2025

International

Finish Line

PROJECTTAGABOUTCOMPLETEDCITYREGIONCOUNTRYLINK
AMUCElectronicI had simulation theory and spaceships on the mind when I created this. The music is a mix of rigidly programmed electronica along with some improvised work (via knob-turning and crossbreeding audio files until something interesting happens). I did play a track in real-time on the keyboard as well - that was fun. The album title and art came from a strange dream I had.AlbumWorcesterMassachusettsUSALINK
Death And The PoetessFolkWe set out to share a 'dirge wave,' acoustic experience that may bring some rest to those feeling agitated in the current epoch. We were influenced by tarot, The Brothers Grimm, and poet Edward Lear. The album start to finish can be listened to as a lightly meant Hypnosis Induction/guided sleep talk-down experience, as well as a weirdeval, neofolk romp.EPBostonMassachusettsUSALINK
ficklebirdIndieSpare room recording solo project, with acoustic and electric guitar, upright and electric bass. Surprise guest vocals by my son.SingleMelroseMassachusettsUSALINK
IndestinationRockI started out wanting to make a chill record with drum machines and surf guitar. I ended up in a dystopian nightmare of synths, distortion and an unshakeable feeling of dread.AlbumWalthamMassachusettsUSALINK
Last BandMetalLast Band was the creation of two like-minded artists in 2009, submitting an album for RPM that year. 15 years later finds the two still making killer jams together and learning a thing or two.EPBostonMassachusettsUSALINK
leaving lostAmbientmy brain wouldn't shut up about all the horrible things going on in the world right now, so i made weird, uneasy music about it. made primarily from ancient files databent using audacity, bits of guitar from other abandoned projects, software synth from surge xt, a couple of pedals and some weird adaptersEPWorcesterMassachusettsUSALINK
Rob ParkerRock13 rock songs. Some in odd time signatures, some with lots of 12-string guitar, some with some saxophone, lots of electric guitar and vocal harmoies.AlbumMethuenMassachusettsUSALINK
Sean LebrunJazzThis was a collaboration with some friends. We took a song that had all the bones and just needed the dressing. I love the result.SingleSalisburyMassachusettsUSALINK
SmokeyVWExperimentalI experimented with writing a mass/spring/damper computer model. The intent was to use it to make a moderately large model to create sounds. I learned a lot about these sorts of models and how notoriously unstable they can be. The big battle for me was damping the network just enough to prevent run-away feedback, but not so much as to make static, unchanging sounds. I have lots more work to do on this. I got some reasonable bell-like sounds and a few crazy chaotic ones. I used what I had to create two songs. "Back And Birds" mixes a conventional bass instrument (in Garageband) with an unusual rhythm, plus some drums, a field recording of birds heard out my window, and one sound from the computer model played twice. "Evolving Bells" is made entirely for sounds made by my computer model. I cross-faded them in Garageband.SingleBostonMassachusettsUSALINK
squelchSynthWe wrote a synthwave inspired track with the intention to create a beat map for it in the VR rhythm game Synth RidersSingleSaugusMassachusettsUSALINK
TotoRobynAmbientThis album is a purely ambient journey using synthesizers. The majority of this album was composed from modular synthesis with an emphasis on various effects. This album is special to me because one of my goals in 2024 was to learn modular synthesis and find how my style of ambient applies to this format.AlbumBostonMassachusettsUSALINK
Walter NoonsSinger-SongwriterEleven songs - quasi Bossa NovaAlbumBostonMassachusettsUSALINK
Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken ToysIndieTWENTY Years of RPM and Counting A note from Edrie: Twenty years ago, the RPM Challenge kicked off an artistic fever dream that’s still raging. It’s how Walter and I met, and since then, February has been a month of absolute chaos, creativity, and major life moments—our daughter Wednesday (now 10!) was born, plays were premiered, jobs were lost (and found),homes were packed and unpacked, weddings were thrown, snowstorms were battled, and yes, albums were made. No matter what, we always found time to make some noise. In 2023, Walter hit pause on BUNKER BUDS, our daily dystopian talk show built to bring some joy into the end-times. By 2024, they were back, and in 2025, BUNKER BUDS has become an essential life force in these times of hardship for our community. It stands as a beacon of love and acceptance, fighting fascism with love and tentacles—because art, music, and resistance are always intertwined. Now, let’s talk about our 20th RPM album, Brick Through A Limousine. This one’s a big one—twenty years of albums, twenty years of mischief, and twenty years of the best damn people making it all worthwhile. And this year? It’s got a special touch—Wednesday, who’s been part of nine albums in all kinds of ways, is making her violin debut on The Dust Moat Atmosphere. She’s been absorbing music her whole life, and now she’s in the mix, bow in hand, carving out her own sound. Also, if you’re wondering why we didn’t release this on February 28th—it’s because we stood in solidarity with the BUY NOTHING protest against the economic and cultural brutality being inflicted upon us. We refused to participate in a system that thrives on exploitation and suffering. So we held off. And now, on March 1st, we come bearing noise, love, and a whole lot of tentacles. To RPM, to the artists who keep showing up, and to everyone who keeps making weird, wonderful things in the face of whatever madness the world throws at us—thank you. Let’s keep making noise. Love & Tentacles Edrie, Walter, Wednesday, and the Broken Toys March 1, 2025 www.patreon.com/WalterAliceSickert instagram.com/armyoftoys twitter.com/armyoftoys facebook.com/armyoftoys myspace.com/armyoftoys ARMYOFTOYS.comAlbumTownsendMassachusettsUSALINK
Zach KaasExperimentalI set out to make a healing album. I wanted to make music that could theoretically end up on a psychedelic medicine playlist, however what comes out of me is usually a lot of dark, insidious, and jarring vibes, so I'm not sure that would go very well. Being exceedingly busy left me with only about 4 days to complete the whole project. I booked time in a diy studio and recorded a few hours of material (videoed it too, just in case I want to do something with it later),and proceeded to come home to edit and overdub synthesizers. Recorded in Logic, but all the creative work was done in Ableton. Somehow managed to use no software instruments!AlbumBostonMassachusettsUSALINK
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