As I sat down to listen to Ultra Stellaire’s latest EP SOUVENIRS LO-FI, I found myself asking a question that I didn’t expect to ponder in 2024: “Is lo-fi about to go mainstream?” It’s a bold claim, but SOUVENIRS LO-FI makes a strong case for it. Ultra Stellaire, a multi-talented artist with a deep passion for blending genres, is a creator who has already proven his range. From hip-hop to electro, he’s done it all. But lo-fi? This feels like the calm before the storm.

Let’s talk about this 4-track EP. Released under Waaavy Records—the label Ultra Stellaire founded—it feels like the kind of project you’d want to loop endlessly while sipping on an overpriced cup of coffee, pretending your life’s a melancholic movie scene. It’s got that perfect balance of nostalgia and future-facing production that hits the right emotional notes without trying too hard.

Now, let me tell you why SOUVENIRS LO-FI isn’t your typical background music. Sure, the lo-fi aesthetic is there—the warm instrumentals, laid-back beats, and subtle tape hiss that we’ve come to expect from the genre. But Ultra Stellaire adds his own twist, blending autotuned vocals with organic sounds in a way that feels more like a fusion than a cliché. It’s like taking a warm bath in someone else’s childhood memories while their subconscious tells you a secret you’re not supposed to hear.

The EP opens with hauntingly beautiful soundscapes that feel like a late-night conversation with yourself. But just when you think it’s safe to drift off into the abyss of your thoughts, Ultra Stellaire pulls you back in with his subtle use of vocal effects. You don’t expect it, but his autotuned voice and lo-fi guitar riffs create a balance that is both unsettling and comforting, like being hugged by a robot who somehow has a soul. This blend of synthetic and organic works surprisingly well, turning a simple lo-fi project into something more complex, layered, and, dare I say, mainstream-friendly?

You see, lo-fi is supposed to be low-effort—music for studying, chilling, or pretending you’re deep. But Ultra Stellaire is clearly putting in work here. There’s an intentionality in the way he manipulates his vocals to sound just “imperfect” enough. It’s not lazy production; it’s precision disguised as nonchalance. The beats aren’t just repetitive loops but thoughtfully composed backdrops that elevate the tracks beyond your typical Spotify lo-fi playlist.

By the time you get to the last track, you realize you’ve been tricked. You were expecting background noise, but what you got was a whole experience. It’s like you ordered a black coffee and ended up with an artisanal pour-over. The subtle use of autotune gives the project a futuristic edge while still maintaining that raw, analog charm lo-fi is known for. It’s almost as if Ultra Stellaire is saying, “Yes, I could make this mainstream, but I’ll let you believe it’s underground for a little longer.”

So, will Ultra Stellaire make lo-fi mainstream? I think we’re closer than we’ve ever been. His approach to blending vocals, beats, and organic instruments is something we haven’t seen much in lo-fi—and it’s exactly what could push the genre to a larger audience. Of course, there’s something inherently ironic about making lo-fi mainstream, but Ultra Stellaire’s not one to play by the rules. This EP is an experiment in pushing boundaries, and it’s working.

In the end, SOUVENIRS LO-FI is both a love letter to the lo-fi genre and a challenge to its limitations. Ultra Stellaire isn’t just making music for hipster cafés; he’s crafting something that could—and should—be heard by the masses. Whether or not lo-fi goes mainstream, one thing’s for sure: Ultra Stellaire is already there, waiting for the rest of us to catch up.