Have You Noticed Spotify Feels… a Bit Too Good?
Don’t get me wrong—Spotify is my go-to tool for discovering new music these days.
But before algorithms ruled everything, my musical journey started much more manually.
I used to spend late nights taping Hed Kandi shows and Jazz FM onto cassettes for my daily long coach ride to school. That journey wasn’t just about getting from A to B—it became my personal music academy, where I’d lose myself in sounds that somehow felt like they’d been made just for that moment in my life.
There’s a certain intensity you feel when you’re younger—when music hits you in ways that seem harder to reach as you get older. Maybe it’s the overstimulation, the information overload, or just the grind of daily life that dulls that connection.
Algorithms: Both a Gift and a Trap
Let’s be honest, the algorithm is incredible. It knows my taste, my quirks, my audio fingerprint. It serves up track after track of music I’m almost guaranteed to enjoy.
But the longer I use it, the more it feels… predictable.
Like I’m stuck in a loop of musical déjà vu—comfortable, but not surprising.
And isn’t that the point of music?
To challenge you, move you, shift your perspective?
Have You Tried Escaping the Algorithm?
Spotify’s search function is massively underused.
Millions of tracks, just waiting to be typed in manually.
User-created playlists—not the polished editorial ones—can open new doors too.
Still, I find myself circling back to the same vibes, no matter how hard I try to break free.
Even music forums feel like echo chambers sometimes, with the same classics getting reposted over and over.
Imagine a True Shuffle…
Wouldn’t it be amazing if Spotify had a “Quantum Shuffle” button?
Something that ignores your history and throws you into the deepest corners of its massive library?
While I can’t build that, I can promise you this:
Here on Wax Waves, I’ll do my best to post a real mix—a buckshot spray of sounds you might not expect, and maybe won’t even like.
Because that’s how your taste grows.
What I’ve Tried So Far to Rediscover Music
Here are a few tools and methods I use to escape my algorithm bubble:
- Record Collector Magazine
I scan the review pages and search for each artist manually on Spotify. - BBC 6 Music
Now and then they’ll drop something that stops me in my tracks. - World Music & Global Charts
A window into sounds you won’t find on the mainstream radar. - Bandcamp & SoundCloud
Great platforms, but they can also narrow you into a niche if you’re not careful. - YouTube Deep Dives
Lately, I’ve been loving random rabbit holes that take me way off my usual path.
Let Me Know Your Tricks
Have you tried escaping the algorithm?
If you have, did it work? Or did you find yourself back in the comfort zone?
Drop a comment or check out more of our music discovery posts and musical vibes of the week to keep your ears open and your playlists fresh.
Until next time, happy listening—off the grid.
