinforcing the theme of progression embedded in the lyrics. Warm harmonic progressions add contemplative depth, while subtle electronic textures and melodic accents create a modern yet refined sonic landscape. The production is polished and spacious, allowing each instrumental layer to breathe while maintaining cohesion throughout its runtime. Dynamic shifts are intentional and measured, elevating emotional peaks while preserving intimacy. Every element; percussion, harmony, atmosphere, and structure, works in complete alignment with the lyrical core, ensuring that the vocals remain dominant. “Traverse” stands as a confident artistic statement from Lou Ciantar, where vocal strength, thematic clarity, and carefully balanced musical craftsmanship converge into a mature and compelling musical experience.
TheOneInSome — No Crown For Me:
The vocals in “No Crown For Me” are delivered with profound emotional clarity, immediately drawing the listener into the song’s introspective world. Every note and inflection carries intention, conveying the artist’s unwavering message of humility, self-reflection, and rejection of external validation. The lyrical theme is central to the song, portraying the “crown” as a symbol of recognition and reward that the artist consciously refuses, emphasizing the power of inner worth over public acclaim. The subtle phrasing and controlled delivery of the vocals create an intimate connection, making the listener feel as though they are part of a personal revelation. Even in moments where vocals are sparse or interwoven with the instrumental textures, their presence dominates the emotional landscape, leaving a lasting impression of sincerity, vulnerability, and contemplative depth. The song communicates its narrative not through dramatic gestures, but through precise, heartfelt articulation that ensures the theme resonates with undeniable impact.
Musically, “No Crown For Me” achieves a cinematic and atmospheric soundscape that perfectly complements its lyrical and vocal intensity. The piano establishes a gentle yet expressive harmonic foundation, while the strings provide subtle warmth and emotional richness, creating layers that interact seamlessly without ever overwhelming the vocals. The arrangement maintains spaciousness, allowing each instrument to breathe and every musical phrase to carry meaning. Minimal percussion or rhythmic elements maintain focus on the melodic and harmonic components, emphasizing mood and introspection over energetic momentum. Production techniques, including ambient reverb and carefully balanced mixing, enhance the depth and clarity of every sound, resulting in a polished, immersive experience. The interplay of instrumentation, dynamics, and tone reinforces the song’s thematic weight, making “No Crown For Me” a cohesive, emotionally compelling work that commands attention from beginning to end, leaving the listener fully absorbed in its reflective and cinematic world.
Desu Taem — Pickin’ My Nose:
The song “Pickin’ My Nose” by Desu Taem delivers a raw and unflinching exploration of self-examination, existential tension, and the search for meaning within chaos. The lyrics map a deeply personal struggle, using the act of “picking my nose” as a metaphor for digging into one’s own psyche, a private excavation in the “dead of night” for truths often obscured by the absurdity of the world. Lines such as “The world’s gone mad and I’m digging through the dirt” and “breaking my nose in this god forsaken place” highlight the tension between despair and relentless curiosity, portraying a narrator who confronts isolation, absurdity, and fleeting moments of clarity with unflinching honesty. The vocals are intense, raw, and delivered with real screaming, conveying urgency, frustration, and emotional turbulence. They push the listener into the mental space of the narrator, transforming the song from a mere reflection into a visceral experience. The combination of powerful, unpolished vocals with deeply introspective and chaotic lyrics emphasizes the song’s themes of struggle, self-discovery, and the relentless pursuit of understanding, making the listener feel the physical and emotional weight of the narrator’s journey.
The instrumentation in “Pickin’ My Nose” perfectly mirrors the intensity of the lyrics and vocals, creating a sonic landscape of aggression, chaos, and raw energy. The bass pounds like a war, driving the rhythm forward with relentless force, while the drums strike like fists, sharp and unyielding, maintaining a powerful and unpolished momentum throughout the track. The guitars are distorted, abrasive, and tightly wound, cutting through the mix with sharp riffs that heighten the sense of tension and urgency. Every instrumental element works together to amplify the chaotic, introspective atmosphere, allowing the vocals to dominate while the instrumentation reflects the narrator’s internal turbulence. The raw production preserves every imperfection, creating a live, immediate feel that immerses the listener in the intensity of the song. The overall instrumental delivery conveys struggle, aggression, and catharsis, reinforcing the track’s themes of existential digging and personal reckoning, making it a complete and immersive musical expression of the song’s chaotic emotional core.
Desu Taem — The Edgar Allen Poe Booger:
“The Edgar Allen Poe Booger” showcases Desu Taem’s mastery of transforming the grotesque into a compelling and immersive auditory experience. The song’s lyrics dominate its narrative, painting a vivid and disturbing picture of a booger that evolves into a monstrous, almost sentient entity, crawling from the depths of the mundane into an unexpected terror. Lines like “Screaming, screaming at everyone hanging there. No place to run. The booger is alive. It won’t let go” highlight a relentless, inescapable horror while maintaining a thread of dark humor that makes the absurdity both unsettling and captivating. The thematic core revolves around the horror of the everyday made extraordinary, turning a common, repulsive object into a figure of fascination, dread, and grotesque curiosity. Vocally, the delivery is raw, dynamic, and evocative, oscillating between almost spoken-word passages and intense, charged moments that heighten the song’s eerie and chaotic atmosphere. The unsettling tone of the vocals, combined with the vivid, bizarre imagery of the lyrics, creates a distinctive fusion of horror and comedy, delivering a sonic experience that is as unnerving as it is intriguing, leaving a lasting impression of Desu Taem’s creative audacity and fearless narrative experimentation.
The instrumentation of “The Edgar Allen Poe Booger” amplifies the song’s darkly comic horror, adhering to Desu Taem’s signature garage-punk and retro-rock aesthetic. The guitar work is gritty, distorted, and jagged, cutting through the mix with sharp riffs and sudden bursts of dissonance that mirror the chaotic, grotesque narrative of the lyrics. The bass lines are punchy and persistent, anchoring the rhythm while adding a brooding undertone that complements the vocal intensity. Drums drive the track forward with relentless energy, utilizing emphatic snare hits and tight, fast-paced patterns that create a sense of urgency and chaos, perfectly matching the lyrical theme of an unstoppable, nightmarish force. Each instrumental layer is deliberately raw and unpolished, enhancing the immediacy and visceral impact of the song, while also allowing the vocals and lyrics to remain the primary focus. The overall production emphasizes intensity over refinement, immersing the listener in a bizarre, eerie, and hilariously horrifying world. Together, the vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation craft an audacious, unforgettable track that exemplifies Desu Taem’s ability to blend absurdity, and inventive musicality into a concise, high-impact statement, solidifying the song’s place as a standout track.
Desu Taem — Eternal Toilet Paper:
“Eternal Toilet Paper” by Desu Taem is a visceral exploration of human degradation and existential despair, where the vocals dominate the narrative with raw, urgent intensity. Delivered in a harsh, almost barked style, the vocal performance emphasizes the relentless torment described in the lyrics, immersing the listener in the song’s nihilistic atmosphere. Every line, from “Faithless fall, deep light to see” to “With hatred they play their sick game,” is articulated with a sense of unfiltered anguish, making the listener feel the inescapable cycle of humiliation the track portrays. The interplay of shouted passages and lingering emphasis on key phrases heightens the sense of entrapment, while the central metaphor of becoming “eternal toilet paper” crystallizes the theme of perpetual degradation and loss of agency, reflecting both psychological and societal pressures in a stark, almost grotesque manner. The lyrics’ dark imagery, combined with the vocal delivery, ensures that the thematic core, despair, shame, and torment, remains the driving force of the listener’s experience.
The instrumentation and production of “Eternal Toilet Paper” amplify the song’s harrowing themes with deliberate intensity. The guitars are sharply distorted, aggressive, and raw, delivering both power chords and jagged riffs that slice through the mix, mirroring the chaos and psychological torment depicted in the lyrics. The drums are punchy and unrelenting, with a fast, driving rhythm that propels the song forward, while carefully placed cymbal crashes accentuate moments of heightened tension. The bass provides a deep, rumbling foundation that anchors the sonic chaos, giving the track an ominous weight that contrasts with the frantic guitars. Production-wise, the track preserves a deliberately unpolished, garage‑punk texture, with minimal digital smoothing or reverb, allowing the immediacy of each instrument and the vocals’ emotional intensity to dominate the listener’s perception. This combination of raw instrumentation and intentional production choices creates a claustrophobic, immersive soundscape that reinforces the song’s themes of endless despair, degradation, and torment.
Desu Taem — Anti Heroin Heroine:
“Anti Heroin Heroine” by Desu Taem is an intense and emotionally charged track that immediately immerses the listener in a world of raw defiance and catharsis. The vocal performance stands at the forefront, brimming with urgency, grit, and unfiltered emotional weight that draws the listener directly into the song’s turbulent narrative. The singer alternates between aggressive, almost shouted passages and moments of melodic resonance, creating a dynamic interplay that mirrors the inner conflicts depicted in the lyrics. Thematically, the song explores chaos, resilience, and personal redemption, framing these ideas through powerful, symbolic imagery rather than literal references. Phrases like “savior born in anarchy, anti heroin Heroine…” encapsulate the song’s tension between destruction and empowerment, crafting a narrative of rebellion and self-realization that is as much felt as it is understood. Every lyric is delivered with conviction, emphasizing the struggle against inner and external forces while maintaining an almost cinematic emotional landscape, making the track feel both intimate and grand in scope. The melodic contours of the vocals, combined with phrasing that rises and falls with the underlying instrumental intensity, ensure that the emotional resonance of the song lingers, inviting listeners to engage not just with the music, but with the raw human experience it portrays.
Musically, “Anti Heroin Heroine” is built on a foundation of powerful instrumentation that mirrors the intensity of its vocal and lyrical content. The guitars cut through with distorted, punchy riffs that drive the song’s aggression, while the bass anchors the harmonic structure, adding depth and resonance to each section. The drums deliver relentless momentum, alternating between steady, thunderous patterns and rapid, crashing fills that accentuate shifts in mood and energy. The track employs dynamic contrasts skillfully, with explosive choruses providing anthemic release after tension-filled verses, allowing the listener to feel the highs and lows of the song’s narrative journey. Production-wise, the mix favors immediacy and authenticity, intentionally retaining rough edges that enhance the track’s visceral impact while giving the listener a sense of raw, live energy. Even subtle elements, such as the layering of backing vocals or the occasional guitar harmonics, serve to reinforce the central themes of struggle and defiance. From instrumentation to arrangement, from production choices to rhythmic execution, every component of the song is meticulously aligned to support the emotional and thematic core, resulting in a track that is not just heard, but fully experienced.
Silas Grime — Ashes On The Altar:
“Ashes on the Altar” by Silas Grime is an emotionally gripping track that places its vocals and lyrics at the core of the listening experience, weaving a narrative of intense introspection, confrontation, and catharsis. Grime’s vocal performance is raw and textured, alternating between subdued, reflective tones in the verses and impassioned, almost urgent crescendos in the choruses. This dynamic range mirrors the emotional landscape of the song, capturing the struggle of facing painful realities and the liberation found in decisive action. The lyrics themselves are steeped in imagery of destruction and renewal: the recurring phrase “ashes on the altar” symbolizes a deliberate surrender of what no longer serves, while lines like “Burn it down tonight” suggest a conscious act of dismantling old patterns, relationships, or internal burdens. Further emphasizing this theme are the vivid snapshots in lines such as “Drove past the street on the glass and in the car letting moments crash” and “No more waiting for lightning from the clouds,” which convey a shift from passive observation to active reckoning. Through phrases like “I’m done pretending this ain’t right” and “You didn’t fix, didn’t even try,” Grime captures the frustration, disappointment, and eventual resolve that underpin the song, allowing listeners to feel the weight of these emotions while reflecting on their own experiences. The combination of confessional lyrics, symbolic imagery, and compelling vocal delivery ensures that the song resonates deeply, creating a sense of personal and emotional intimacy that draws the listener into its narrative arc.
Musically, “Ashes on the Altar” complements its lyrical and vocal intensity with a rich, layered instrumental arrangement and meticulous production, elevating the song’s themes to a tangible, sonic experience. The guitar work ranges from restrained, tension-laden riffs in the verses to expansive, distorted power chords in the choruses, providing a sense of movement that mirrors the emotional evolution of the lyrics. The drumming is precise yet dynamic, offering both a steady foundation and dramatic flourishes that underscore key moments of emotional release, while the bass subtly reinforces the song’s depth and gravitas. Production choices highlight the balance between raw authenticity and polished clarity: Grime’s voice sits prominently in the mix, allowing the vulnerability of the lyrics to shine, while the instruments envelop the listener in waves of tension and release. The interplay of silence and crescendo, restraint and eruption, mirrors the internal struggle at the heart of the song, creating a listening experience that feels both intimate and cinematic. Harmonically, the track blends post-grunge grit with alternative rock sensibilities, enhancing the thematic undertones of reckoning and liberation without ever feeling formulaic. Together, the vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation converge into a powerful emotional journey, where every riff, drumbeat, and vocal inflection reinforces the story of confronting pain, embracing truth, and emerging transformed. “Ashes on the Altar” is not just a song; it is a cathartic exploration of personal reckoning and resilience, leaving a lasting impression on anyone willing to confront its intensity.
François Marius feat Bérénice — Billie Jean – Acoustic Version:
The acoustic version of “Billie Jean” by François Marius feat. Bérénice is a masterclass in vocal expression and emotional storytelling. From the very first note, the duet captures a sense of intimacy and vulnerability rarely found in reinterpretations of iconic songs. François Marius’s voice carries a gentle, measured clarity that allows the listener to grasp every subtle inflection, while Bérénice complements him with a warm, emotive tone that introduces an undercurrent of tension and intrigue. The two vocalists engage in a seamless interplay, alternating lines and harmonizing strategically to build both musical and narrative tension, highlighting the push-and-pull of the song’s story. The vocal dynamics are carefully crafted, with moments of softer, almost whispered delivery juxtaposed against more assertive phrasing, reflecting the psychological complexity of the protagonist as he navigates suspicion and societal scrutiny. The lyrics themselves, central to the performance, explore themes of accusation, denial, and caution, presenting the enigmatic figure of “Billy Jean” as both captivating and potentially treacherous. Lines like “Billy Jean, you know, she’s stepping like queen from the silver screen” conjure vivid imagery, while warnings such as “mama sayful. Careful what you do cuz light turn on me lover” emphasize the peril of false allegations and the need for vigilance. The song’s storytelling, delivered with such heartfelt precision, immerses the listener in the emotional landscape of doubt, allure, and guardedness, making the vocals and lyrical interpretation the driving forces of this acoustic rendition.
Musically, “Billie Jean – Acoustic Version” achieves a profound emotional resonance through its stripped-down instrumentation, which highlights the delicate balance between simplicity and sophistication. The acoustic guitars serve as the track’s harmonic backbone, providing a gentle rhythmic pulse that supports rather than dominates the vocal performances. Each strum is deliberate, offering space for the vocals to breathe while reinforcing the song’s reflective tone. Subtle bass lines and understated percussion are woven into the arrangement to enhance depth without breaking the intimacy, creating a natural, organic soundscape that feels both spacious and focused. The production emphasizes clarity, capturing the resonant qualities of the instruments and allowing the textures of each element to be fully appreciated. Dynamics are carefully modulated, with quieter sections drawing the listener closer and crescendos subtly accentuating moments of tension in the lyrics. This meticulous attention to musical detail transforms the track into more than just a cover; it becomes a nuanced reinterpretation where every instrumental choice reinforces the song’s thematic essence. Overall, the acoustic rendition of “Billie Jean” demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of emotional storytelling, blending lyrical intensity, expressive vocals, and refined instrumentation into a cohesive and immersive listening experience that resonates long after the final note fades.
Desu Taem — From The Depths of the Shadows:
“From The Depths of the Shadows” immediately draws the listener into a world steeped in darkness and introspection, where every sonic element serves the track’s brooding atmosphere. The vocals dominate the emotional core, carrying a haunting quality at intervals, sometimes layered with subtle echoes that make it feel as if the listener is hearing voices from another plane or the recesses of the mind. These moments of spectral resonance amplify the thematic weight of the song, evoking the feeling of confronting hidden fears and buried thoughts lurking just out of reach. The delivery shifts seamlessly between intimate, almost whispered lines and intense bursts of impassioned declamation, creating a dynamic tension that mirrors the struggle between vulnerability and defiance. Through this interplay, the song communicates a sense of journeying through the shadows of one’s psyche, each lyrical and vocal nuance acting as a window into the emotional and mental landscapes the track explores. The concise duration ensures that every syllable, every echo, and every tonal inflection lands with precision, leaving the listener fully immersed in its darkly reflective world.
Instrumentally, “From The Depths of the Shadows” reinforces and heightens the vocal intensity with a meticulously crafted arrangement. The guitars are distorted yet articulate, weaving dark, edgy riffs that mirror the thematic undercurrents of inner turmoil and the inescapable presence of shadows. The bass anchors the track with resonant depth, adding weight to the haunting vocal lines, while the drums maintain a driving, steady rhythm that propels the song forward without overpowering its more subtle emotional moments. At times, the instrumentation pulls back, creating breathing spaces where the haunting echoes of the vocals can reverberate and linger, emphasizing the isolation and tension suggested by the track’s concept. Together, the elements form a cohesive soundscape in which each layer, vocals, guitar, bass, and percussion, interacts to convey the duality of confrontation and reflection. The result is a musically compelling and emotionally immersive experience, a track that not only embodies Desu Taem’s Savage Retro Rock ethos but also transforms the concept of shadows into a tangible, almost cinematic journey through the depths of human emotion.