If you like your indie rock with sweat on its brow and neon in its veins, Stefaniii’s debut single ‘Catalyst’ is about to be your new obsession.
Marking the first release from the Armenian-British composer and filmmaker Richard Melkonian under this new moniker, Catalyst arrives with serious intent. From the very first hit, it doesn’t ease you in — it detonates. Thunderous percussion and snarling guitars charge forward, giving the track a gritty, live-wire energy that feels both urgent and unfiltered.
Vocally, there’s a near-spoken delivery that leans into post-punk territory, grounding the song with a raw, almost confrontational edge. But just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the chorus kicks in — lifting the track higher with bold, synth-infused surges that amplify its already muscular guitar backbone. It’s chaotic in the best way, like the soundtrack to a night that spirals out of control but you’d relive anyway.
The jangle-laced guitar lines thread the whole thing together, sketching scenes of late-night glances, crowded rooms, and that intoxicating pull toward something (or someone) you know won’t last. It’s a song about chasing the rush — the look, the feeling, the fleeting high — even when you know it’s built on illusion.
The self-directed video, helmed by Melkonian himself, pushes that vivid energy even further. With appearances from Moyses Dos Santos (bass), April Roots (guitar), Max Saidi (drums), and actress Genevieve Chenneour, the visual brings a cinematic punch that mirrors the track’s restless spirit.
With a background spanning pop, film, theatre, and experimental work, Melkonian channels all that experience into something moodier and more immediate here. As Stefaniii, he’s not just testing the waters — he’s diving in headfirst.
‘Catalyst’ feels like the moment before sunrise — loud, reckless, and addictive
