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It's officially Hoa Hoa Hoa season with deep blue-tinted evenings, cold air and cozy sweaters. We may poke fun at the Twilight series now but the real ones know it once meant everything to our emo pubescent selves. The first film had a genuinely indie spirit, largely thanks to director Catherine Hardwicke, whose vision gave it a scrappy, angsty charm that the later sequels gradually lost when she was replaced. There's something to be said for the way alternative music has always offered a space for people to be emo, weird, overly emotional, a little alienated and entirely too invested in their feelings.
And while the internet lately has turned subcultures into an endless carousel of aesthetics, trends and micro-identities, alternative music — Punk, goth, metal and their various offshoots — have all historically been tied to working-class youth, underground scenes, and people who found little room for themselves in mainstream culture. The chicano experience, for example, is incomplete without Deftones, The Cure, and especially The Smiths. Middle-aged burly Mexican men covered in tattoos at a hardcore construction job who will absolutely shed a tear to Morrissey.
Or the Cholo Goth movement, pioneered by San Diego duo Prayers (Leafar Seyer and Dave Parley), which brings together goth, industrial and electronic music with Chicano street culture. I bet a good chunk of your favourite American alt-rock and metal bands have Latino members or roots, from Rage Against the Machine to Korn, which isn’t a coincidence and speaks to far deeper social and cultural including immigrant histories that are inseperable from the music.
So, as we approach Halloween and get in touch with our darker, emo sides, let's remember that there's a little more to alternative culture than the costumes, the eyeliner, the seasonal aesthetic. There's a history of resistance, class politics, and making space for people who don't quite fit in It’s all very political, as things human, despite what Metallica's James Hetfield may believe.
Here's our playlist for the month of October:
Sarah Black’s new single ‘Winner’ is a Tamil-English R&B/pop track with an Afrobeat influence, about standing up for yourself, finding your voice and moving past imposter syndrome. It captures the moment self-doubt gives way to confidence, when you realise you were never faking it and no longer need validation from others to trust yourself. With soulful vocals and a beat that makes you want to dance, Sarah hopes the song leaves everyone listening feeling like a winner.
American-Indian composer and theatre artist Sheherazaad, known for her dystopic folk-noir and experimental pop with South Asian musical influences has a debut album coming out next month. 'Khudgarzi', released via Erased Tapes, tells a story of feminine insurgency through a cast of women who take on different roles as storytellers, survivors and witnesses. The new terack from the album, ‘Registaan’ (Desert), featuring Daatri Dadhich, imagines a barren landscape where lonely women attempt to begin life in a place where life goes to die. Sheherazaad describes it as 'the wilderness of feminine solitude' and “brutality as a soothing hymn.” The track is accompanied by a Vincent Moon-directed video filmed at Erased Tapes’ London studio.
DJazz’s Tantric Acid Vol. III: For Her Majesty is his tenth EP and the third instalment in his exploration of acid house. Continuing his focus on acid, the release brings together orchestral music, Latin grooves, analogue textures and psychedelic synths. The artwork features a gorilla holding a synth, taken from a 1970s PAIA Organtua advertisement. The opening track, ‘Nonstop Music For Her Majesty’, begins with a melodic ARP over a violin before expanding into an orchestral arrangement of cellos, double bass and strings. The music gradually slows as the tension builds, leading to a dramatic orchestral stab before a slow-burning acid house groove takes over,
Delhi singer-songwriter Indrani’s debut EP Even If You Beat Me is a six-track collection that explores relationships, career uncertainty and the anxieties of navigating everyday life. Released through Indimints Records, the EP is produced by Sidharth Gupta of Green Park and Utkarsh Varma. Its sound draws from indie pop and rock, pairing candid songwriting with catchy choruses. ‘Love Beams’ captures the restless side of being in love, with Indrani singing about trying to shake off thoughts of someone who keeps her up at night, even as she insists she’s never been better without them.
Masala Movement and Todh Teri’s The Return Of Disco Sheru brings together producers Babloo Babylon, Sakré and Kone Kone, all known for their boom bap flips of forgotten gems from Indian cinema. The four-track EP draws on disco, house and acid, with the artists bringing their own approaches to sampling and production. On ‘Doorbhaash’, Todh Teri collaborates with Babloo Babylon, in a lo-fi house track with dreamy production and 120 BPM, where the swing of boom bap, and samples from Indian films result in a haunting vocal hook that gives the track its defining character.
Kerala-based rapper and songwriter STIC marks his debut with Def Jam India with ‘KINGMOVES’, a new track featuring JORJ that puts his sharp lyricism, intricate wordplay and regional identity front and centre. Moving between Malayalam and English, STIC draws on the culture and experiences that have shaped his approach to hip-hop, with lyrics centred on self-belief and staying true to his roots. "KINGMOVES is exactly where I am as an artist right now. I'm not chasing validation, and I'm not making music to fit anyone's idea of what I should sound like," he shares.
Delhi-based pop duo Niyam, of singer-songwriters Jey Khamari and Kinshu, bring traditional Indian sounds into contemporary pop with ‘Tum Se Tum Tak’. The track draws on modern qawwali arrangements, with hundreds of layered vocals, claps and harmonies. The duo even brought more people into the studio to add their voices to the mix, creating a rich, melancholic choir. 'Tum Se Tum Tak' is our attempt to take the warmth and soul of Indian musical traditions and build an experience around it that feels intimate, immersive and distinctly Niyam.
Indian rapper King teams up with Bhojpuri singer Nishant Mukta on ‘Enamorado’, a romantic track that blends desi pop and contemporary R&B with Bhojpuri hooks. Produced by Zero Chill, the song pairs King’s smooth, conversational delivery with Nishant’s Bhojpuri vocals, as the two sing about being completely taken by someone. The lyrics mix playful declarations of love with extravagant promises, from spending money on romance to imagining a future together, giving the track a cheeky, flirtatious quality.
London-born, Grammy Award-winning producer and artist YOGI brings together Toronto singer-rapper SadBoi and Tokyo rapper NENE on ‘Ride or Die’, a collaboration connecting three underground music scenes. The track pairs distorted bass, clipped percussion and a dark, hypnotic pulse, drawing from UK club music and South Asian rhythms. SadBoi brings melodic, self-assured vocals shaped by rap, R&B and dancehall, while NENE cuts through the production with her agile delivery and brash attitude. Following ‘ANGREZE’, the single continues YOGI’s exploration of immigrant identity and cultural duality, with an accompanying video featuring footage of both artists in their hometowns.
Independent pop artist Keshav Tyohar’s ‘BEBO’ is an upbeat pop track about being drawn to a confident woman whose playful 'nakhre' keep you guessing. Catchy melodies, flirtatious lyrics and contemporary pop production capture the excitement of a budding romance. "I wanted to create something fresh that would genuinely surprise my listeners. From the lyrics and composition to the production, every element offers something unique for each listener to connect with in their own way," shares Keshav.