CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR

Artist: Atsuko Chiba
Title: s/t
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label:  Mothland 
Distribution: The Orchard
Genre: Experimental Rock
Release Date: 24/04/2026

Each sprawling sonic essay is a world of its own, yet Atsuko Chiba remains iridescently cohesive, putting on display an a-priori array of polychromatic sounds…

Atsuko Chiba come full-circle with the release of their self-titled fourth long-player, positively rethinking their sound while unearthing six idiosyncratic gems that resonate deeply with their experimental ethos. Each sprawling sonic essay is a world of its own, yet Atsuko Chiba (April 24th, 2026 via Mothland) remains iridescently cohesive, putting on display an a-priori array of polychromatic sounds. Drawing inspiration from visionary artists such as Mark Lanegan, Beak>, Talk Talk, Can, or Portishead, the five-piece offer 32 minutes of ethereal exploration.

Though the Montréal outfit have been introducing more and more singing with every release, their namesake sees Atsuko Chiba further wield vocals as a means to delve into their intrinsic meta. And with this introspection comes a lyrical universe that coexists effortlessly with wildly evocative soundscapes. Atsuko Chiba is all at once a gritty post-rock epic and an intimate hymn to self-discovery, made possible by creativity, but even more so by collective self-reflection; its moodiness amplifying a communal desire to strain away from recurrent patterns for the sake of comfort, approval, and longevity.

The band comments: “Overall, Atsuko Chiba is an exercise in patience and restraint. The mood of the album is melancholic, at times feeling optimistic, while other times feeling almost hopeless—there’s a sense of loss and disconnect, but also a glimmer of hope. It is the most vulnerable and stripped down music we have ever made. It is a departure from the aggressive and distorted guitar sound we’ve relied on over the years. We also chose to make it a self-titled record which is something we battled with. We went with Atsuko Chiba because its overarching themes relate to us in a deep way. The material on this album presents itself as a mosaic of our interests and experiences as a band. We let the music guide us every step of the way, never forcing our will upon it, instead paying attention to what it was telling us and what we could do to further support it.

At first, we would come into the studio without a plan, just playing and recording the entire time, with no pressure as to a specific outcome: free jams during which we were just generating grooves, parts, and moments that felt good to us. We also put limitations, cutting out certain instruments from session to session, opening us to new options and pathways, generating new sound palettes. A lot of attention was put into creating space and holding back from always going for big epic moments. We focussed on keeping things simple and using dynamics to create exciting moments instead of relying on loud guitars to get us there. This album features a lot of auxiliary percussion, synthesizers, and keyboards, and places a strong emphasis on vocals. We explored acoustic guitars and created many custom percussive sounds by layering two or three sources together, also programming rhythms using samplers and drum machines.”

From the onset, Atsuko Chiba decided to treat this new opus with a freeform creative process, which could only be achieved by pursuing a hands-on approach, and by each band member—Anthony Piazza(drums, electronic drums, percussion), David Palumbo (bass, bass VI, vocals), Eric Schafhauser (guitar, synthesizers), Karim Lakhdar (vocals, guitar, synthesizers), and Kevin McDonald (synthesizers, guitar)—sharing the roles of engineer and producer. The collective later turned to longtime collaborators Matthew Cerantola for the mix, Harris Newman for the mastering, as well as Hannes Pasqualini at Papernoise Design for the artworks.

Tracklist
1. Retention   
2. Pretense   
3. Future Ways   
4. Tar Sands   
5. Torn   
6. Locked and Array

Links  
Official: https://thistlesifter.com
Bandcamp: https://atsukochiba.bandcamp.com  
Instagram: https://instagram.com/atsukochiba
Facebook: https://facebook.com/atsukochibamusic
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@atsukochibamusic
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/atsuko-chiba/1093234161
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sztlFD2VHbf7vg13bt5eb?si=6lJWB94EQ2mmw416IxUt0A
Label: https://mothland.com

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Artist: Draken
Title: Here Be Draken
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Dark Essence Records
Distribution: Plastic Head Distribution
Genre: Hard Rock/ Metal
Release Date: 17/04/2026

Draken – True Norwegian Hard Rock! Draken is a hard-hitting trio from Oslo, Norway. Musically, they are somewhere between heavy rock and metal. Formed in 2019 by Even Hermansen (guitars/vocals), Hallvard Gaardløs (bass/vocals), and André Drage (drums), the band delivers uncompromising rock rooted in the legacy of High on Fire, Motörhead, and Entombed.

With down-tuned guitars, massive riffs, and a wall of sound, Draken aims to channel the raw and natural essence of rock music – through powerful songs, tight musicianship, and sheer sonic force. Their self-titled debut album dropped in 2021, followed by the critically acclaimed Book of Black, both released on Swedish label Majestic Mountain Records. In 2026, the band will release their third album, Here Be Draken, on Bergen-based Dark Essence Records –recorded at Amper Tone and produced by the band together with engineer Kim Lillestøl. 

Draken has played numerous shows across Norway and Sweden, and toured central Europe alongside rock outfit Spidergawd. With three albums under their belt and a growing fanbase, Draken is ready to take the next step – full throttle!

Tracklist
01. The Great Deceiver
02. Jólablót
03. Saturday Night Head Removal Extravaganza
04. Here Be Dragons
05. Crimson Sun
06. It Serves You Right
07. Wrath
08. Shirts of Black (F.O.A.D.)
09. Of Demise and Men
10. Endtyme
11. Shit Show

Links
Bandcamp: https://drakentheband.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/drakentheband
Facebook: https://facebook.com/drakentheband
Label: https://darkessencerecords.no

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Artist: Magnify The Sound
Title: Searching For A Quiet Place
Format: LP, CD, Digital 
Label: Crispin Glover Records
Genre: Experimental/ Folk/ Post-Metal
Release Date: 27/02/2026

Magnify The Sound presents Searching For A Quiet Place.

Electric guitar, drums, voice and Hardanger fiddle collide in a fierce, cinematic search for a unique expression.

Releasing 27 February 2026, Searching For A Quiet Place is the second album from Magnify The Sound,the duo of guitarist Trond Engum (The 3rd & The Mortal / The Soundbyte) and drummer Carl Haakon Waadeland (with a rhythmic language refined over decades in different ensembles), now expanded with Tone Åse (voice) and Sturla Eide (fiddle & Hardanger fiddle).

Across six compositions, the music is improvised yet carefully sculpted, each piece interlocking into a larger whole. It draws its roots from Norwegian folk tradition (Waadeland’s pulse, Eide’s timbre), stretches to the outer boundaries of metal (Engum’s unmistakable guitar tone), and Åse’s unique and ethereal voice. Together, it carries the narrative focus of experienced improvisers.

The result is melancholic and unpredictable, intimate and uncompromising, always honest, with no shortcuts. At times it plays with the unrecognizable, then snaps back with pulse, clear themes, and strong melodies, balancing atmosphere with raw, high-energy impact. This is music you can immerse yourself in and return to, a soundscape that invites listeners to find their own stories, and rewards repeat plays.

Following 2023’s Don’t Give Us That Face, this is the sound of a constellation choosing its own compass and bending the needle.

Available 27 February 2026 on physical formats and all streaming platforms.

Tracklist
1. Once Upon A Breath
2. Searching For A Quiet Place
3. Lost Somewhere Else
4. Guided By Bells
5. Within The Circles Of A Siren
6. You Might Find A Butterfly

Links
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/magnifythesound
Bandcamp: https://magnifythesound.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/MagnifyTheSound
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@magnifythesound8459

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Artist: GLEN
Title: It Was A Bright Cold Day In April
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Kapitän Platte
Distribution: Distribution: D/ AT: Cargo Records, Norway: Tiger Records, Benelux: Sonic Rendezvous, FR: Differ-Ant, CH: Irascible, IT: Goodfellas
Genre: Post-Rock / Neo-Krautrock
Release Date: 20/02/2026

The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters. – Antonio Gramsci

Set to drop on February 20th, 2026, GLEN´s upcoming fourth instrumental five track studio album titled after the first sentence of George Orwell’s, 1984, is a visceral statement of noise driven energy and eclectic free form experimentation. A hypnotic force of structured chaos delivered with absolute conviction. Unsettling in the best way.

The peaceful scenery captured on the album cover evokes a deceptive glimpse of a world in limbo that might turn to ashes in seconds. Like a contemporary descendent of Angelus Novus, the storm that we call “progress” pushes the Angel of History backward into the future while facing the past in front of him piling ruins upon ruins.

The five poems inside the gatefold cover outline the narrativestructure of the album from the maelstrom of the opening track Frenzy, to the album closing warning church bells … and the clocks were striking thirteen, framing the seductive Lotosesser followed by the blast of Brute Force featuring the unease creaking and splintering of Kriton Beyer’s Daxophone and Norbert Stammberger’s furious Soprano and Baritone Saxophone, while Sublime suspends between the freedom of ascent beyond gravity and a relentless thrownness back to earth.

The boundary pushing quartet from Berlin, Germany known forits intense blend of art rock, post-rock and free improvisation, extend their classic line up of two guitars, (Wilhelm Stegmeier, Eleni Ampelakiotou), bass (Roland Feinaeugle) and drums (Achim Faerber) with these guest performances and a various range of instruments from clavinet to synthesizers, creating their immersive, dense, slow-burning sound structures and mesmerizing translucent soundscapes  defined by repetition,tension and constant transformation, that shift between explosive energy, structural precision and free-flowing improvisation. Physical, atmospheric, and uncompromising GLEN oscillate between minimalism and eruption. Raw yet deliberate – a controlled chaos driven by reprise, friction andgradual metamorphosis.

Having debuted with Crack (2017), a collision of noise, free-form structures and dynamic currents, their follow-up Pull! 2021) and I Can See No Evil (2023) expanded the band’ssonic vocabulary, introducing broader dynamics, cinematicpacing and a stronger sense of spatial depth. With theirupcoming album release GLEN refine their identity and sonicpalette further, delivering long-form compositions that evolve organically and push their sound into more sculptural territory, combining long-form tension arcs with stark contrasts and an intensified focus on form, atmosphere and momentum.

The album was recorded at andereBaustelle recording studio Berlin, by Einstürzende Neubauten producer Boris Wilsdorfand mixed by producer legend MACK, (who started his careerin Giorgio Moroder ́s Musicland Studios, working with bandslike Marc Bolan ́s T. Rex, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, early Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Sparks, etc. and produced some of Queen´s most acclaimed albums), enjoying as with the previousalbums GLEN’s transcending force by contributing his sonic pristine impactful lucidity.

Less interested in traditional song structures than in meditative process, motion and organic evolution, their pieces emerge from minimal motifs that gradually unfold and expand, fracture, dissolve, and reassemble across extended durations, creating a sense ofmovement that is both trancelike and unpredictable.

The band resists simple categorization while drawing on traditions of European Avant-rock, No New York and echoes of Krautrock, while maintaining a distinct, contemporary unmistakable voice.

On stage, GLEN operates like a single, concentrated organism: physical, direct, incisive and with almost telepathic interplay. A pulse of energy – precise but never sterile, loud, sharp and deeply dynamic, balancing strict structures with spontaneous improvisation. A unique exploration of momentum, texture, and tension. Abstract yet emotionally resonant.

Tracklist
1. Frenzy   
2. Lotosesser  
3. Brute Force   
4. Sublime   
5. … and the clocks were striking thirteen   
6. Zugzwang (Bonus)   
7. Il Ricordo (Bonus)    

Links
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/glenband
Official: https://glen-the-band.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/glen_band
Bandcamp: https://glen1.bandcamp.com
Label: https://kapitaen-platte.de  

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Artist: Kabasse
Title: About Sitting On Fences
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Kapitän Platte
Distribution: Distribution: D/ AT: Cargo Records, Norway: Tiger Records, Benelux: Sonic Rendezvous, FR: Differ-Ant, CH: Irascible, IT: Goodfellas
Genre: Contemporary Art Prog Jazz
Release Date: 13/02/2026

Somewhere between jazz, progressive rock and cinematic soundscapes, Kabasse unfolds a world of intricate arrangements, bold sonic textures and heartfelt improvisation. The brainchild of Munich-based musician Sigmund Perner (also member of Carpet), this sextet blends composed structure with free exploration, layering lush harmonies, unexpected rhythms and a rich palette of wind, mallet and keyboard instruments.

What began as decades of musical ideas—gathered quietly, never written down—found its shape through a group of close-knit musicians from Munich and Augsburg, including Perner’s own son on drums. Together, they recorded in a live studio session, embracing risk and spontaneity. The result: a deeply personal debut album that feels both mature and raw, contemplative and gripping. Rather than demanding attention, the pieces invite it: About Sitting On Fencescaptures the art of waiting— for ideas to grow, evolve and resonate. Just like the name Kabasse, inspired by the calabash: a vessel, a resonator, a home for sound.

Ulrich Habersetzer (jazz journalist with BR-KLASSIK, DLF Kultur, etc.) on Kabasse and their debut album About Sitting On Fences: “The meticulously balanced sonic images sweep listeners along on a journey between comfortingly familiar and startlingly new. Driving compression and filigree delicacy, breathless tension and relaxed harmony, intricate complexity and captivating simplicity – on About Sitting On Fences, these contrasts develop in an utterly organic and natural way. No need to choose a side of this metaphorical fence. Simply stay sitting and let your gaze roam to the soundtrack of this music, listen, dream, immerse yourself in the sounds. Wherever you end up, it will be the right side of the fence.”

Tracklist
1. Beauty Of The Brain
2. In The Woods
3. Heavy Cloud
4. Encore
5. Manything Goes                                                                                                                                                                  

Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kabasse.band
Label: https://kapitaen-platte.de  

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Artist: Thistle Sifter
Title: Forever The Optimist
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label:  FREIA Music 
Distribution: Dutch Music Works
Genre: Post-Rock
Release Date: 06/02/2026

Thistle Sifter is the cinematic post-rock project of English musician Pete Barnes (Utrecht, NL).

Catapulted into disarray following a serious cycling accident in November 2020, Thistle Sifter became a platform for Barnes to express his personal struggles and emotions, transporting listeners into an ethereal world of serene post-rock, spacey synth ambience, evolving soundscapes & lo-fi folk.

Forever The Optimist is Barnes’ latest and most ambitious work to date, offering a more eclectic and symphonic sound to his ever-expanding body of work. Where previous albums A Spectral Moon (2022) and Circles (2024) strongly focused on personal struggles with health, acceptance and letting go of the past. Forever The Optimist deals with existential issues caused by man’s neglect of our natural environment and fellow humans in the pursuit of neverending growth. 

Heavily inspired by writers Jay Griffiths, George Monbiot, Omar El Akkad and Siddharth Kara, the eight compositions touch on themes such as land use, animal rights, cobalt mining in the Congo, climate breakdown, neo-liberalism and the media’s complicity in genocide. Each track on the album is accompanied by thematic visuals.

Thistle Sifter has been captivating audiences with its immersive audiovisual live experience throughout Europe in recent years, including AFAS Live in Amsterdam (with Sigur Rós), Le Guess Who? Festival (Utrecht) & Roadburn Festival (Tilburg). The band has shared a stage with Oh Hiroshima (Sweden), Midas Fall (UK), Törzs (Hungary) & Mother of Millions (Greece).  The live line-up features Pete Barnes (guitar & synths), Nils Breunese (guitar), Alex Rushmer (bass & synths), Koen Klarenbeek (drums). 

Forever The Optimist will be released on 6th February 2026. A full band audiovisual release show to celebrate this release will take place on Saturday 7th February at dBs in Utrecht (NL) and will be followed by shows throughout Europe.

Tracklist
1. Anthropocene
2. Ghost Acres
3. Atop A Horrid Hill
4. One Fleeting Glance
5. Endling
6. Weightless
7. Et In Arcadia Ego
8. Forever The Optimist

Links  
Official: https://thistlesifter.com
Bandcamp: https://thistlesifter.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thistlesiftermusic
Facebook: https://facebook.com/thistlesiftermusic
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thistlesifter6496
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/1xNcFZt6yuk9S3N1bjYeht

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Artist: HUM
Title: three
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Tonzonen Records
Distribution: Cargo
Genre: Heavy Psychedelic/ Stoner Rock
Release Date: 12/12/2025

Three letters. Three musicians. Three instruments. Three years. Count von Count would have loved this album…

Founded in Frankfurt am Main, Germany in 2019 by three musicians with different musical backgrounds. The pull of slow, heavy grooves connects the trio consisting of Harri Gottschalk, Martin Krause, and Florian Schnaith. The unique sound they develop is profound and powerful.

After their debut album ONE (2022), HUM continue to explore their dark stoner soundscapes. three features both powerful post-rock songs and psychedelic sound experiments. Each track seems to pursue an idea; each one a 4-minute journey. The themes revolve around environmental destruction, social aberrations, and space trips.

three is the album for the apocalypse or for an evening in space. But there’s no shortage of fun: the darkness is presented on fat, slow grooves. The pieces are compact and melodic. Catharsis is the goal: if you listen with open ears, you might feel better after the 11 tracks and 41 minutes…

“An exciting journey through musical soundscapes (surf, gothic/dark wave, krautrock, and prog rock) spanning several decades. HUM‘s signature heavy riffs (in the shadow of Godzilla) with complex rhythms and breaks are expanded with new elements such as surf guitar, synth sounds, and vocal experiments. The vocals, mostly distorted with effects, are used sparingly and purposefully, often with short text fragments that underscore the mood of the songs lyrically. In addition, there are three instrumental sound collages that serve as dark transitions between the songs. A certain common thread seems to run through the album thematically.” (- Rico Rachlitz, Radio X, FFM JAM)

Tracklist
01. threetoone
02. freaks of nature
03. burning air
04. first contact
05. humans
06. march of the lost souls
07. underground
08. ashes to ashes
09. it’s up to you
10. this means war
11. the HUM

Links
Pre-save: https://cargorecordsde.ffm.to/hum-three
Bandcamp: https://hummusic3.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hum_stoner_rock
Facebook: https://facebook.com/humstonerrock
Label: https://tonzonen.de

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Artist: Mad Vantage
Title: Minutiae.
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Art As Catharsis
Genre: Progressive/ Jazz Metal
Release Date: 07/11/2025

Acclaimed composer and instrumentalist SOLUNE is set to release MINUTIAE., the debut full-length album from her genre-defying project Mad Vantage. A searing blend of progressive metal, nu-jazz, and electronic textures, the record positions SOLUNE as a formidable new voice in heavy music-bursting unapologetically into the scene with meticulous grooves, lush harmony, and fierce creative intent.

Fusing the rhythmic precision of jazz with the weight of distortion, double-kick pedals, and synthesizers, MINUTIAE. presents a sonic landscape shaped by years of artistic evolution. Recorded live in the studio with her band, the album thrives on real-time interplay-delivering polyrhythmic intensity without losing its human pulse.

“After numerous collaborative releases and a plethora of recorded work as a side person over the last 10 years, MINUTIAE. is the very first record I am putting out as a solo artist,” says SOLUNE. “I was hoping to make a big statement when I finally started my solo career, and I feel like this album exemplifies this. It says, “I’m here to make noise” and I hope that people will listen.”

Exploring themes of erosion and strength-both internal and external, MINUTIAE. reflects on personal and societal change in the age of digital transformation. It’s music of catharsis, self-definition, and defiant vulnerability.

“This record is a culmination of years of growth and learning“, says SOLUNE. “In an industry where misconceptions about women persist, I wanted to stay true to the integrity of my craft and bring together parts of my world I’m deeply passionate about: intricate and precise rhythms, feminism, distortion, bright pink fashion, and loud, groove-driven instrumental music.“

With comparisons drawn to Animals As Leaders, Plini, Hiromi, and Tigran Hamasyan, SOLUNE‘s voice remains unmistakably her own: razor-sharp, groove-forward, and emotionally charged. Mad Vantage‘s debut is a clear statement of intent, and is sure to be warmly received by fans of Australian contemporary jazz and heavy, progressive music.

Tracklist
1. Matriarch
2. Perpetual Cave
3. Terranea
4. Ictus
5. Pervade Your Mind
6. Cataclym Pt 1
7. Cataclym Pt 2
8. Cataclym Pt 3

Links  
Bandcamp: https://madvantage.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/solune_madvantage
Facebook: https://facebook.com/soluneartist
Art As Catharsis: http://www.artascatharsis.com

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Artist: The Birch
Title: Vicious Mind
Format: LP, Digital
Label: Tonzonen Records
Distribution: Cargo
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Release Date: 21/11/2025

Vigorous, that’s how The Birch can be described best. Driving riffs, punchy rhythms and all suited in psychedelic sonority, they create an atmosphere of pure ecstasy. With their sound, the three musicians from Quedlinburg, Germany send their crowd on a spiritual journey of long lost centuries, though never indulge but face themselves the current spirit of time.

New album Vicious Mind is a dive into modern psych rock. With its seven tracks, it offers a rather dark side of the bands music on side A, which dissolves in the softer, more rocknroll side B. With a trip abroad, The Birch found themselves recording their second studio album in Miami Beach, giving them a new twist from their impressions collected in the land of the free.Twangy guitars and a rhythm section going straight forward takes the listener to psychedelic soundscapes while being kept alive by an ongoing beat, following you through the 30 minutes of Vicious Mind. 

Pablo Manresa’s key playing builds a constant carpet of warm Hammond organ or Ragtime Piano. Most significant is the string arrangement in Downpour, which creates a new facet of the Band’s sound.

The Birch knows how to develop. Not only is this album a new milestone for the band’s discography, it’s an example how to give it a retro feel without being retro. New album Vicious Mind fits our time, it’s not a look back.

Tracklist
1. Vicious Mind
2. ‘Till you’re gone
3. Little Treat
4. Trinity
5. Downpour
6. Roll’n’Rock
7. Free Your Head 

Links
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thebirch
Bandcamp: https://theblackcatseye.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebirchband
Facebook: https://facebook.com/people/The-Birch/61551843947731/
Label: https://tonzonen.de

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Artist: The Black Cat’s Eye
Title: Decrypting Dreams Of Weird Animals And Strange Objects
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Tonzonen Records
Distribution: Cargo
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Release Date: 31/10/2025

The Black Cat’s Eye: Second Album Explores Cinematic Soundscapes. 

With their debut The Empty Space Between A Seamount And Shock Headed Julia, The Black Cat’s Eye made a notable impact on the scene in 2023 – an energetic and atmospheric album that uniquely fused psychedelic and post-rock elements and quickly sold out. Now, two and a half years later, the Frankfurt-based quintet returns with their new album, Decrypting Dreams Of Weird Animals And Strange Objects.

Once again, the band navigates the borderlands between psychedelic rock, krautrock, and post-rock. Their sound oscillates between hypnotic drive, dreamy guitar textures, and dynamic arcs of tension. The album consists of six tracks, each a sonic journey lasting between five and ten minutes. A notable development is that two band members contributed to the songwriting: Alongside guitarist and band founder Christian Blaser, bassist Jens Cappel wrote half of the material. His powerful, direct style perfectly complements Blaser’s atmospheric approach. Blaser comments: “On the debut, I wrote all the songs. As the founder of the band, my initial focus was on setting a musical vision and direction. Jens wasn’t yet as involved in the creative process at that point, even though he’s an extraordinarily talented and prolific musician. He regularly releases excellent music on the Bandcamp pages of his own projects, like The Black Black Paint. When it came time to write new material for the second album, Jens brought in some truly fantastic demos.” Stylistically, the new album – like its predecessor – blends classic ’70s influences with contemporary rock. Echoes of Can, Motorpsycho, Neu!, indie and stoner rock can be heard, along with nods to David Gilmour’s guitar aesthetic. The music is instrumental, with one exception: Jens Cappel provides vocals on the final track, The Magic Ballon.

The album’s title – Decrypting Dreams Of Weird Animals And Strange Objects – is as enigmatic as that of their first record. Blaser explains: “The title was inspired by a fascinating concept from the American TV series Westworld. In the series, humanoid robots are programmed with feelings and dreams. But as they become more human, they spin out of control – so the programmers begin analyzing the source code they wrote, searching for errors in artificial thoughts, feelings, and dreams using computer programs. Translated into our reality, the title is meant to be ironic. Our modern technology gives us the illusion that we can fully control every aspect of life. Self- optimization and the commodification of the self become the highest goals. But it’s a false illusion – we are only tiny fragments of a greater whole that we can’t comprehend. Against this backdrop, the question arises: What can art contribute to our perception of the world? What meaning lies in expressing oneself through music? Through technology, mathematics, physics, and pure reason, we don’t truly get closer to the miracle of life or the meaning of existence. What remains are rituals, incantations, ecstasy. Music, dance, painting, stories – they momentarily reveal the core of life, realign our connection to it, and link us to the universe.“

The album was once again recorded at Tonstudio Bieber in Offenbach am Main. Studio owner and fellow musician Oli Rüger – who has years of experience recording guitar-based bands – handled the recording. The basic tracks were recorded live with the full band over three days, then later enriched with overdubs. Rüger also co-produced the album. Cappel notes: “Oli has a knack for striking the perfect balance between raw, heavy, and delicate sounds, without ever losing sight of the bigger picture.” Final mastering was done by krautrock legend Eroc – a fitting choice for a band that not only sees itself as part of the ’70s legacy but actively seeks to carry that tradition into the present.

The monochrome cover art underlines the music’s dark atmosphere. It reflects the band’s conceptual approach to treating music not just as sound, but as space, concept, and visionary narrative. The cover image – a seemingly endless spiral symbolizing DNA structures and eternity – was designed by Italian graphic artist Daniele Stochino. The gatefold’s inner artwork combines this motif with an illustration by Berlin-based graphic designer and musician Max Emil Hurlebaus, using vibrant colors to create bold contrasts and new visual perspectives.

Tracklist
1. Hell Bent For Sæther   
2. The Walls Of Crystal Keep   
3. Unicorn   
4. Sternenfels Space Gate   
5. Everywhere I Rest My Head The Ground Is Shifting   
6. The Magic Balloon

Links
Official: https://theblackcatseye.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/theblackcatseye
Bandcamp: https://theblackcatseye.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/theblackcatseye
Facebook: https://facebook.com/theblackcatseye
Label: https://tonzonen.de

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