Sometimes we walk through ruins. Sometimes we sing at the edge of the void.
But there is always something — fragile yet vital — that remains: light.
Not the harsh kind that blinds. The quiet one that flickers, that follows us even in our darkest hours.
That’s the light I look for in music, in art, in every episode of this salon.
This week, I wanted to honor suspended moments. The kind that independent artists offer us — raw, honest, irreplaceable.
We opened with David LaRosa and his Leonard Cohen-inspired Walking Through the Ruins, and then No Ordinary Fish with I Wonder. Debbie’s voice cuts deep, as she sings about insecurity and the emptiness of being left for someone else.
She is the best you ever had. That line stays with you.
I started things off with my own song, Patience. Maybe that’s my word of the year.
💫 Holding on to the moment
The desire to freeze time — I mention it every week, I know (laughs). This time, it’s Jasmin O’Davidson who says it loud. The Irish artist, whom I had the honor of interviewing in the 30th issue of my newsletter, sings Halt die Zeit an — “stop the time.”
It’s about someone who stays with you when everything else falls apart. Those people are rare, and Jasmin wanted to celebrate them. With cello by Isadora Novakovic (from Serbia), a burst of playful creativity, and even a rap verse by Charlie J. Word is, she wants to re-record the rap in Gaelic next. Yes, she’s bilingual — but I’ll let you guess in what.
Next, a shift in mood — the eerie, Lynchian textures of Texas-based Feminoise with Ever Enough. Then, a world radio premiere: Melancholic Thoughts and their powerful new single Harmony. Florent Caspi-Torrent, 29, based in Paris — pianist, vocalist, and composer — continues his emotional deep dive since his 2018 debut EP.
🔥 Shades, shocks, and resilience
There were gut-punches too: Mia Nell and her melodic, dark rock straight from Germany. Die Tired who lit a fire with their grunge-laced (So Called) Complex. Melo with the haunting Canadian dream of Only the Lonely.
We returned to France with Nikola Zenko. In Happy Endings, he confronts the quiet wreckage of a breakup — and the hard truth that happiness doesn’t create itself. It’s something we must build, every day. Mistakes, weariness — they can weigh heavy. But there’s always a way through. That’s his message.
Andy Smith followed with a powerful ballad from Australia — I Want To Take You Far. It’s a raw confession, a promise, a wish to run away and heal. I felt like keeping things warm and hopeful after that. Arcane Moon closed the circle with Hello Sun — echoing the rhythms of The Smiths, but with their own sense of rebirth.
✨ A bit of light, always
Last week, I talked about the Spotify struggles of Michael Botte and Joo Baldi. This week, Botte’s Soulfully Appreciating is finally back online. A small victory. And well deserved.
We ended this episode with Ricky Cabrales and his bold, Mexican anthem Basta Ya —and At Xmas Time I’m Always High by Mitxoda, another censored track, now revived. Featuring two little voices you might recognize — my own kids.
Thanks for joining me again in the Salon.
Let’s keep searching for that flicker of light. It’s always there. Even in the ruins.
📻 Episode 4 Playlist
- Mitxoda – Patience
- David LaRosa – Walking Through the Ruins
- No Ordinary Fish – I Wonder
- Jasmin O’Davidson – Halt die Zeit an
- Feminoise – Ever Enough
- Melancholic Thoughts – Harmony (World Premiere)
- Mia Nell – Shades and Pain
- Die Tired – (So Called) Complex
- Melø – Only the Lonely
- Nikola Zenko – Happy Endings
- Andy Smith – I Want To Take You Far
- Arcane Moon – Hello Sun
- Michael Botte – Soulfully Appreciating
- Ricky Cabrales – Basta Ya
- Mitxoda – At Xmas Time I’m Always High
