With this new initiative, we want to offer a compass: a periodic look at the many strands of the music scene through our Spotify playlists, regularly updated by the Ondarock editorial team to highlight the most stimulating news. From pop without borders to rock that looks forward, from electronica to songwriting, up to jazz and more experimental territories, without forgetting our home scenes and the “dark” sounds to which we have always paid special attention. A real-time journey to explore and surprise yourself.
Rock and surroundings
Pop Music
Among our picks of the month you will find two records at the crossroads between pop and club music: the explosive “DÍA” by Ela Minus and the sparkling debut by Rose Gray. There will be much more dancing this year, both with the excellent return of FKA twigs and with Marie Davidson's new synth-pop album. 2025 will also be the year of the return of SPELLING (and “Portrait of My Heart” promises very well), Japanese Breakfast, Helen Ganya, the new Springsteen Sam Fender and SASAMI. In this month's pop selection we also find some old acquaintances: “Defense” is the new single from the music icon neo-psychedelia Panda Bear, “End Of The World” confirms Eddie Chacon's fervent second artistic life, while Damon Albarn lends his voice to DJ Koze and Tunng release a new collection of elegant folktronica. (Daniel Moore)
Dark corner
2025 has yet to take off, but this first glimpse of winter (including the inevitable tail end of 2024) is giving us a lot of valuable music linked to the darkest sounds: darkwave, post-punk and ebm-industrial, in addition to the blackest and darkest drifts of extreme metal. Among the new features in the lineup, the new single by stands out Ethel Cainthe bewitching goth-folk of Tristwch Y Fenywod and the presence of historical names such as Ulver And Care. (Paolo Chemnitz)
Electronics
The new productions by Aya, FKA Twigs, Ela Minus, Rose Gray and Kinoteki open our selection – constantly updated – on what has happened in recent months within the electro circuit, from the most well-known names to the niche ones. For dancing, but not only… (Claudio Lancia)
Songwriter
The Weather Station, Anna B Savage, Perfume Genius, Sharon Van Etten, Nadia Reid, Florist, Lucy Dacus are just some of the singer-songwriters who will accompany us this year with new music. We have already welcomed the first two with two resounding 8s on our pages, but the singles from the other upcoming albums all promise very well. Whether they move on dark cadences like “Megaloner” by Circuit des Yeux or exploit a folk backbone like “How do you want to be loved?” by Sophie Jamieson, these fifteen songs completely convinced me and, I imagine you have understood, I'm pretty HYPED for what is yet to come! (Daniel Moore)
Other sounds
January is always a transition phase so we find ourselves between recoveries of the past year and news published in recent days or just announced. On the one hand, the worthy works that made it to the final credits of 2024, among which we highlight the local duo Nistri-Panichi, the certainties of the guru Fennesz and our latest monthly section choices: Thaman S, Claire Rousay. On the other hand, the first interesting releases of 2025 – the excellent second performance by Laura Agnusdei stands out – and some important previews such as those by Tim Hecker and Stefano Pilia. (Peppe Trotta)
Italy
A handful of songs from Sanremo plus the new singles by Messa and C+C Maxigross open our Italy selection, followed by an excerpt from the recent publications signed by Laura Agnusdei and Giulia Impache, two of the most promising names of the new generation of artists on our pension… (Claudio Lancia)
Jazz
Drawn up at the end of January, the playlist is an opportunity to take a look at the most exciting releases of 2024. With the breadth that usually distinguishes our look at jazz: few limits, no orthodoxy, and attention above all to frontiers and contaminations, which have always been terrains from which jazz experimentation draws its lifeblood. Here is a selection that zigzags between Poland and Brazil, between Scandinavia and the Mediterranean, crossing Afrobeat, nu jazz, minimalism, wonky drifts, broken rhythms, intersections with electronics, post-hardcore, the most adventurous soul, even with classical Carnatic music. And, yes, that includes Kamasi Washington. (Marco Sgrignoli)
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
