Louis Pelingen

Welcome to my writing portfolio! I am a music journalist who writes reviews whenever possible! I have been contributing under TFL, Listencorp, Merry Go Round Magazine, and Post-Trash alongside putting up other reviews on my personal review handle, Review Side Docket.

SOUNDS OF THE SEA: jorud (Singapore) – TFL

Singaporean musician Jared Lim has been playing a significant role in various mainstay acts over the past couple of years, whether in his local country or elsewhere. Being the guitarist and producer of bands like Sobs and Subsonic Eye, as well as providing production assistance for Blush and The Purest Blue are just some of those notable credits. His ear for production sticks in your ear once you hear it: blissful synth chops, colorful instrumental mixes, and crisp vocal emphasis. A balancing ac...

EP Review: Ethel Cain - Perverts

‘Perverts’ is an EP that separates away from its former label; a deviation from the stories that Ethel Cain has told in past projects; an elongated project that demands more time and thought now that it avoids conventional structures. What this instead becomes is an embrace of sexual pleasures that is allowed to feel magnetic and spiritual, where masturbation is an action to feel an emotional high and a branch towards reaching the most divine. Yet such pleasures are punished and humiliated by re...

Thanya Iyer - "TIDE/TIED" | Album Review — POST-TRASH

by Louis Pelingen (@Ruke256)Throughout her entire career, Thanya Iyer’s music has always carried the essence of healing, cherishing the gradual process of meditation that translates to her compositions and performances. Her band’s experimentation across jazz, pop, and folk never fails to be soothing in its free-flowing way, building an atmosphere that invites a positive spirit and emphasizes thoughtfulness to not just the individual but also the community that surrounds them. Even in a world tha...

Moon Apple – Four Pillars

Our existence is limited. To find our destiny, we pray to the stars for answers. The fate of us all is in celestial hands: this is what defines Astrology. The idea that multiple astrological and metaphysical figures bestow blessings upon us is embedded across various cultures and traditions. Yet, it creates conflict between the discussion of fatalism and free will. A clash between humanity and divinity. Can we change our destiny? Or do these celestial forces construct our entire lives? .Moon App...

ALBUM REVIEW: WAIIAN – BACKSHOTS – TFL

Written by Louis Pelingen


There’s always this itching frustration that comes with Waiian’s overall projects, as there lingers a big potential for him to put out something striking that, unfortunately, has the habit of casually evading, where as much as he can exude this brand of charisma that’s effortless and easy to listen to, his records never take the next step of breaking out of its comfort zone. Relying upon the relaxed vibes to a fault that the overall solid set of production, writing,...

Fievel Is Glauque - "Rong Weicknes" | Album Review — POST-TRASH

by Louis Pelingen (@Ruke256)If there is a word that best describes Fievel Is Glauque’s creative process, it’s instinct. Comprised of Ma Clément and Zach Phillips, this jazz-pop duo hailing from Belgium and now based in Brooklyn has relied upon the process of sudden improvisational activity when it comes to putting together releases. The charming lo-fi breeze of God’s Trashmen Sent to Right The Mess and the polished fractious sparks of Flaming Swords were created in different ways. In the former...

Album Review: Geordie Greep - The New Sound

When Black Midi eventually broke up just this year, as much as there is a deep sadness about how this band broke apart, there is now an excitingly grand anticipation on where the members will head in the future - especially with how their massive talented pedigree has been a big boon to them ever since they’ve started back in 2019, something that only got more bewilderingly delightful with every subsequent album, eventually leading to cementing themselves as one of the most hyped bands in the UK...

Bandcamp Picks: Disphing & Forgotten Warmth Becomes Dust - MGRM

It’s our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring Forgotten Warmth Becomes Dust’s varied and textured self-titled house EP and the Disphing’s fiery glitch pop album HREF!

Forgotten Warmth Becomes Dust – S/T
Genre: Downtempo, Trip Hop, Speed House
Favorite Tracks: “Purgatory on Earth,” “Chamomile”
A cascading, riveting downpour of beatific house music, FORGOTTEN WARMTH BECOMES DUST is the key to sink into that seraphic soundscape. The self-titled EP from the Brooklyn duo of singer-songwriter Nailoh...

Bandcamp Pick of the Week: PLUMA - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It’s our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring the visceral hyper R&B fusion of PLUMA’s NÃO LEVE A MAL! 

PLUMA – NÃO LEVE A MAL
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia, Sophisti-Pop, Jazz
Favorite Tracks: “Corrida!,” “Jardins,” “Sem Você” 
There is a splash of colorful delight when you head into PLUMA’s debut album, NÃO LEVE A MAL. Before this, the Brazilian quartet had been testing the waters for a couple of years, with Mais do QUE EU SEI FALAR in 2020 and REVISITAR in 2021 showcasing their blend of twirling ja...

Astrid Sonne – Great Doubt (ALBUM REVIEW)

When we are in a state of melancholy, we often process our emotions in a state of reminiscence, thinking of happier times or events that brought us to where we are. There will inevitably be negative moments in our lives, moments of isolation, but it’s important that we take the time to find space for those reflections. ‍Great Doubt presents Danish composer and viola player Astrid Sonne whirling through a sonic space in a way she never has before. Her classical training melding with her penchant...

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