HYPERSPACE: Best Discoveries of the Week – Episode 180
Hey Space Travellers,
Are we ready for another incredible episode of Hyperspace?
Episode 180 landed, fasten your seatbelts and get ready to depart!
Ryan Stayes – “Poems from the Past”
Have you ever tried rummaging through the boxes in the attic and found some crazy records? Well, you might have just found something that reminds you of Ryan Stayes‘s latest album, “Poems from the Past”.
Built from memories, relationships, regrets, growing older, and all those little moments that stick with you, this is a deeply personal indie-alternative project that never feels like it’s trying too hard to be profound. It’s honest, a little nostalgic, occasionally bittersweet, and ultimately pretty hopeful.
The best part is its lived-in feel: Ryan writes like someone who has spent years collecting stories rather than chasing whatever sound happens to be hot right now. The solid production makes this album a joy to listen to, while the melodies keep things catchy and remarkably memorable.
There’s also something refreshing about how imperfect and human it all feels. This wonderful album is about looking back at a weird, messy journey, laughing at some of it, regretting some of it, and still deciding to keep moving.
It’s nostalgic without getting stuck there.. and that’s the sweet spot.
DAPS – “Down wit dat (cold killa)”
Philadelphia doesn’t need another rapper faking a street resume.. DAPS actually lived it. On his latest single “Down wit dat (cold killa)”, he puts his neighbourhood, Cobbs Creek, right in the spotlight. He turns his memories of growing up around 60th Street into a cool and super catchy Philly hip-hop track.
The track grabs your attention right away with a low-slung and heavy-hitting bounce. The beat stays simple, giving DAPS plenty of room to rap, and he does a sick job here. His delivery is natural, strong, and his lyrics are clear and easy to follow.
DAPS really sounds like he’s simply telling you true stories from his life, and that’s the best part of the song: it is 100% real. He is not copying anyone else or acting like someone he is not. This is his real neighbourhood and his real memories.
A wonderful chorus easy to remember, strong verses, and the whole song makes you want to play it again immediately. “Down wit dat (cold killa)” is catchy, honest, and truly Philly, you guys will get addicted to its vibes!
Cataclysmiic – “When you are mine”
Forget chasing whatever’s blowing up this week, Cataclysmiic is clearly doing things his own way with his single “When You Are Mine”! This incredible artist mixes fast house beats, hypnotic groove, and quick rap flows into a very unique style.
The song has a great mix of old-school energy and unusual sounds, and that gives the track its peculiar character. The groove keeps the energy high, and at the same time, Cataclysmiic raps fast and with total confidence, without using autotune or heavy vocal effects. It sounds raw and simple, which is exactly what he wants.
His fast rapping style comes from classic hip-hop, but he’s not just copying the past: he has been mixing rap with electronic music since the late 1990s, so this sound is definitely quite natural for him.
The main song is a love story about a special woman, but the full project is really about making music freely. “When You Are Mine” is energetic, unconventional and proudly its own thing. It might not follow the rulebook, but that’s exactly why it stands out!
Peter Manning Robinson – “Bent Out of Shape”
It’s time to sit down and relax, as Peter Manning Robinson brings us that kind of piano track that hits you with a smile, even when you can tell there’s some real heavy stuff sitting just under the surface.
His single is called “Bent Out of Shape”: he wrote it after going through a proper rough patch, right alongside the world being completely chaotic. The whole vibe is like a super conscious choice to grab onto something lighter. The piano jumps and dances with this playful curiosity that’s super joyful and incredibly charming.
Don’t let that breezy feel fool you, though.. there’s serious skill flexing under the hood. We can definitely hear his classical roots mixing with those jazz instincts as the melody winds around. It sounds super conversational, like the piano is just thinking out loud.
Also, you must check out the music video, which follows a rocky relationship moving toward a fresh start, fitting the tune perfectly. At the end of the day, it’s a reminder that good vibes can still pop up in the middle of a mess, and honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what we need.
Tholly – “Moonlit Habit”
Right off the bat, “Moonlit Habit” hits you like that one track you play when life is completely spiraling. Instead of just crying over heartbreak, though, Tholly just dives straight into the messy aftermath: the unhealthy routines, brain-rot thoughts, and the uncomfortable reality check that you’re the one who needs to change.
The best hook is how the track tricks your brain: the melody is addictively catch-as-hell, but Tholly sounds totally stripped back, like he’s recording a late-night voice note to himself. You can still hear that rhythmic rap cadence there, but leaning into these melodic runs makes the whole thing feel way more exposed.
Plus, knowing he wrote this while actually putting his life back together, instead of just spiraling out, changes the whole game. It goes from “Why me?” to “Okay, who am I now?”.
Raw, catchy and genuinely personal, it’s a song about healing before you even realize that’s what you’re doing.
The Mess:Age – “LIGHT OF BLUE “Sugar Ocean Girl” “
The Mess:Age brings us a track that drops you straight into a prime summer headspace. “LIGHT OF BLUE ‘Sugar Ocean Girl’” has that easygoing, windows-rolled-down pop-rock feel that instantly makes us think of road trips and warm afternoon sun, even if summertime is close to an end.
Once you get past that initial catchy groove, though, you realize he’s actually playing a much bigger game. His writing is not just a generic beach track; he’s weaving in thoughts on unity, staying positive, and respecting the environment. All the ocean references end up adding this surprisingly deep layer, along with the beautiful arrangement.
And here, the message doesn’t get in the way of the music: the rhythmic guitars and upbeat tempo keep the energy high, giving you something fun and uplifting to sing along to while leaving you with a little food for thought afterwards!
Definitely got that outside-the-box personality, but that’s exactly what gives it its charm. Bright, hopeful, and incredibly catchy, it’s a feel-good track that’s actually got something to say.
Mondell – “Better Lately”
Okay, next track is gonna hit you like that feeling when you can finally breathe out and say, “Yeah, we’re actually good now”. Mondell comes off a brutal three-year hiatus, but he returns swinging with massive confidence and the weight of a real comeback story.
“Better Lately” features a Caribbean bounce that gives the beat a hypnotic groove, while his melodic flow elevates the track with its incredible style. The crazy part is that he didn’t even write these lyrics down.. He literally stitched the track together from raw voice memo freestyles, which is why every line goes over the beat in the most natural way. And that also shows exactly what kind of talent we’re talking about.
Knowing what he fought through to get here makes this track hit way more than our understanding.. This is no fake “everything’s perfect” story. It’s a victory lap from a guy who just refused to stay down and is coming back after three years looking hungrier than ever!
INSTAGRAM – TIKTOK – YOUTUBE – SOUNDCLOUD
Awaywhere – “New Misty Morning”
Awaywhere wakes us up with “New Misty Morning”, a track that feels like taking a walk through a vibrant dream world! There’s a super warm electronic energy, with plenty of glitchy and playful twists along the way.
The vocals by Lucy Rod really give the track a solid heart, even when Awaywhere starts chopping her voice in the production, making the whole thing extremely catchy. Just when you think the beat is going completely off the rails, her clean melody swoops back in to hold everything together. Featuring bright synths, quirky percussions, and a solid groove that completely skips those predictable EDM drops, the track really stands out from the generic stuff with its unexpected and incredibly unique vibes.
Honestly, so much electronic music tries to be edgy or futuristic, but this track goes in the exact opposite direction. It’s curious, uplifting, and to be fair, quite addictive. This track stands on its own as a colorful and addictive masterpiece that you guys can’t miss at all.
PLAYKNOW – “Is It So Hard To Be Good”
PLAYKNOW brings us a song that asks a pretty simple question, but kind of makes you stop and think: are we really making kindness that difficult?
“Is It So Hard To Be Good” is the latest creation by Norwegian songwriter Hans Petter Stormoen, a song that’s grown out of a fictional opinion piece about a world where outrage, division, and putting people down often get more attention than empathy. From there, that one question became the whole song.. and honestly, that’s an amazing concept.
But the best part, in our opinion, is the production: retro, smooth, catchy, blending Synth-Pop, New Wave, and Retro-Pop into a well-polished and nostalgic groove. It’s upbeat enough to pull you in without letting the message get lost. Actually, the only thing that’ll get lost here is you…. in the song!
A huge part of the magic comes from Kim Rysstad, with his distinctive vocals giving the song a genuine touch. He doesn’t just sing the message, he literally makes you feel it.
Warm, melodic, and surprisingly thoughtful, a beautiful feel-good track with something worth saying.
