Wil Russell Nichols, known professionally as XINIX, is an alternative artist and creative director from Columbus, Ohio, born in 1999 in Indianapolis. He began with piano before moving into full-scale music production as a teenager, and is now releasing his debut album. Blending music, fashion, and visual storytelling, XINIX creates intense, atmospheric soundscapes shaped by industrial, punk, hip-hop, and techno influences.
VISIONARY is a ten-track record that opens with THE SKY IS FALLING, a brief but striking introduction that immediately sets the tone. It captures both the album’s atmosphere and its genre fluidity, where rap intersects with electronics and an experimental, cinematic structure.
With one exception, the songs are short – barely reaching three minutes. The opener itself runs just around 90 seconds, yet it completely pulls you in. When the autotuned vocal repeats “the sky is falling,” you know you’re ready for what follows.
THE NIGHT begins with a more ambient intro before, about thirty seconds in, shifting into a direct, almost Lil Peep–esque rap anthem. The repetitive melody lodges itself in your head, and the way the track builds works beautifully. For me, it’s one of the highlights – this is XINIX at his most accessible and melodic, yet still raw.
That energy flows into INSIDE OUT, which feels dirtier and more aggressive, leaning into a heavy beat, darker atmosphere, and well-crafted backing vocals. SKRT SKRT follows with undeniable hit potential – the heavily effected vocal dives straight into a memorable melody and emotive delivery. The short track lengths work perfectly here; ideas evolve quickly, never giving you a chance to drift away. Midway through the album comes the longest track, FALL IN LOVE, carrying a subtle Frank Ocean vibe, especially in its playful vocal production. It’s immersive and genuinely fun.
STITCHES pushes further into experimentation, with vocals drenched in effects before giving way to a sharp rap flow. The autotuned voice returns, and the shifts between styles feel seamless. Another standout is the laid-back CONCRETE ENERGY, which has strong pop appeal and a brilliant melody that never overstays its welcome – again, it’s barely over 90 seconds long. Where others might stretch an idea into a three-minute track, XINIX uses it as a building block within a cohesive whole. The album feels less like a collection of songs and more like a tightly constructed unit, with tracks flowing naturally into one another.
POINT OF VIEW continues the chilled atmosphere, gradually gaining emotional intensity in its second half and showcasing XINIX’s vocal and technical skill. The closing stretch is less experimental than the first half. MAROON feels more accessible in both sound and mood, and the album ends with the two-minute FLY AWAY, driven by a trap beat and a vocal performance that hovers somewhere between cool detachment and a strangely direct emotional urgency.
VISIONARY reveals an artist clearly shaped by a wide spectrum of influences – ranging from darker, almost punk-leaning energy to alternative electronics – yet these elements are distilled into something cohesive. The album carries a chaotic edge at times, but it’s a controlled chaos, resulting in a vibe that feels both restless and compact.
This album was discovered via Submit Hub
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