Listening Notes: M to R

Back again with me to briefly review several releases. This time, it’s the turn of artists/bands from the letters M through R.

Let’s go!

Marco Lucchi – I Could Sleep for a Thousand Years (2022)

64%

Italian modern classical artist Marco Lucchi presents a single here with several versions, also performed by M.Nomized, Mean Flow, and Henrik Meierkord.

Most versions are filled with rough, flowing synthesizers, with M.Nomized adding light drum beats that sit nicely on the ears. However, Marco’s own extended version still takes the top spot for me, as it adds piano—something I can further consider for inclusion in my playlist.

Necromoss – Necromoss (2025)

63%

Necromoss is an alternative project from Utah-based Spaceseer, still moving along similar lines within experimental/dungeon synth territory.

Dark ambient/noise sounds as the backdrop depict waves of sound around us, both above and below ground. Then the synths in the foreground emit signals of fungi and moss that only such creatures can understand. The meanings perceived by humans may vary, and personally I’ve never quite clicked with Spaceseer’s works, even though there are still a few tracks I appreciate more than others.

Dungeon synth fans might be the right audience for Necromoss.

Osborn – The Grey Chapter (2022)

72%

The EP The Grey Chapter showcases Osborn’s unsegmented musicality. This band from Malang, Indonesia blends hardcore and metalcore with elements of thrash/groove metal. Their main influences include Slayer, Unearth, Sworn Enemy, As I Lay Dying, and Reprisal. Vocally, however, Forma’s voice leans more toward hardcore, as if holding back his screams. Even so, the pounding rhythms and thick riffs in every track will make you headbang and move on your own.

Personally, I’m not into core-style music, so I tend to stay still—not going with the flow—when facing this kind of sound.

Patchnotes – Golden Hour (2022)

79%

Kyle Schwendinger, through his chillwave/vaporwave project Patchnotes (also known as Limerence) from Portland, Oregon, delivers something perfectly suited for dawn. Golden Hour truly contains dynamic emotion and atmosphere. It can be calming, it can be melancholic—especially through added spoken words and humming, such as on “Breathe.” The rest consists of synthwave beats infused with ambient flows, fitting well within chillwave territory, while several tracks are presented in remix versions that are, of course, more energetic.

Even though I ultimately only picked two tracks—“Breathe” and “Golden Hour Pt. 1”—Golden Hour shouldn’t be underestimated. This one comes highly recommended for fans of the genres mentioned above.

Quizboy & Never Say Never – Deadbeat (2023)

69%

Still based in Portland, Oregon, this time I come across Quizboy.

Quizboy presents rock/grunge alongside a related project, Never Say Never, which provides screamed vocals, giving the music an alternative metal edge. Unfortunately, there are at least two versions of several tracks included to fill the album’s Bandcamp deluxe edition, making it feel a bit space-wasting.

Even though I sometimes feel uneasy with scream-heavy styles like those found in -core genres, Never Say Never here does a decent job of supplying what other tracks lack, and overall the album is fine for occasional listening.

Best tracks: “Deadbeat,” “Thank You,” “All Thought, No Mind.”

Rojinski – The Seeds of Destruction (2025)

77%

Rojinski, a fairly prolific ambient/dark ambient unit from who-knows-where, welcomes the new year of 2025 with an album titled The Seeds of Destruction. It’s not as dark as their previous releases, yet it still delivers a cold and contemplative feel.

“The Seed of Destruction” serves as the opening track with spoken-word narration, making it feel like the intro to a dystopian game. It’s followed by tracks depicting human destruction: “The Chaos of Idiocracy,” “Biological Attack,” then “Surviving Deep Underground,” which brings a slightly noisy, short-circuit–electric vibe and a modern dystopian atmosphere. “The Fall of the New Rome” works as a fairly memorable and epic closer.

As the first album release I listened to in 2025, Rojinski managed to cut into my heart with violin sounds—or whatever that instrument is—and spoken words on the third track, “Biological Attack,” which has already made its way into my favorites playlist.

Want to give it a try? Rojinski makes all of their releases free on Bandcamp.