Consumerism
Vinted Proudly Cashing in on Late Stage Capitalism in 2026
There is a growing list of symptoms of late stage capitalism in the western world, and the latest I’ve come across is the platform Vinted.
Author: Chad Lewine
Chad Lewine is the founder of and prime contributor to The Illus Caden. His work transcends industrial and institutional silos, standing at the convergence of metaphysics, music & art and the world wide web.
Industry Watchdog
The Complex Addiction Mobile Games Have Become and Their Profiteers
I played Hole Stars for a few weeks, then for two days straight. I still couldn’t earn the damn coat from the Dreamy Closet.
Commentary
Someday Has Begun, Pt. 1 – A Critical Look
Someday Has Begun, Pt. 1 is a sterile imitation of We Are The World, full of vague platitudes with an odd arrangement over a cheap and bland, yet somehow overproduced musical production.
Industry Watchdog
Daisy Chain Fields vs. Lilith Fair [Charge Comparison]
The Daisy Chain Fields music festival has drawn comparison to Lilith Fair, but how do the messages in the songs compare?
Industry Watchdog
The Egoic Lie That Is The Times Square Billboard Video Trend
The "OMG I'm on a billboard in Times Square" viral video trend is an ego trip and nothing more.
Artificial Intelligence
Sick Ass Foo’s Have The Mic
Everyone’s pushing human-made, I’m pushing made-for-human.
Music
“What a Catchy Song!” Yeah, But What Are You Catching?
The catch-all phrase “it's catchy” is part of what has allowed a rise in less than savory messages to permeate pop culture and popular music.
Music
Mr. Jambo Could Have Been Something, But It’s Just Another Joke
We don't need more jokes, we need sincerity.
Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI Music Makers – A Broad First Take
I’ve been keeping an eye and an ear on the AI music scene, Suno et al, and while opinions and perspectives run wild, I believe AI-generated music is becoming its own thing…
Music
The 2026 Album of the Year: Bait and Switch on a Global Scale
Like many Caucasian, English-native US citizens, I was less than thrilled to hear that Bad Bunny was the Super Bowl LX performer. I knew it wasn’t because I am racist, but rather…