Note: If you’ve stumbled onto this post without any context, do read Pt. 1 here first!

It is said that the average person’s music taste starts to solidify early on in their adult lives, and by their early 30s they will begin to say things like “Music was better in my day”, “>insert your favourite artist or genre< is not real music”, something to that effect. Of course, I am speaking generally.

With four more years to go till I hit 30, I’d like to think I try to expand my tastes on the regular. Thus, I’ve decided to look at some of the music I’ve been listening to in my 20s, both artists and genres.

PORTER ROBINSON

I first came across this American electronic musician through YouTube’s recommendation of the music video for Lionhearted off his 2014 album Worlds around the time it was released. I remember not liking it much on first listen, because I was an edgy teen who thought that listening to big room meant I was cooler than kids listening to anything pop-adjacent (I wonder how different my impression would have been had I been exposed to his earliest works first).

The YouTube algorithm (bless whatever sorcery it runs on) continued to supply me with songs like Sad Machine and Divinity, and soon I came to like Worlds. In 2015, I decided to buy my first (and only) vinyl after finishing my GCE O Levels, and my choices were between Worlds, Zedd’s True Colors and my eventual choice, Stories by Avicii.

For the rest of the 2010s, Robinson released sporadically as he grappled with expectations of a follow-up to Worlds, which left quite an impression on the genre. 2016’s Shelter, a collaboration with French electronic musician and good friend Madeon, became one of his most beloved songs, and his side project Virtual Self picked up a Grammy nomination for the song Ghost Voices off the self-titled 2017 EP (which inspired a then-pop-leaning Calvin Harris to go back to electronic music).

Then in 2020, the first song off Robinson’s long-awaited second album Nurture dropped. I couldn’t articulate it at the time, but I could feel that Get Your Wish was the start of something different. It felt hopeful, a much-needed sentiment right as COVID-19 started to wreak havoc on the world. The singles that followed for the rest of the pandemic, the shows that were live streamed, and of course the album itself further solidified Robinson’s influence on electronic music.

I am glad to say that this was when he turned from merely a musician whose work I liked to a musical hero, and that he’s the first musician I’ve watched live more than once.

Try these: Language, Everything Goes On, Mona Lisa (feat. Frost Children)

VOCALOID

I can’t remember exactly how I was introduced to this iconic Hatsune Miku song in 2012. I just know that while it wasn’t life-changing like that Justin Bieber song, it unwittingly stayed in my life. I went in and out of the Vocaloid subculture over the years, and only a couple of years ago did I finally dive deep into the rabbit hole without resurfacing.

Someone who has never heard of Vocaloids may be introduced to them as “AI singers”, but that’s quite reductionist. Sure, newer versions feature the use of AI to further enhance the expressiveness of a vocal performance, but Vocaloid is the most well-known vocal synthesis software that draws upon voice banks, collections of audio samples recorded by actual people, to create melodic sounds that give off the impression of singing or even rapping. Any music that makes use of such software in the production process falls under Vocaloid music, even if the software isn’t Vocaloid itself.

One might ask if there is any point using Vocaloids when you could just have an actual human sing. Beyond the consideration that is cost for beginners (paying a human singer per session vs a one-time payment for a version of Vocaloid that can theoretically be used forever), some Vocaloid producers (some of whom have gone on to work with or become major Japanese acts) and fans feel that it is this inherent difference that makes the music unique. With the voice synthesisers being the common thread, anyone can make any genre of music using these voices, from J-rock and metal to electro swing and whatever this is.

But what about the artistry? Finding a good vocal melody and tuning the voices to either sound realistic or otherwise are things that require human effort. The only difference is that the voice simply becomes an instrument (not unlike in the way that Kanye West has done in much of his work, but digitally) that still requires skill to play. Having dabbled a little with rival software SynthV myself, I would even argue that it can be a pain to get the synth to “sing” when I could just sing myself. And we haven’t even talked about the rest of the composition, let alone mixing and mastering.

Current listens: Sheeno Mirin, Nightcord at 25:00, higma

BRAKENCE

When I first listened to Intellectual Greed through my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist, I had no inkling that another album could join Porter Robinson’s Nurture as my  favourite.

I’ve talked about how hypochondriac, brakence’s sophomore full-length effort, could’ve been my MCF username, but what exactly about it makes it so special in my heart? It’s probably a mix of two things.

One, the high level of skill in the production. Often lumped together with hyperpop artists (who I expand on below), brakence makes use of sound design like a surrealist painter, taking everything from his baritone voice to stock samples and injecting them into a “hyper-real” blend of pop, rock and electronic music.

The other aspect would be the lyrics. While some have deemed brakence’s writing juvenile and self-indulgent at best, others like myself see a beautifully-crafted introspection of a young person struggling with the cognizance of being famous and the issues that come with it, like ego and addiction, and expressing it in such a manner that you can’t help but applaud brakence’s earnesty, if nothing else.

These elements have been consistent since his debut EP hypnagogia, and the development he’s had up till now makes me excited for what’s to come.

Try these: 5G, A La Carte (together with Quadeca), sauceintherough

HYPERPOP

“Isn’t pop already hyper as it is, singing about being young, wild and free as teens do?” one might say.

Perhaps, but hyperpop takes this to the extreme. The core tenets of pop music like catchy choruses and drawing from other genres are present, but hyperpop is not afraid to offend through its extensive use of digital audio manipulation, disregarding the need to create “safe” listens catered to the masses. From A. G. Cook (whose record label PC Music arguably gave birth to the microgenre) to Charli XCX (who worked with Cook to produce her Grammy-winning 2024 album Brat), hyperpop could be considered less of a genre and more of a movement that captures the zeitgeist of a generation more aware of the diversity of the world around them and embracing it through music.

Current listens: ericdoa, Jaron, underscores

FRED AGAIN…

The British producer might have aristocratic blood flowing in his veins and had opportunities many can only dream of, but his musical prowess speaks for itself.

I started getting into his discography early in 2023 after seeing his name around electronic music circles. Listening to his Actual Life album trilogy and watching his Boiler Room and Tiny Desk sets made me understand his meteoric rise that culminated in closing Coachella 2023 with industry legends Skrillex and Four Tet (courtesy of Frank Ocean).

Try these: Billie (Loving Arms), stayinit (with Lil Yatchy), Me (Heavy)

FUTURE GARAGE

While UK garage infiltrated pop music (in all languages no less) and took over the world hit by hit, I was spellbound by something slightly different. Specifically, Kelly (end of a nightmare) by Fred again… off Actual Life 3. Compared to the popular songs off the same record, it was more melancholic, even contemplative despite maintaining the level of energy dance music is supposed to have.

Soon after, I started listening to the seminal future garage album, Untrue by UK producer Burial. While it has also been classified as a dubstep album, it’s obvious regardless that Burial came up with a unique sound that has received accolades and inspired future (heh) producers and even musicians outside of electronic music.

Current listens: Burial, Bucky, Vacant

CVLTE

This is going to be a trend with my discoveries - while scrolling down some YouTube video’s comment section one day, the Sapporo band’s music video for Falling Apart appeared on the related videos sidebar.

I liked it and the rest of the 616 EP, but I never imagined that their debut album praystation 2 would hit all the musical spots I didn’t even know I had at the time. Mixing rock with electronic elements is hardly a novel concept, but CVLTE has a unique blend that could, in some ways, be considered trailblazing. It’s no wonder they’ve found themselves signed to a Sony Music label, played at NEX_FEST 2023 organised by British band Bring Me The Horizon (who have long drawn upon electronic influences) and released a song to close off the second season of Shangri-La Frontier.

Try these: happy. (feat. shaka bose 釈迦坊主), me, myself & I., kuromi. (feat. 4s4ki, sacha online)

J-POP

While I stated in Pt. 1 that I’ve had exposure to Japanese music from a young age, those were almost entirely theme songs for various media. Even when I became a weeb and got exposed to such music, I hadn’t really taken the time to explore more Japanese pop until the past couple of years.

Those years however coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when Japanese media like anime and VTubers were exploding in global popularity, further complicating the J-pop landscape. Today, a diverse range of artists have found Japanese and foreign audiences, from idol groups and rock bands to self-produced artists and even virtual personalities. Just the kind of diversity I seek in my music library.

Current listens: Suisei Hoshimachi, Fujii Kaze, tuki.

MIYACHI

I can’t quite remember how I was introduced to this Japanese-American rapper, but his unique flow (a product of growing up in New York and visiting Japan yearly) and his comedic chops through his unhinged street interview YouTube channel have made him one of my favourite hip-hop artists.

Try these: Mainichi, Messin’ (feat. Jay Park & Bryce Hase), Crazy Outside (with Thelma Aoyama)

ATMOSPHERIC DRUM AND BASS

This electronic sub-genre has many names, but is best known as 2020s breakcore due to the use of the term to describe the revival of a late-90s sound. While both sounds may share the defining trait of breakbeats, the other aspects could not be more different.

Take a classic breakcore song like Szerencsétlen by Canadian musician Venetian Snares. Now compare it to something like Kawaii Razor Blades by controversial producer Sewerslvt (if the name didn’t already give that away), now known as Cynthoni.

The sonic difference, among other things, has led to a debate on whether this sub-genre should be considered as “real” breakcore, or if it should be categorised as something else, like “atmospheric drum and bass”, which I will use to refer to this particular sound.

I personally was exposed to atmospheric drum and bass first, and found myself appreciating the juxtaposition of the frantic drumwork with the droning synth basslines and fluttery synth pads washed in reverb, almost as if there was some force fighting to surface from the waves threatening to drown it - a sonic representation of life methinks.

Current listens: Cynthoni, Blksmiith, Dusqk

VALLEY

This Canadian band first appeared on my YouTube feed with a live studio performance of Good, but not together. Despite generally finding indie pop homogenous and thus boring, I liked it enough to check out their discography, and soon found myself putting various songs of theirs on loop, particularly their latest album Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden.

As it happens, the now-three-piece act will be playing at Capitol Theatre on 13 June 2025. Time for me to get the concert prep going.

Try these: Paper Cup (Sorry For Myself), Bass Player’s Brother, Park Bench

SHOEGAZE

While I wouldn’t say I’ve never heard shoegaze music, it is a sub-genre I’ve only gotten into very recently. Perhaps it’s the mixing that bothers me on quite a number of records, with how lacking drums can sound, but the guitars being drenched in reverb remind me of atmospheric drum and bass in how they transport me to a different, ethereal headspace.

Current listens: Parannoul, Kinoko Teikoku, motifs

FIN.

And that’s the list! Thank you for reading through all this yapping. Reflecting on my musical journey was an interesting process, seeing how some early inspirations fell to the wayside while artists I did not take to at first became my favourites. I was also surprised by the realisation that I discovered music I would otherwise have never heard through social media platforms, despite not being a fan of people doing so via TikTok.

Finally, I also wonder how if I had not heard that song that day, I might have become a completely different person. Perhaps I might still have continued writing and making videos as means of self-expression, but I am certain my life would be much less vibrant without music.

P.S. I love getting recommendations as well, so do comment down below what I should listen to next!

~ Wei Feng

Cover image: Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash