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flyingfish is a 15-year-old phenomenon, taking the internet by storm with his modern shoegaze creations. He started posting on TikTok in early 2023, using his song “wonder if u care” as a backtrack to meme slideshows, quickly hooking the indie community on the ambient rage of the guitar instrumental. The track has since surpassed 6.5 million streams on Spotify alone and landed placements on prestigious playlists like Lorem, All New Indie, and IRL. 

flyingfish’s music lives in the same sonic universe as bands like Deftones and Loathe, leaning into texture to create rock arrangements that are largely wordless yet still flush with emotion. He’s in those artful beginning stages that we so rarely get to witness at the top of artists’ careers—the equal hesitation and daringness that comes with the exploration of the unknown.

The artist's sophomore EP, the way night falls, embody this stage of flyingfish’s artistry, painting a portrait of raw, unbridled discovery in motion. The opening track, "wildflower," lasts less than a minute, consisting of only two main instrumental parts: dissonant acoustic guitar strumming and an electric riff. “wildflower” is intentionally built, inviting listeners into the world of flyingfish with deliberate space for the sound to blossom. But similarly, it’s a fresh creation. Listeners can hear the excitement of the artist’s growing passion in the pointed pluck of the electric guitar riff. 

Following “wildflower” is “blurry,” one of the heaviest tracks on the EP and another that demonstrates the artist’s expressiveness. There’s a certain kind of catharsis in the song’s simultaneously cyclical yet unrestricted flow. The drums ebb in and out of urgency, opening the hi hat- to add dimension to the progression. Meanwhile, the guitars lean into distortion to create a wall of static that fills every corner of the track. 

“windowsill” comes next, picking up the pace and giving listeners a rare peak at flyingfish’s vocals, low and mournful, hinting at midwest emo influence. “highschool” is the most emotionally turbulent track, using thick stacks of vocal ambiance to build the velvet curtain of sound. Finally, “forest green” closes out the EP, shrouding flyingfish’s vocals in reverb and leaving listeners with an overall sense of moody bitterness. 

Orchestrated by flyingfish’s colorfully distorted palette of sounds, the way night falls is like the backdrop of a memory—vibrant and tinged with shoegaze static. Listeners should be watching flyingfish now to witness a budding artist artfully soundtracking the start of his career. 

Listen to the way night falls below: