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ATC Sound 2025: Year In Review

By
Zander Tsadwa
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ATC Sound Favicon with

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).

AJANIMF under blue stage lights performing tracks off of his 2025 project 'HOLD DIS' as part of the FREE ZANDER concert at Underground Music Venue in Minneapolis, MN

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

Album cover for Project 2025 the EP by Zander, an American. Top image is man obscured by shadow tightly gripping outstretched handcuffs. Bottom image is man dressed as Uncle Sam praying under a spotlight. "Project 2025" reads across the middle with a horizontal white background.

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.

Brighton Duo Elandra Tear It All Apart in New Single “Ask Me Why”

By
Zander Tsadwa
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0
Brighton psychedelic pop-rock duo Elandra. (Left to right) bassist/co-producer George Seymour-Cole in a black blazer and shades; lead singer and co-producer Paolo Siviero in shades with shoulder-length brown hair and a patterned short-sleeved button-up shirt

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.

“Late Night Talking” by JUGA: An Addictive Joint Channeling Early Aughts and Modern R&B

By
Zander Tsadwa
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0
New Zealand alt R&B singer-songwriter JUGA pictured looking back at camera in a green hat with shades resting on top; cover art for
(JUGA / YouTube)

What makes a bop in 2025? And how is it possible for an artist with less than 1,000 subscribers on YouTube and under 20,000 monthly listeners on Spotify to generate more excitement around their music than artists with greater digital reach? Both questions have nuanced answers, and independent New Zealand singer-songwriter Jazmin Ugapo — stage name JUGA — seems qualified to answer both after a few successful single releases this year, most notably “Late Night Talking.”

The Sound of JUGA: Pulsing, Poised Alt-R&B

The handful of JUGA singles to date are largely flirtatious mid-tempo bangers defined by spicy yet cute accounts of young love. JUGA’s music can soundtrack nights alone in bed during the talking phase as well as car rides on a Friday night out. Vocally, JUGA shows pleasant control and finds amazing pockets in really fun production, while “Wonder” stands out as an example of the comforting richness in her lower register. As lovely as “Wonder” is, it is the aforementioned “Late Night Talking” that has a small but considerable group of supporters running it up and raving for more.

What Makes “Late Night Talking” So Easy To Replay?

Produced by frequent collaborator Edward Liu, the composition of “Late Night Talking” leaves a lot of space for that three-count layered kick to hit your body and for JUGA to glide. The accents that fill up the production are brilliant in terms of texture and timing — a swirling synth, a soothing acoustic guitar lick, and a terse violin piece creating a bit of tension in the song’s transitions. The song captures early 2000s R&B energy and gives it 2025 rhythm.

Altogether, the beat helps us daydream and Kodak bop through sexy yet wholesome songwriting describing the weight of an intimate one-on-one convo after dark. “Late Night Talking” can have you thinking about someone, thinking about the next one, thuggin’ it out, or totally at peace.

It is no wonder “Late Night Talking” is the single JUGA has chosen to push on Tik Tok, with two posts about the song earning 70,000+ views and more than 700 comments combined, many of them desperately pleading for the track to drop (pre-release) or textually screaming about how specific parts made the song irresistible (post-release).

Spotify and YouTube, it seems, are catching up to the initial human experience of “Late Night Talking.” A number of nostalgic R&B fans whose tastes range from Janet Jackson to rising star Sailorr have made themselves known across JUGA’s social media accounts, and it’s likely JUGA will continue to be suggested to listeners of the sort stateside.

What’s Next For JUGA?

As of the time of writing, JUGA’s latest single “MVP” is just five days old. As the algorithms figure her out, it is clear her career is headed somewhere more visible than “Who are you and how did I find you?”

Listen to “MVP” by JUGA and subscribe to ATC Sound to put energy toward uncovering and supporting independent music artists.

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