Episode 15: Rays of Music, Rays of Freedom

Le Salon indie de Mitxoda – August 8, 2025

The philosopher Plato once said: “If you want to control the people, start by controlling their music.”

That might have been true in his time, but here, it’s the exact opposite. This is our space to create, to move forward, to break barriers and keep the music free from control. Today, we speak of love, of roots, of standing against any form of discrimination, anything that stops us from living the way we choose.

Two birthday candles shine especially bright this week. Both belong to people born on August 8, my brother, Gábor, and the outstanding songwriter and musician Drew Nold from St. Joseph, Missouri. Happy birthday to you both!

We open with Patience by Mitxoda, followed by Liz Arcane’s The Sunrise Is a Love Song, the opening track of her brand-new album, a small, shining gem. From Germany, Turn Blue return with Black Fruit No. 2, resonating with echoes of earlier treasures like Laura Rickenbacker’s Gillettes Gillettes. Then, The Midwich Affair take us back to the 90s with Don’t Outshine the Master, a voice that could sit between Tori Amos and Veruca Salt, before crossing the ocean to Canada, where Lillycue’s Desperate Situation mixes alternative edge with multidisciplinary artistry.

And then comes a challenge for you: could you guess the original artist behind the next track without looking it up? Renegade Train covered Sunglasses at Night, originally by Canadian Corey Hart, a 1984 hit that reached number 7 on the charts. Since then, it’s been reimagined by Tyga & Zyntherius in 2002, and, perhaps most surprisingly, by supermodel Heidi Klum in 2024, produced by DJ Tiësto.

From there, Brusic’s Sinister unfolds its unique atmosphere, followed by Torture Colombe’s haunting Les Cages, and finally, Mitxoda’s Sourire au Chaos, dedicated to Stephen Anderson from Berlos Band.

We also dive into Subvert.fm, a fast-growing community aiming to become an alternative to Bandcamp. I’ve been part of it for a while, and the discussions there, about music, ethics, technical choices, and creative freedom, are as inspiring as the music itself. From this community comes Boxhead by Italian poet-musician Siemecs, whose instrumental album Experimental VII blends curiosity and bold experimentation.

The journey continues with Vinlörd’s A World Without Mercy, Pinhdar’s In The Woods, Oui Plastique & Bridget Gray’s take on Martin Gore’s It Doesn’t Matter Two, and Second Complex’s A Comfortable Soul, a project born during the 2020 lockdown.

And here’s the thing: people still remind me that I can mix techno with country, minimalism with prog rock, and indie folk with experimental noise, and they’re right. This is exactly what inspires me about the indie world: diversity. In genres, in styles, in messages. We’re not here to be stepped on. We sing our emotions. We turn our feelings into sound, without manipulating anyone.

The day you feel forced to listen will already be too late. I’ll do everything to make sure that day never comes.

Keep the joy intact. Stay open. Stay curious. Stay amazed. That’s what music is for.

Next week, I’ll go minimalist, just a word of welcome and then pure sound. I won’t be at the mic, but the show will go on.

We close this session with Easy Fella by Rogue Segue, Phastidious by Flip That Groove, and Nadine de Macedo & Ben Aetheryon’s Friendship (Radio Mix). Take care of yourselves until we meet again.

Listen now on Mixcloud