November was a great month for bangers. A nice bit of variety, too. Here's my faves for the month:

1) VERTIGO by @Wood3nLeaFMusic

• It's such a great feeling when a song clicks for you within the first few seconds of playing. A wildly addictive chord progression, some punchy, intense mixing, lots of variety, beautiful vocals, and a viral sense of energy. You can't not bob your head to this one.

2) Hyper Link by @EX-LYD & @Sunnexo

• Another one of those "instant love" songs. An absolutely feral sense of energy is on display here, tied together with beautiful ambient melodies and some fancy synthwork all around. A wonderful chiptune ambient break makes its appearance about 2/3 into the song. The overall mix is hard and aggressive without feeling like it's weighing you down.

3) PEDAL TO THE METAL by @DPZ0

• This song is a wonderful fusion of dark/synthwave and house music. A pleasant array of samples throughout. The bass is nice and gross. Love the way the vocals are chopped and bitcrushed. Short and sweet, with lots of energy to boot.

4) GRIST by @ADR3-N, @SkankyMojo & @ShayInator

• So, confession time. I don't really like political songs. I feel like it is difficult to make a political song that is saying something profound other than the usual "hey rich people are dicks and poor people are getting screwed." That's not to say this is an unimportant or nonexistent issue, but it's kind of "low-hanging fruit" as far as subject matter. So what makes for a good political song, in my opinion? It's being a good song. Your song is the trojan horse through which you deliver your message to others. You make a good song, and your message will go far. So, to hop off my soapbox for a second, this song is incredibly catchy. The 90s new-jack esque style is executed very well here, the chorus is catchy, the lyrics have some genuinely clever hooks and the vocals are delivered with confidence and nicely-mixed.

5) Welcome To the Show (Feat. Kasane Teto) by @Kreagato

• Another high-octane song, this one is a nice mix of Eastern-style progression and Western-style aggression. Apparently the vocalist here is some kind of vocaloid program? While I don't know much about those kinds of tools, I honestly would not have guessed this was a synthetic voice. It's programmed in a way that feels fairly natural without losing its exotic, processed edge. Percussion is catchy, too.

6) Like That by @SVRGE & Cake Life

• A nice traditional-sounding House song. The buildup gets your attention, but oh man, that drop really takes you places. You know that one meme song from a few years ago that all the egirls and femboys would do hip-swaying vids to? Yeah, it hits like that, and it's viciously addictive to hear.

7) Violuric Acid by @chipsqueek

• I have a nostalgic soft spot for songs that mix traditional electronica with world instruments. If you've ever played SimCity 4 or just remember the year 2000, this song should feel right at home for you. Ridiculously catchy percussion. This song is packed to the brim with exotic samples and synths without losing focus or cohesion.

8) shopping in H&M be like by @Bunchie

• You know another thing I have a nostalgic soft spot for? That 2000s thing of jazzy house music playing against fashion-related content. Very weirdly specific, I know. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this song is a great evolution on Californian "haute couture" vibes, featuring a very strong repertoire of samples and a boppy, jazzy beat with some strong yet restrained percussion.

9) Aethergenesis by @debisco

• You know, I think I'm picking up a pattern here. We've got another song drawing nostalgically from an idyllic time in my youth, and this time its ps1-style jungle/techno. This song combines ethereal backing chords with some period-appropriate synths, pleasant orchestral hits and some solid percussion at a great tempo. A love letter to 32-bit game music.

10) taste nothing by @NEK0BABY

• I really love deep, dark ambient stuff. Something about how their melodic simplicity hides a staggering depth of complexity through the use of intricate FX stacks and mixing tricks. You really need to just play this song and sit and let it absorb you. Don't skip around on the waveform, just sit there and let yourself experience it from the beginning, because it will wash over you organically. The percussion is chill and punchy without obstructing the experience; the rails for the trip, you could say. Some nice garbled vocals throughout and a muted yet driving bassline complete the experience here.

As always, I've compiled a playlist of these songs here. Check out these artists' pages and give them ratings if you like their stuff! Looking forward to December for sure. And don't worry, I'm cooking up a veritable feast of music on my end. ;)

ALSO, I'd like to give an honorable mention to the song Synergy to Your Own Grave by @TeffyD. Not since the days of Train's song "Hey, Soul Sister" has a song so effectively convinced me to die on the inside and give up on life. <3