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Hey my indie friend,
Some moments ask us to slow down.
This one carries a farewell, to Katja T, a rare and generous presence in the indie world, and a shared winter pause, where music becomes a place to gather, quietly, without noise.
Later today, at 4pm Brussels time, Le Salon Indie de Mitxoda will open that space on the airwaves. To stay together. To let songs do what they do best at this time of year: offer warmth, connection, because indie music has always been about care, presence, and light.
Take a seat. Let the warmth settle.
You’re welcome here.
Because indie is also the simple refusal to let anyone feel alone.
Happy reading,
Love, Mitxoda
Goodbye Katja.
Katja T was one of those rare souls who quietly but profoundly shaped the indie world, the most Parisian of Finnish artists, carrying a deep love for France, the French language, and a poetic vision that resonated far beyond borders.
Her generosity, her creativity, and her unwavering support for fellow artists made her a pillar for communities like Zenerulett Rádio and My Indie Radio, and for countless musicians, listeners, and partners across the international indie scene.
Though she left us on December 11, 2025, her music, her words, and her light continue to circulate among us, carried by the very community she helped nurture. This tribute is written with gratitude and love, with heartfelt thanks to Muriel Bessmann for her words, and with my deepest condolences to Katja’s family and loved ones, from all of us who were lucky enough to cross her path.
Life is Game. Isn’t it?
Farewell, Katja.
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Longread: Christmas has a strange way of slowing the world down
Christmas has a strange way of slowing the world down, at least for a moment.
The noise softens, the edges blur, and time seems to breathe differently. In the indie world, this season carries a particular kind of magic: fragile, sincere, handmade. No glitter for the sake of glitter. Just songs, voices, and hearts reaching out in the dark, saying you’re not alone.
Later today, at 4pm Brussels time, these songs will find their way to the airwaves of Le Salon Indie de Mitxoda https://salon.mitxoda.be. Splendid musicians, each carrying their own story, their own scars and hopes, will gently shape a warm, comforting moment on the radio. Not a performance to impress, but a shared space to exist together. A sonic shelter, if you will.
So stay tuned. Let yourself sink into it. Let the warmth settle.
Because Christmas, indie or not, is not just about decorations or traditions. It’s about presence. It’s about remembering that, in essence, we are all part of the same fragile family. Sisters and brothers by circumstance, by geography, by chance encounters, by shared silences. Nobody should feel left at the edge of the street. Not today. Not now. Never.
And yet… here we are.
In Brussels, capital of Europe, more than 10,000 people are homeless. In 2025. That number lingers. It breaks the heart. How can that be possible, in a city of institutions, speeches, and grand ideals? How do we reconcile goodwill with desperate times? How do we stay human without becoming numb?
The questions are heavy. The malaise is real. And indifference is the real danger.
What we need is not abstract.
We need shelter, for every one of us.
We need bread. And water.
Or wine. Or beer.
And yes, joy. Above all, joy.
Because anger, when left alone, only breeds misfortune. It pushes people toward acts of desperation, toward violence against ghosts they don’t fully understand. Joy, on the other hand, disarms. It reconnects. It reminds us why we should care in the first place.
Whether you are religious or not, believer or skeptic, nothing should keep us from celebrating this moment together. Long before institutions claimed it, this time of year marked the solstice, a turning point. The quiet promise that the days will grow longer again. That the sun will return. That light, patiently, always finds its way.
This is what we celebrate.
The return of light.
The permission to slow down.
The calm, the peace, the deep breath we rarely allow ourselves.
The chance to reset, to rest, to reflect, to gather strength before starting anew.
Indie music understands this instinctively. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t rush. It sits next to you, on the floor, sharing a drink, sharing a silence. It reminds us that beauty doesn’t need permission, and hope doesn’t need perfection.
So wherever you are, however you celebrate,
I wish you warmth.
I wish you shelter.
A good meal.
And all the love you are allowed to receive, not just today, but all year long.
Happy holidays.
Whatever they mean to you.
Love, forever.
Mitxoda
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🎧 Eddie Keller — Un joyeux Noël même si
📅 2024-12-19 • 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
Rock | Thoughtful Songwriting
🔗 https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/track/2z478DnISBrr5H9WR0NXC0?si=e23bbaeb488a458d
More than a Christmas song, this track is a tribute to the 1914 Christmas Truce.
Eddie Keller reflects on a rare moment of humanity, when enemy soldiers stepped out of the trenches to fraternise.
Deep, moving, and reflective where compassion can survive even in the darkest times.
🎧 J&M Band — Lonesoul Rider
📅 2025-11-25 • 🇮🇹 Italy
Alternative Rock
🔗 https://open.spotify.com/track/7ABBdtAw8noUyjdYfPUY8K?si=eb1ce06b3a3f4bc7
Written while travelling from city to city, Lonesoul Rider captures the feeling of movement, solitude, and inner reflection.
A road-born song shaped by distance, transition, and the inspiration that only travel can bring.
🎧 Breakaway NE — Divides
📅 2025-12-12 • 🇬🇧 UK
Alternative Rock
🔗 https://open.spotify.com/track/0Nf9EwEZ3cZTZVKjLKcQ39?si=UTEfJH4xTzayWe7QOaUOKQ
A powerful song about the moment a relationship reaches the point of no return.
Divides explores realisation, fracture, and the question of whether reconciliation is possible, or if it’s time to start over without certain people.
🎧 Jay El Dee — O Holy Night
📅 2025-12-03 • 🇺🇸 USA
Pop | Holiday
🔗 https://open.spotify.com/track/5ysxkDFEeNB1ZgsS8fCP4y?si=TCWPV0tmQf2UXyd-n85bdw
A brand-new arrangement of the timeless Christmas classic.
Produced by Joshua Long, this version combines modern production with Jay El Dee’s layered vocals to create a warm, emotional, and contemporary holiday piece.
🎧 Cam Patterson — Peony’s Promise (Recomposed)
📅 2025-12-19 • 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Contemporary | Electronic / Orchestral
🔗 https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/campatterson/peonys-promise-recomposed
A thoughtful recomposition written for live musicians, including junior ensembles.
The central section has been reimagined to build tension and contrast, leading to a powerful brass-led crescendo.
A refined, carefully structured piece with strong emotional progression.
🎧 Cintale — Lit Xmas
📅 2024-12-11 • 🇺🇸 USA
Hip-Hop | Holiday
🔗 https://open.spotify.com/track/1EKStifL2XSGhFhMYiDZ3t?si=29ec3b02c3ac4409
A warm, nostalgic holiday track about Christmas growing up with family.
From shared meals to gifts under the tree, Lit Xmas celebrates togetherness, tradition, and joyful memories. My coup de coeur ❤
🎧 Nikola Zenko — Wish You the Best
📅 2026-01-09 • 🇫🇷 France
Folk | Indie
🔗 https://on.soundcloud.com/OJfsW2fZAaLMcTE1aG
A gentle folk song offering the other side of a breakup, the voice of the one who stays behind.
Wish You the Best is about support, acceptance, and understanding that sometimes there are no villains, just two paths drifting apart… the whole album to come will be splendid.
If you'd like to introduce your latest release, just click here to submit all the details. I’d love to hear about it! 😇 Submit your track here.
Historical Fact: When a 1994 Christmas Song Made Chart History Again
On December 19, 2020, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 once again, holding the top position through December 25, 2020, and further solidifying its unprecedented place in music history. Originally released in 1994, the song achieved something no other holiday track had ever done: it returned to the summit of the main singles chart more than 25 years after its release, driven entirely by modern streaming, digital sales, and radio airplay.
This 2020 run marked the song’s third separate year at #1 (2019, early 2020, and late 2020), highlighting how the streaming era reshaped chart dynamics and allowed seasonal classics to compete directly with new releases. With this achievement, Mariah Carey became the first artist in history to score a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in four different decades, reinforcing her unique longevity and cultural impact.
Beyond the charts, the December 2020 milestone reflected a broader cultural moment: during a year defined by global uncertainty and isolation, the song became a symbol of comfort, nostalgia, and collective celebration. Its annual resurgence transformed it from a successful holiday single into a recurring cultural event, often referred to as the moment when “Christmas officially begins” in popular music.
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Until Next Week: Light Always Find Its Way Back
May this season remind us to slow down, to stay present, and to care, for ourselves and for others.
Light always finds its way back.
So does music.
Wherever you are, you belong.
With love,
🖤 Mitxoda
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