The Living Music List #38: On Starting

When every new beginning is a success, we gain the courage to keep moving forward

Currently listening to: Inertia by Melted Form

Debuts are frightening, exhillarating moments. Painfully innate is our fear of transition and our resistance to change. Be it doubt, trauma, or simple inertia, we cling to both the past and present like life preservers amid the choppy wake of the future that constantly propels us into unfamiliar, uncomfortable territory.

I am riding that wave here and now. You’re listening to Inertia, the first single from my very first LP, Dyschronometria. For years, I have put off releasing my first full-length record. It was almost entirely recorded 4 or 5 years ago, which is so bizarre to consider. There are many reasons why I’ve held back on sharing it for so long, but honestly, none of them matter. I’m starting now, with this, the first song in the tracklist, exclusively released here in this newsletter (for now—a Bandcamp release is coming soon). I hope you enjoy it.

Reflection

Hello, friend.

What do you consider to be success? When do you feel ready to celebrate a win?

So often, we think of success, of winning, of achievement and fulfilment, as end goals. Destinations. Results.

In a way, they are all of those things. But we don’t talk enough about the success we achieve when starting.

Success is an iterative process. As we pursue something, our journey is dotted with multiple successes throughout. Think of the actions you take to accomplish any goal as points on a not-so-straight line between two endpoints: the beginning and the end, Point A to Point B.

Point A to Point B, acrylic ink on paper, artwork by Maura

In between those two endpoints lie all the steps, however minute they may be, that you take to travel between the start and end of the process. Every single point on that trail represents an iteration of your work—an individual moment of success propelling you towards a larger, more meaningful culmination of your efforts.

The thing I want to focus on today, though, is Point A—the start. All of those subsequent points, those subsequent successes, only exist because Point A does. Starting is underrated as hell (and I’m aware that sounds silly as hell).

Chris Bennett (

Coach Bennett

), the Nike Running Global Head Coach who also writes and podcasts on Substack, once wrote about how it took him 20+ years to finally start podcasting. He is a distance runner, a coach, and a goddamn inspirational speaker for a living, and still, for decades, he wrestled with doubt that tied his shoes together and held him back from crossing a starting line which he deeply desired to cross. In a 2023 article titled Starting Lines, he wrote:

But the reality is that the first stride was really hard to take. And the longer I stood there on that line the heavier my legs got. The tighter my chest felt. The more awkward my stance seemed. The less impressive what I had to say sounded to me. The weaker I felt. The more I doubted whether I could even get across that starting line. The more terrifying what lay on the other side of the line looked. 20 years will do that. And the safer this side of the line became. The problem with this side of the line is that if you aren’t willing to cross the starting line then the only direction you can move is backwards. In order to move forward you need to cross a starting line.

Doubt is the enemy of progress, and therefore, the enemy of success. I’m certain you’ve seen celebrities and artists you admire speak in interviews about what led to one of their creations coming into the public eye, and their answers are almost always something along the lines of, “I just did it. I had to do it. I didn’t care what anyone else thought. Fuck it, right?”

Reaching the level of self-assurance required to say that requires a major effort in its own right. Maybe Coach Bennett would even chuckle at the iconic Nike mantra hiding in that sentiment. Perhaps it isn’t always self-assurance, however, or a lack of shame or self-doubt. Maybe, finding the courage to start can be rooted in celebrating every beginning just as meaningfully as every ending.

Ouroboros, tempera on paper, by Andrey

The cycle of action we undertake throughout our lives is well represented by the Ouroboros—the snake consuming its own tail. Every ending is also a beginning, just like how every beginning is an ending. Every ending is a new starting line (that’s another thing Coach Bennett mentions in many a guided run).

If we choose to celebrate just starting something new the way we celebrate finishing the work and achieving our goals, we will begin to view success very differently. We will view ourselves differently.

We will beat back doubt and become more confident in our compounding successes, realizing that we try despite our doubts. We will all but eradicate the fear of failure from our lives, recognizing that an effort made is a success gained. Isn’t that worthy of a positive mindset? For mistakes are only the small points along the line that, once examined beyond face value, had lead to pivots—other choices to change—and therefore, our mistakes amount to winning as long as we learn from them and keep on keeping on.

Whatever you want to do, just start. The only thing we truly stand to lose in life is time—all else is superficial and replaceable. Once you set things in motion, feel no shame and take joy in your leap of faith.

Try. Go. Start. Succeed.

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Music Recommendations

Hello again, friend.

Thank you for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed the reflection—and I hope you feel inspired to start something new today, like listening to a new album, perhaps? I’ve got a few for you below.

Let’s get started! Happy listening.

The Living Music List—Ambient

Note: All of the below ambient projects are available on Bandcamp. Bold and ^ denote reader-submitted work.

1. A Quiet Unease by HERE (album / electroacoustic, minimalist) [Slowcraft Records / Bandcamp]^

2. For LA, Vol. 3 by Keith Kenniff + Hollie Kenniff (compilation / variety of subgenres within ambient, electronic, modern classical) [Independent / Bandcamp]

   {Note: This is a benefit album with all proceeds going to We Are Moving The Needle and GiveDirectly, empowering frontline organizations dedicated to relief and recovery for families affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.}

3. I Wish There Was a Place Like That by Polypores (album / electronic, modular synth) [quiet details / Bandcamp]

4. Whatever The Weather II by Whatever The Weather (album / experimental, field recordings) [Ghostly International / Bandcamp]

   {Note: This is somewhat IDM-influenced with some minimal, gritty, off-kilter beats occasionally popping up, but is very ambient throughout}

5. Wind Rust by zakè & Almøst Silent (album / drone, minimalist) [Zakè Drone Recordings / Bandcamp]

6. Glacial Drift by rhubiqs (EP / drone, dark ambient) [Independent / Bandcamp] {Note: Part II also features Joachim Spieth of the label AFFIN}

7. Instinctive Drift:Cinematic/Ambient pieces 2020-2024 by Ciaran Mulhall (album / lofi, experimental) [Neotantra / Bandcamp]

The Living Music List—All Genres

Note: All of the below projects are available on major streaming services. Reminder: Bandcamp links only provided for reader-submitted work in the all genres list.

1. country music by marcy the baptist (single / indie pop) [Independent / Bandcamp]^

2. raat ki rani (Khruangbin Remix) by Arooj Aftab & Khruangbin (single / jazz)

3. Every Life Is A Light by Joni Void (album / experimental electronic)

4. FAKE MOON by cleopatrick (album / alt indie)

5. Una Oportunidad mas de triunfar en la vida by Los Piranas (album / worldwide instrumental)

6. Return To Zero by Neal Francis (album / rock)

7. Lust for Life, Or: ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side’ by Courting (album / alternative)

8. Hamptons by Nebulae Waves (EP / electronic)

9. SONGS I LIKE IN 2025 by Cavetown (EP / alternative)

10. Georgie by Twin Shadow (album / alternative)

11. Anthem by 44th Move, Alfa Mist, & Richard Spaven (album / jazz rap)

12. In Light by Charlie Cunningham (album / folk)

13. The Love Pretender (feat. Jeff Mills, Gerald Mitchell, Yumiko Ohno & KENJI ‘JINO’ HINO) by Spiral Deluxe (album / nu-jazz)

14. Moving Parts by Kaisa’s Machine (album / jazz)

15. What if I break up with u ? by Iliona (album / french pop)

16. Halo On The Inside by Circuit des Yeux (album / industrial pop)

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The Press Box

No feature this week, but a heads up on a couple of albums coming soon courtesy of our friends at Black Knoll Editions, Umor Rex, and AFFIN. Stay tuned for more info on both of these releases in the coming weeks.

• Música Aperta by Nicolás Melmann [Umor Rex] — Out April 4, 2025

• Nocturna by Joachim Spieth & Andrew Thomas [AFFIN] — Out April 4, 2025

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Join the Hum, Buzz, & Hiss Community

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That’s all for this week’s issue. Thank you for reading. Until next time.

Your friend,

Melted Form

Remember to listen to the hum, buzz, & hiss of the world around you—there is music to be heard there.

Read the previous issue of The Living Music List:

The Living Music List #37: On Irrationality

Afterword—Let’s Get In Touch

Are you an artist, a label owner, or a member of the press? Want to share an in-depth feature of your upcoming release, an advertisement, or a guest post for a future Hum, Buzz, & Hiss issue? Get in touch with me at meltedform@gmail.com. As always, I would love to hear and recommend your music, especially if it’s new and ambient/electronic/experimental.