Beyond The Mainstream: Youtube - Part 2

Four years ago, I got pretty good numbers from a story about my non-Top 40 music tastes, in an article called Beyond The Mainstream, and you can click the link to read it if you'd like. But I figured that it's been years and my tastes have expanded, so what could be better than to make a sequel article to that one, and show off all the new and amazing music channels I've been loving for the past couple of years? We've got a lot here ranging from more synthwave to new favorites like hardwave and metal-electro!

1. Aim To Head Mix

These guys I've been listening to the most, and have been subscribed to for a couple of years now. They have some amazing mixes that span a broad range of genres that I'm not getting on the radio. I was actually looking for nu-metal mixes when they popped up with like, three different options, and I never looked back. They mostly deal with "dark" mixes- so dark clubbing, dark electro, dark cyberpunk, etc. In fact, you could sort of group them in terms of music and talent with a channel from my first list, Vibes: ZERO! There are three different Aim To Head channels, including this one, all done by the same team though. There's Aim To Head official which creates copyright free music for anyone's use, and Aim To Head Release that focuses on promoting artists from their label.

Like, their mixes make me feel so cool? Kind of seductive, a little edgy, so I have to be careful choosing what mix I listen to before I start making weird "Revenge of the Sith" pouts whilst driving. But for some immediate recommendations; I absolutely love their Drown series (one of which is posted here), and Creeping Deadly, which was the first mix I'd ever listened to from them. Trust me, you want some hardcore vibes for this Spooky Season, or just at any time of the year, do yourself a favor and subscribe to this channel!

2. Retrowave Cinema

Now if you know my work, you know I love retrowave and synthwave. It's my heart's blood, my soul's glow- it makes me feel oh so good. And if you read my first Beyond list, you might be thinking, "If you've seen one synthwave channel, you've seen them all," right?

Incorrect. Disgusting. Shameful.

THIS channel? Gives you a little extra sweetness to those awesome tracks, by combining the beauty of sound with the majesty of 80's flicks. You're getting little music videos made with love, featuring classic films like "Bright Lights, Big City", "Prince of Philadelphia", and "Career Opportunities." Movies that, for all that I love 80s films and pick those to watch as they play, I'd never even heard of. So I'm getting not just a film education, but some quality music to go along with it. Honestly, highly recommend as a channel you can put on for background noise and lovely visuals whenever you've got some busy work that needs doing.

3. Communion After Dark

I don't recall what, exactly, I was searching up to get this channel. I know definitely it was fall of 2020 . . . I was determined to do some elaborate decorations and needed some music to blast while I glued, cut, and painted. I think I was looking up Halloween mixes, and had to sort through a bunch of videos that didn't quite fit before Youtube took pity on me and blessed me with this.

Communion After Dark is a group of DJs (shoutout to DJ Maus!) who love what they do and what they listen to, chat casually, and have drinks! There are also guest DJs who appear, and after every few songs or a set, they'll tell you who and what just played and where you can purchase their EP or album. They have some excellent artists on there from various countries, and it honestly is a radio show that's been recorded so you can catch it on Youtube, and I love it. Just pick any of their videos and you are going to have a great time.

4. CloudKid

This was another Halloween find, in 2021! Cloudkid is dedicated to showcasing artists who aren't so well known right now, but what I love is how many times I'll go on there and immediately clock a TikTok song (and I don't even have a damn account on that thing). What sparked my interest was the funky little thumbnail, and then when I clicked on it, I thought it was so cute how some video titles were just emojis; the ghost emoji, skull emoji, etc.

The whole list was a ton of fun, and I think I've only managed to listen to the whole thing in one sitting once. If you're a fan of a different sound, smooth beats and great vocals, honestly this is a fantastic channel to have. CloudKid is always putting up something new, but I will confess that their 2021 Halloween playlist is what I most often go back to.

Well I hope I've managed to give you all some new music to try out, or at least some new channels to subscribe to if you're way ahead of my music tastes. Let me know how you liked these channels if you tried them, and enjoy this Halloween season coming up!