A Song That Changed My Life: Son Lux on Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place”The Band Members: Ryan Lott, keyboards, vocals; Rafiq Bhatia, guitars; Ian Chang, drums

The Storyteller: Ian Chang

The Song: An unnerving, compressed warmth emanates from the first keystrokes of the detuned Sequential Prophet-5 synth in Radiohead's "Everything in Its Right Place.” These thick, muted analog tones reverberate until vocal glitches give way to Thom Yorke’s disembodied fantômatique vocals, which ultimately bleed through, leaving the listener suspended within a jarring, dissociative state.

This deceptive cadence of unresolved hypnotic sonics sends shivers up the spine; like static, these tones are left fritzing and ungrounded, unable to connect to the mind — a subtle signal, a psychic warning that things are very much out of line. It is a chilling soundscape, an environment where emotions are gridlocked and detached worldly observations serve as a brilliant way of introducing the chthonic internal atmosphere heard throughout Kid A. 

A sharp departure from their earlier alt-rock anthems — including the iconic, violent guitar chuck that ignites the guttural operatic cries in “Creep” or the orchestral melancholy of “Karma Police” — this solemn stylistic deviation heralded the arrival of a starker, more introspective electro-ambient chapter for the revered art-rock titans. The band’s experimental production process of constructing sound worlds through structural deconstruction creates a dazzling audio labyrinth where a suspended sonic space is as unsettling and haunting as it is gorgeous and sublime.

The Background: Viewing songwriting as a massive auditory puzzle, composer-producer Ryan Lott launched Son Lux as a solo experimental electronic-meets-classical endeavor — a musical canvas where scattered pieces of sounds found everywhere are captured, meticulously assembled through synthesizers and software, and eventually reworked and painted into live compositions of pretty anxious post-rock.

This solo sonic dissectologist journey eventually reached outward — reverberating and resonating with the chameleonic guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and super fluid sensory drummer Ian Chang. Brought together on the road, the two musicians permanently integrated into the project, expanding Son Lux into an unconventional trio dedicated to seizing and recording fractured auditory bits and found sound of all musical sorts. By augmenting these intricate layers on stage, they transformed their studio creations into an immersive, living performance.

This boundary-pushing chemistry culminated in mammoth amounts of material, spawning sprawling multi-album conceptual arcs and hours of dense aural world-building. Throughout these expansions, Son Lux’s work maintained a distinctly eerie, uncanny quality that touched the synapses of neuroscience—experimenting with how sound loops and acoustic shifts register in the brain before cognition even kicks in. By 2022, their uniquely chaotic yet cohesive arrangements garnered the attention of directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (The Daniels), tasking the band with the otherworldly, Oscar-nominated score and song for Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Following a few more years of expanding their sonic palette—a stretch that included scoring additional films both individually and collectively, alongside various other side releases—the band capped off this prolific stretch with the intricately crafted songs of their recent 2026 release, Out Into. For drummer Ian Chang, this new assemblage of boundary-eliminating tracks marks yet another evolution in a career dedicated to cataloging sounds. It is an artistic pathway that can be mapped back to a specific, formative encounter: a quiet retreat within a music store filled with aisles stacked with jewel cases and vinyl.

The Story: Prior to creating music by analyzing the variant frequencies of sound, or having constructed entire cinematic multiverses, Ian Chang’s relationship with music began as a means of escapism. During the twilight era of massive music storefronts, Chang embraced the lovely moments of solitude, wandering through endless aisles of records and CDs, waiting for an arresting visual to disrupt his drift. For him, it was a striking album cover featuring a landscape of stark white icebergs outlined in blood-blackened red that ultimately pulled Chang toward a headphone listening rack. He recalls how that visual became his gateway to other universes:

“It was a very different time in music consumption! I was 12 or 13 the first time I heard "Everything in Its Right Place" by Radiohead. I was living in Hong Kong at the time, and one of my favorite things to do was to go to HMV to learn about music by spending time at the listening stations. I loved checking out the artwork, reading about the artist, and diving into the sound world.”

This immersive ritual highlights a cornerstone of musicology—the multimodal perception of the visual-to-auditory experience. It is the way an arresting optic can act as a psychological trigger to intensify a connection with heard melodies and harmonies, binding the event into an interconnected sensory awakening, a memory:

“I remember the artwork for Kid A caught my eye, prompting me to give the album a spin. This was my first introduction to Radiohead, which in retrospect was a bit of a strange introduction to them, but it was a formative experience for sure. I remember listening to this opening track multiple times before moving on to the rest of the album.”

Stepping into that unfamiliar audio universe without predictable melodies was a crash course in hearing a sort of strangeness in music, a realization of how songs can tap into adjacent, parallel, and at times scary realities. This emotional upheaval was so tantalizing it encouraged Chang to play the opening track on a continuous loop, as he recalls:

“I felt completely bewildered at first! At that point in my life, I was pretty musically omnivorous, but I hadn’t heard anything like this at all; it was borderline uncomfortable. I admit that there were a number of songs on the album that I couldn’t get into at the time, but "Everything in Its Right Place" really hit me right away.  It’s maybe the first song I heard where I experienced the feeling of something haunted and otherworldly.”

As Chang leaned further into that unsettling atmosphere, the macro-shock of what exists out there in the world through a song gave way to an acute curiosity; he began trying to isolate the exact sonic elements that made him realize these strange audio worlds could be real.

“The first thing that really grabbed my attention was all the mangled babbling vocal textures at the beginning.  It was maybe my first introduction to how production can create a surreal listening experience,” Chang recalls.  “The combination of all the elements really impacted me emotionally. The lyrics, harmony, soundworld, and Thom’s voice hit me just at the point in my life when the veil on the ills of society was being lifted. In a way, it soundtracked my transition out of innocence. It provided a lot of new and uncomfortable thoughts and emotions… a sonic space for them to steep in.” 

This insightful awakening stayed with him as an enduring memory — one that weirdly put focus on how much of the world, both musically and existentially, remained unresolved. A few years later, that lasting impression led Chang into a sharp micro-analysis of its production — a creative fascination with engineering alien sounds that would ultimately define his future identity in Son Lux. He explains:

“It wasn’t until I was 15 or so that I went back and figured out what was going on under the hood of this song. I learned about the KAOSS pad that they used to create the vocal effect at the beginning, and the interesting, changing meter of the song, as well as the haunting chord movements.”

By demystifying the technical machinery, Chang expanded his unique way of composing — an exhaustive foray into analyzing these atmospheric landscapes that completely reshaped his artistic worldview.

“There is an incredible minimalism to the arrangement of this song that was very inspiring to me. Up until encountering this song and album, I mostly thought of music in terms of melody, harmony, and lyrics,” says Chang.  But as he adds, “this really blew my mind and got me to think more deeply about the power of arrangement and production, and how it can be as impactful to the feeling of a recording as any of the other elements I mentioned before.”

Moreover, this revelation connected directly back to that initial spark — the sudden awareness that there was something so much more going on in what he was hearing, and parallel to that, the world outside.

“As a band, Son Lux often comes at songwriting first through sculpting sound and production, rather than harmony, melody and lyrics, so this lightbulb moment marked a shift in my perspective on music that influences how I make music to this day.”

For Chang, that shift became an ongoing artistic pursuit to capture the same elusive, emotional visual-meets-auditory memory that struck him so profoundly in Hong Kong decades ago.  And now, laying out that master puzzle piece is part of his auditory ethos:

“I would say that a lot of Son Lux’s music is indebted to this song and to Radiohead in general. The feeling of haunting beauty that this song gives is something that we are often chasing.”

Photo Credit. Anna Powell Denton

The post A Song That Changed My Life: Son Lux on Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place” first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Songwriters drop ‘alright, alright, alright’ sample lawsuit against Travis Scott and Sony MusicThe notice of voluntary dismissal does not say whether they reached a settlement with Travis Scott or Sony Music.
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Classical Reviews September 2026Explore this month’s new classical releases, featuring Anne-Sophie Mutter, Joe Hisaishi, John Holiday, and more, with fresh takes on classical music and timeless traditions.

New Music Critique of Alexa KateContact: alexakatemusic@gmail.com

Web: alexakate.com

Seeking: Label, Booking, Management

Style: Pop

“The most important thing to me is that connection,” Alexa Kate says on her website. “Music creates a space where people can feel like they fit in. I’ve always just wanted to make people feel less alone.”

That connection is apparent on the songs she submitted. With “Good for Long,” she finds a way make herself vulnerable with some delicately expressive vocals and lyrics, before revealing the catchiest of choruses.

“The Aftermath” is less reliant on traditional pop structure, preferring to build a mood that fully envelops the listener. That songwriting dexterity hints at great things to come.The post New Music Critique of Alexa Kate first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

"Voice of a Generation" by Marquis H.K.(paperback) $33.99

Yep, MC has gone punk rock crazy with our books this month, thanks to this string of releases from the Earth Island imprint. Voice of a Generation is tagged “80s UK punx in their own words,” and that’s pretty much exactly what it is. It’s as much about the characters as it is the music; we learn (or, if you were there, remember) some of the larger-than-life people that were integral to the British punk scene during that decade.

Some of them are no longer with us, so it’s gratifying to know that their legend has been preserved for posterity. The photos, including a lot of mohawks, are magnificent.

The post "Voice of a Generation" by Marquis H.K. first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

The Return of Sugar is Oh-So SweetThe return of Sugar is something that many of us never dared dream of. For decades now, alt-rock icon Bob Mould has seemed content to go out and record as a solo artist, and that's been more than good enough. His albums have generally been great. "Listenable" at worst. But the point is, his fans have been content.

But last year, Mould put Sugar back together. For the uninitiated, Sugar was the band that Mould formed after the breakup of the semi-legendary Hüsker Dü, which existed from 1979-'88. Sugar formed in 1992 and only lasted three years, releasing the Copper Blue album, the Beaster mini-album, and the File Under: Easy Listening album. There was also the Besides record of b-sides, odds, and sods. And that was it. They were done. Mould, co-vocalist and bassist David Barbe, and drummer Malcolm Travis all went their own, separate ways.

They're back, and that's great news for lovers of dark-yet-melodic alt-rock. At the Hollywood Palladium at the end of September, a too-cool-for-school, hyper-hip crowd seemed reluctant to show their excitement, but the gentle hum of anticipation in the air betrayed them.

The set offered just about everything you'd want to hear from Sugar; all four of the aforementioned records were well represented. "Hoover Dam" from the debut was a highlight, as was "Changes," and both came quite early in the set. The tracks from Beaster, including a brilliant "JC Auto" were typically crunchy. That record is often considered Sugar's "awkward" sophomore effort, but it's this writer's favorite in their arsenal.

Crowd pleaser "If I Can't Change Your Mind" brought the evening to a close, after a solid two hours of '90s nostalgia that actually sounded fresh. Importantly, Mould and the guys looked like they were having a blast throughout, so hopefully this reunion isn't going to be short-lived.

The post The Return of Sugar is Oh-So Sweet first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

From Sony Music’s 260,000 deepfake takedowns to Suno’s live music expansion… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe biggest headlines from the past few days...
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10 Great Funk Albums That Were Completely Ignored When They Came OutDiscover 10 overlooked funk albums that deserve a second listen, from deep funk and psychedelic soul to Afro-funk and P-Funk gems.

Soulwax Shines in HollywoodSince 1995, Belgian sibling duo Soulwax, aka Stephen and David Dewaele, have been redefining what it means to be an electronic music group. While they also perform celebrated DJ sets as 2manydjs, the genre-defying, experimental project known as Soulwax has made an art of confounding expectations and defying genre-rules since they came into being in '95 with the 2nd Handsome Blues EP. The debut Leave the Story Untold album followed in '96, and they never looked back.

At Hollywood's Fonda Theatre on a warm evening in September, Soulwax performed two sets on consecutive nights, and we were there for the first. The first thing that jumped out was the elaborate set-up; the stage looked like a scene from Star Trek--a mass of giant boards with huge knobs and dials.

The next thing you couldn't help but notice was the trio of drummers suspended above them, which serves to beef up the sound while proving aesthetically spectacular.

Soulwax didn't perform anything from the first two albums, but we did get four tracks form 2004's beloved Any Minute Now, including "E Talking," and a manic "I Love Techno." "Do You Want to Get Into Trouble?" from 2017's From Deewee was a set highlight, though the pair leaned heavily on material from last year's All Systems are Lying.

The crowd, a mix of old ravers and young, curious electro-heads, lapped it all up. Because, honestly, there really is nothing like a Soulwax show.

The post Soulwax Shines in Hollywood first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Suno hires Ticketmaster’s Michael Chua to lead its live music team, including SongkickIn the role, Chua will lead the AI music company's live music operations, which include concert discovery platform Songkick.
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Can be interesting tools there for #music #Marketing with #AI but "AI-driven predictions" may seem just another take on the "new" A&R approach adopted by #majorlabels which generally aren't keen on the work of discovering and nurturing fresh artists. Instead, they want to use bigdata to identify acts that have already gained traction — simply invest and turn a profit.
Can be a bit contradictory...imho

Haircut One Hundred Rolls Back the Years in LAHaircut One Hundred is an interesting band. You hear that very-eighties name and, if you're yet to be initiated, your mind immediate goes to the glorious but undeniable silliness of the likes of Kajagoogoo. But then, anyone already ordained into the cult of Nick Heyward should no better. A keen student and fan of post-punk/art-rock collectives like XTC and the Talking Heads, Heyward has been a pop star and teen heartthrob for portions of his life, but he's also a very serious muso type.

The story of Haircut One Hundred is actually relatively short, despite stretching across multiple decades. There was only one album, 1982's Pelican West, before Heyward left to go solo. The rest of the chaps gamely attempted to soldier on, releasing the critically ignored Paint and Paint in '84. The recent reunion has yielded a new album, Boxing the Compass, which dropped in the summer.

Unsurprisingly, they don't play anything from Paint and Paint now that Heyward is back in the ranks. But the beloved debut and the new effort were both well represented at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles.

They opened with new newies: "Someone" and "The Vanishing Point," before pulling out "Nobody's Fool." The set is a solid reminder of this band's jazz and world music influences; there's a undeniably funky groove to Haircut One Hundred that, even at the majority of the audience's vintage age, is impossibly danceable.

The hits were all present and correct. "Love Plus One" and "Fantastic Day" brought the venue to life, though predictably the highlight was the genre-classic "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl."

It's been so long, but it's great to have Haircut One Hundred back.

The post Haircut One Hundred Rolls Back the Years in LA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

HYBE’s Weverse Con Festival to make its international debut in India in 2027HYBE, home of BTS, calls Weverse Con Festival its “flagship global music festival”, featuring global, K-pop and Indian artists.
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The Hollywood Bowl Celebrates 90 Years of Buddy GuyThere are few finer sights in music than that of legendary blues man Buddy Guy walking onto the Hollywood Bowl stage, like a man a fraction of his age. Guy turned 90 in July of this year, and he's one of the few old school artists of any genre, never mind the blues, still performing.

At the iconic Hollywood Bowl, Guy was ably supported by Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, with special guest Joe Bonamassa. Those two men have done as much as just about anyone to carry the blues forward, and they sounded wonderful here. Kingfish in particular is a very natural player, bursting with groove and authenticity. He plays with a smile on his face, and it's easy to fall in love with his take on the genre.

But even Kingfish would concede that Buddy Guy is a class apart. He's a force of nature, and he seems to defy Father Time. The opening "Damn Right, I've Got the Blues" showcased the fact that Guy's throaty singing only gets better with age. The man simply purred through that song, plus the following "Hoochie Coochie Man," while his fingers danced across the fretboard.

There were excellent covers, including Denise LaSalle's "Someone Else is Steppin' In" and Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," before a spectacular jam with the aforementioned Kingfish and Bonamassa.

Ultimately, this was all about being in the presence of greatness.

Photos by Alex Kluft

The post The Hollywood Bowl Celebrates 90 Years of Buddy Guy first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Google picks Base for Music for its Gemini Startup Forum – as $1.7M-backed French company says it uses AI to predict music marketing ROIMore than 100 startups taking part, from 17 countries, were selected from over 2,000 applications, according to Google
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