When you hear the term “protest song,” what type of song comes to mind? It’s probably a song with just one voice and a lone acoustic guitar, or a full-band excursion, potentially with a rousing sing-along section. Viris Valentine, however, opts to churn out a protest song for the times: an icy, throbbing, trap-inflected banger in the form of “Dystopia.”
Viris Valentine’s Music Claws Through The World Instead Of Escaping It
Admittedly, there is no other word more befitting for the current state of the world. Valentine’s version of dystopia, however, is spooky and sexy in equal measure. It’s cool, defiant, scathing, and galvanizing, all before hitting the three-minute mark.
Over jagged, grinding beats and amped-up-to-the-max bass lines, Valentine delivers her thesis statement: “We’re training to be slaved inside our savings / With our heads up, cut our tongues off / Keep our bloody remains,” before launching in whispers into the song’s sticky hook: “Break you / But they’ll make you / They’ll play you like a pawn in their game.”
Part FKA twigs and The Weeknd’s “Tears in the Club”, part Tinashe and Little Dragon’s “Stuck with Me,” “Dystopia” is also reminiscent of Mitski’s “Working for the Knife,” even if only in theme. The same way that “Knife” is Mitski’s way of coping with “a world that doesn’t seem to recognize your humanity, and seeing no way out of it,” “Dystopia” doubles down on the sentiment with sly, knowing sleekness.
“The song is a reflection on what it feels like to live in a world that’s constantly demanding more from us, more perfection, more productivity, more silence,” Valentine explains in the description of the YouTube audio upload for “Dystopia.” “It explores the quiet exhaustion of trying to stay human inside a system that often feels mechanical and detached.”
It’s this exhausted tension that informs the sonic in which “Dystopia” is draped, a subtle departure from previous loosies “Laughing Gas” and “Player One” which sported a more aggressive and abrasive front. “Dystopia” seethes and bites without losing its icy, synth-y coolness over which Valentine’s airy voice coos and glides — although a second hook or a middle-8 with, say, distorted screams à la Azealia Bank’s “212” would have potentially further taken it to the rafters.
As it is, though, the track rests its case as “a cry for individuality; a reminder that even in the most controlled environments, the human spirit still fights to be seen, to be felt, and to be free” with flying colors. That’s not only one step in the right direction for Valentine’s burgeoning, increasingly arresting discography but also one step closer to the utopia that we all need and seek for.
Listen To “Dystopia” by Viris Valentine Now
“Dystopia” is currently available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. For more Viris Valentine, head over to Instagram, YouTube, and SoundCloud.
2025 was a year of strategic work and promising growth for ATC Sound, the independent music branch of pop culture media brand Across The Culture (ATC). Highlights of the year include the following:
Establishment as a trusted indie music review platform
Our second annual ATC Sound live artist showcase
Zander, an American’s release of PROJECT 2025
ATC Sound: A Trusted Voice in Independent Music
As both an informational and a commercial resource of supporters of independent music, ATC Sound saw its reputation grow for the better in 2025. Articles that captured the value of today’s trailblazing independent artists and analyzed music industry best practices both grew in visibility and attracted new readers.
Following the release of our video guide to writing a great pitch to a music blog, ATC Sound saw a significant uptick in independent artists submitting their music for review. To any artist that has come to us for an honest and compassionate review of their work, thank you, and please continue to keep us in mind as you look for people to help tell your story in an age where people are trusting non-human voices more with each passing moment.
FREE ZANDER: An ATC Sound Live Music Event
On Friday, November 14, 2025 at Underground Music Venue, Across The Culture (ATC) Sound hosted the FREE ZANDER concert, a showcase of four unique independent hip-hop artists in Minneapolis, MN. With Khruangbin playing First Ave nearby and trick shot legends Dude Perfect hitting up the Target Center as part of their Squad Games tour, competition for parking and attention was stiff. No matter — the couple dozen or so folks that took time out of their weekend to pull up were rewarded with some of the most potent and original music the Twin Cities has to offer.
FREE ZANDER is a declaration referring to ATC Sound editor and rapper Zander, an American. His trademark handcuff dangling off his wrist featured prominently in the concert flyer and Zander’s actual performance. DJ Adubs handled the boards for the second year in a row.
A regular message in both Zander’s music and writing is there is more freedom for humanity to gain — freedom from the need to buy new things, drink toxic water, eat toxic food, and work jobs that take much more than they give. In one way or another, all the acts in the FREE ZANDER lineup — from veteran rapper Mike The Martyr to nascent alt rap/R&B crooner AK Tears — gave life to this theme.
Mike The Martyr
Mike The Martyr’s set was a relentless exercise in loving where you’re from. The level of storytelling in his verses made Minnesota — considered a “flyover” state by many Americans — feel as rich as any of the biggest coastal cities in the country. A brief story about tough guys in Duluth and the details in his bars throughout his set offered a glimpse into the rowdy, candid spirit powering Mike’s life and music.
“They threw bottles at him / them shits was Heinekens” “The Quest” – Mike The Martyr featuring Muja Messiah
AJANIMF
AJANIMF (Ajani Muhfucka) returned for his second ATC Sound event with the same introverted skateboarder botanist energy that made his set so captivating in the summer of 2024. As he continues to grow his profile as a local horticulturalist and shroom expert, AJANIMF is still putting his drum machine to work in service of disorienting sample-heavy beats he marches through like Earl Sweatshirt (except AJANI likes shit and he does go outside).
AK Tears
Introducing himself with his first ever live performance at the FREE ZANDER concert was AK Tears, a rap/neo-soul vocalist and producer showcasing his particular blend of 1990s-2010s hood-adjacent online nostalgia. By far the grooviest of the night’s acts, AK Tears had the uninitiated learn his hooks and sing along by the end of his short set.
Zander, an American
Capping off the night was ATC Sound’s very own Zander, an American. With only one track repeated from last year’s setlist, Zander’s performance was urgent, direct, and political. Keeping the energy high throughout his set, Zander debuted the single “Did You Hear?!” and scorched through a bar-heavy sample plate of his catalog as “bald eagle” (i.e. red tailed hawk) cries and “Free Zander” soundbites peppered his time on stage.
FREE THE WAGE SLAVES
As part of the FREE ZANDER theme, ATC Sound debuted Zander, an American’s “FREE THE WAGE SLAVES” merchandise series with themed crewnecks and t-shirts available for purchase. In alignment with Zander’s music (e.g. “Company Time/Wage Slave,” “Done Clocking In”), Zander’s “FREE THE WAGE SLAVES” merchandise is another brash yet humorous layer of messaging critical of worsening quality of life in the United States, placing much of the onus on the greed of large employers as worker productivity increases continue to far outpace wage increases.
Zander, an American Drops PROJECT 2025
To wrap up the calendar year, Zander, an American released an exclamation point of an EP titled PROJECT 2025 in reference to the far-right sociopolitical agenda published by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation in 2023. Led by the new single “Did You Hear?!”, PROJECT 2025 captured the best of Zander’s last two years in music by repackaging heavy-hitting singles into a potent thematic body of work. Highlights include “Mad Enough” and the acclaimed 2024 single “My Fellow Americans…”
Looking Ahead To 2026 With ATC Sound
As ATC Sound continues to expand its journalism and artist stewardship, 2026 bodes well.
If you support ATC Sound for its music writing, expect a greater volume of indie artist reviews and profile stories to be published in the coming year.
If you support ATC Sound for its representation of Zander, an American, look forward not only to more of Zander’s work, but the inclusion of at least one new artist alongside Zander in 2026.
If you are an independent artist looking to submit music for review to ATC Sound, please use this link and fill out our form so we can properly consider your work. If the ATC Sound editorial team takes a serious interest in your work, we may also be willing to partner with you as a public relations service provider for the length of a promotional campaign for an upcoming project. This is a limited paid service, so please engage with our free submission process first.
In the incredibly wide tent of indie rock, there is always a place for experimental bands that flirt with mass appeal while giving listeners intimate, out-of-body musical experiences. Acts like beloved one-man project Tame Impala and Empire of the Sun gave us the liberating psychedelic-infused pop rock of the 2010s, and Elandra might just be the new band to soundtrack you getting away from it all in the 2020s.
The Mad Dash of “Ask Me Why”
There’s something tortured in Elandra’s latest single “Ask Me Why,” but the effect is therapeutic. The rhythm’s persistence, the stylish looseness of lyrics spilling into the next measure, and the repeated threat to “tear this whole thing apart” — this is music for ragged-breath sprinting toward the end of a tunnel.
The accompanying video sees producer and lead singer Paolo Siviero relentlessly chased around Brighton by pedestrians — including a cameo from George Seymour-Cole, Elandra bassist and co-producer — looking for the scoop on the heartbreak driving the song’s narrative.
A recurring image in Elandra visuals is George dressed in a black two-piece suit as Siviero, garbed in colorful patterns and rocking flowing brown hair, works through intense emotions in a continuous pursuit of some form of freedom. The visual split between “put together” and “letting go” enhances the tension already present between the yearning vocal and the demanding groove pushing “Ask Me Why” forward.
The Motivated Psychedelia of Elandra
In a world full of people driven by perpetual anxiety and the demands of abusive economic systems, psychedelic music is as relevant as ever. There are feelings to feel, personal crises to live through, and a recurring need for ego death and a sweet guitar-and-synth driven release.
The mistake one might make when reading the shortlist of acts Elandra compares themselves to is that “psychedelic” or “art rock” are simply stand-ins for “vibey.” As enjoyable and mood-setting as Elandra’s 2025 output might be, these are very intentional songs that make you earn the catharsis they offer.
The listening journey of “Ask Me Why” isn’t unlike another very recent and equally dramatic Elandra single “Days, Years & Months.”
“Days, Years & Months” has this deliciously rich guitar distortion that bridges the verses and gives the record a full emotional narrative. Once more, a tension between trying and quitting, between holding on tight and letting go, is weaved throughout.
It makes sense for music like this to come out of a city known for its coastline and social liberalism, but Elandra’s existence should not be seen as inevitable — it takes real dedication and craftsmanship to capture what the Brighton outfit have managed to communicate in their music.
Watch and Listen to “Ask Me Why” by Elandra
Experience Elandra — watch the chaotic music video for their soaring new single “Ask Me Why” on YouTube.
