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Lo-Fi Music: From Background Beats to a Cultural Movement

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If you spend any time online, whether it’s on YouTube, Spotify, or even TikTok, you’ve probably stumbled upon Lo-Fi beats without even realizing it. It usually comes with a looping animation: a girl in headphones, a glowing desk lamp, maybe rain outside the window. The music is mellow, steady, and just imperfect enough to feel human. Lo-Fi started as a small corner of the internet, something producers were putting together with inexpensive gear, raw samples, and old vinyl textures. Yet, over the years, it’s quietly turned into one of the most listened-to genres in the world. What was once “just background noise” is now part of global youth culture. What Makes Lo-Fi Different Lo-Fi literally means “low fidelity”, music that carries imperfections. Instead of hiding crackles, hisses, or tape warmth, producers embrace them. Those flaws become part of the character. The result is music that feels cozy, lived-in, and approachable. Unlike fast-paced pop or aggressive EDM, Lo-Fi doesn’t compe...
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The Psychology of Sound: Why Certain Chords Make Us Feel Deep Emotions

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We’ve all been there, a song comes on, and suddenly you’re not just hearing it, you’re feeling it. Maybe it takes you back to a childhood memory, or maybe the sound just makes your chest tighten and you don’t even know why. That’s the strange beauty of music. It bypasses logic and speaks straight to the part of us that feels. For me, music has always been more than just background noise. It’s been a kind of companion, sometimes a mirror when I needed to face myself, sometimes an escape when things got heavy. The psychology of sound is something I’ve grown fascinated with because it explains, at least partly, why certain chords and songs resonate so deeply. And for me, it ties directly into my own journey with mental health. The Psychology of Sound: Why Music Resonates    Music has a unique way of reaching into our emotions. Sometimes just a tiny tune can flip your whole mood. Scientists say our brain releases dopamine when we hear certain melodies. That’s the same chemical th...
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Ben Ruppel’s “Daydreams” Is a Melodic Patchwork of the Past—and It Works

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  Ben Ruppel’s “Daydreams” Is a Melodic Patchwork of the Past—and It Works Watch “Daydreams” on YouTube Ben Ruppel—musician, producer, and the voice behind the Hustle and Grind blog —has just released his latest track, “Daydreams,” and it’s short, melodic, and surprisingly reflective. In just under a minute, the track manages to capture what feels like a long walk through memory, delivered in a tight melodic rap that blends style with substance. But there’s more to this one than just the beat and bars. According to Ben: “I took parts of different hooks I wrote for myself in the past and patched them together, creating a melodic journey into my style and sound.” And that’s exactly what “Daydreams” feels like. It’s a collage—a sonic scrapbook of moments from earlier in his career, repurposed and re-energized into something new. The vocals are smooth and confident, sitting neatly on top of a mellow, polished beat that leaves just enough room for his lyrics to breathe. There’s nothin...
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Love Train Megamix – Stream the Full Mix on Mixcloud

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       Here is the "Love Train Megamix" Embed from Mixcloud and the link is as follows: https://www.mixcloud.com/benruppel/love-train-megamix/ “Love Train Megamix” is a dj mix of a lot of tracks I’ve recorded over the years. It represents a culmination of music I’ve made over the past decade or so. It’s a collection that spans over a variety of different recording techniques and styles I’ve adopted.  Here is the track list for the mix: 1. Intro 2. Get It Off 3. Life Is A Beautiful Dream 4. Love Train 5. Miss You 6. Monkey Business 7. Noah 8. Pull You In 9. Roaming 10. Strength 11. This That 12. Wonder Why Each track has its own style and was recorded in a unique way. For example, “Get It Off” was recorded using a Roland MC101 groove box, with sounds from a variety of sound kits, while sequencing different hardware gear. Another track, “Strength,” was recorded simply in Fl Studio. In this way, each track has its own unique way of being recorded. This was done th...
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Behind the Tracks: “Gotta Let It Go” and “You Left Me Low”

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  Behind the Tracks: “Gotta Let It Go” and “You Left Me Low” The highs, the re-uploads, and everything in between. Creating music is rarely a straight line—and for Benjamin, the road to releasing “Gotta Let It Go” and “You Left Me Low” was full of lessons, late-night second guesses, and a couple of re-uploads too many. These two tracks are a step forward for him—not just in sound, but in process. Normally, he records everything in his bedroom, building tracks from scratch in a DIY setup. But this time was different. After putting together the beats at home, Benjamin actually went to a studio to record vocals , something he hadn’t done before. The vibe was different, the stakes were higher, and yeah—so was the pressure. The two songs showcase different energies but share the same DNA: both were mixed entirely by Benjamin himself. And that’s where things got messy—in the most human way. The Tracks “You Left Me Low” ▶ Listen on YouTube This track is a moody, emotionally charged pi...
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From Acid Hip-Hop to Indie Rock: A Journey Through Benjamin's Sonic Experiments

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  From Acid Hip-Hop to Indie Rock: A Journey Through Benjamin's Sonic Experiments Few musical journeys are as unpredictable and raw as Benjamin's. He started out in the world of acid hip-hop and experimental dance beats—posting early tracks to Hulkshare —and over time drifted toward a more indie rock-inspired sound. What makes his path interesting isn’t just the shift in genre, but the DIY attitude he carried through it all. Looking back, it’s clear his uploads to Hulkshare and Indiesound were more than just song drops. They were checkpoints in a bigger creative evolution. Two tracks — “Flowers” and “Memories” —really stand out and give us a glimpse into what he was going through musically and personally during that time. The Hulkshare Days: Indie Rock Without Rules When you listen to his early stuff on Hulkshare , you can tell Benjamin was experimenting—just figuring things out by ear. He wasn’t working in a key, didn’t know music theory, and just played guitar and keyboa...
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