The first year at the University of Glamorgan, probably late 2002. I only attended 3 lectures or so my entire career, preferring instead to plumb the depths of my soul and examine my mind from both micro and macro viewpoints, like a man standing between 2 parallel mirrors. After doing something that tends to keep you awake for too long, then doing it again, again, & then again. A marathon. 3 days later and still no sleep, a spider absailed down the curtains in my Halls cell-like box room. For some reason this produced an intense few hours of nightmarish arachnids lurking on ceiliings, chasing me down corridors, webs thick across the common room. God knows what I looked like, tearing wild-eyed past the silent doored & slumbering student rooms. Eventually managing to wake Matt, Apprentice Green's drummer, multi-instrumentalist & all round good egg. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the spider invasion had not occurred & I had not, in fact, been whisked off as the Devil's plaything to the caverns of Hell. Even the original rappelling spider was actually a bit of fluff suspended on a thread of curtain material. Ah well. Stay in school kids. 

The song was written a year or so later, morphing through a few forms. Special mention goes to Brummy's loping bassline & Matt's guitar overdubs. All recreated here. I have no idea how I wrote the piano riff. Probably just mashed the keys until it sounded good. Much like I do now.

Apprentice Green

Nightspiders

'Human Viscosity' from the album, 'Anatomy' by guinæpig on TONN Recordings.

Mastering by Wellencocktail at Tonstudio Hanover
Cover design by Nieuw NDG
Image by Eugene Schlumberger ©

Anatomy

Human Viscosity

guinæpig - Human Viscosity

Squares

After two decades of shaping soundscapes and releasing internationally recognized music, Danish artist Nils Lassen emerges with his debut solo album, Fingerprints - a deeply personal, poetic, and sonically ambitious record that marks a new chapter in his artistic journey.
 
Known previously for his work with the dreampop duo BlackieBlueBird, Lassen's solo debut builds on that ethereal foundation but ventures into more expansive, genre-defying terrain. Fingerprints is a bold tapestry of layered male and female vocal harmonies, cinematic orchestration, insistent rhythms, and raw, grinding guitars. The result is a sound that feels both intimate and vast - fragile in places, yet thunderous in others.
 
Beneath the lush production lies a human core. Lassen's lyrics ground the music in reality - in human values, lived experience, and emotional honesty. In a world increasingly defined by uncertainty and digital noise, Fingerprints is a reminder of the tangible: empathy, memory, presence. As Lassen puts it, this album is "about believing in the evidence that we were there - human beings, side by side, forever leaving fingerprints even if it's just on abandoned handrails leading up to somewhere we forgot."
 
The album opens with the line: "Going nowhere, and I hope to get there soon" - a quiet but powerful sentiment that captures the spirit of Fingerprints. From there, themes unfold that wrestle with poetic justice, existential questions, and the hope of connection in chaotic times.
 
The previously released singles set the stage. "Close Those Ocean Eyes" was praised as a "hauntingly beautiful sea ballad," a track that evokes myth, melancholy, and mystery in equal measure. Reviewers described it as a "sonic painting," conjuring images of brooding waters and emotional undercurrents that ebb and flow with cinematic grace. Similarly, "The Miracle in May" (though more elusive in early press coverage) adds to the album's emotional arc - reflecting the fragile hope of spring, rebirth, and holding onto moments of wonder amid the everyday.
 
Joining Lassen on this journey is legendary drummer Tomas Ortved, whose dynamic performance anchors the album's rhythmic backbone. Supporting vocals by Anders Wallin and Marianne van Toornburg add warmth and depth, lifting Lassen's voice and message into rich harmony.
 
Fingerprints is not just an album - it's an affirmation. That we are here. That we feel. That we leave traces. It invites listeners to remember, reflect, and recognize the quiet evidence of our shared humanity. In a time when everything feels uncertain, Lassen offers something unmistakably real.

All dressed up and nowhere to go

Reset  (demo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsEy11GX1XM

Moonlit

Lightwaves

https://brutalforms.bandcamp.com/album/bibo-and-beyond-underneath

No Cure

'Palpitations'  from the album, 'Anatomy' by guinæpig on TONN Recordings.

Mastering by Wellencocktail at Tonstudio Hanover
Cover design by Nieuw NDG
Image by Eugene Schlumberger ©

Bandcamp

Palpitations

My Only Way

Isaac Howlett, front person of acclaimed synth-pop outfit Empathy Test, unveils his latest solo single Spiralling - a raw, dance-floor-ready track addressing depression and anxiety from his own lived experience. Collaborating with the enigmatic European music collective A State of Flux, Howlett delivers a compelling blend of accessible hooks and emotional nuance, transcending genre boundaries.

Drawing from diverse electronic influences, Spiralling creates a soundscape that’s both immediate and immersive, pairing dance-floor rhythms with rich, emotionally layered textures. It’s a musical journey into the depths of inner turmoil.

“I’m in the privileged position of being asked to collaborate a lot, but rarely find time. However, when a deliciously dark demo entitled Spiralling landed in my inbox, I was immediately inspired. The lyrics come from something my late grandfather said which stuck with me; “depression runs in the men, on your mother's side”. I felt like a time-bomb waiting to explode.”
– Isaac Howlett

Behind the production, A State of Flux, known for its creative anonymity and fluid collective ethos, crafted a backdrop that marries both clarity and complexity...

“We wanted to create a musical backdrop that, on the surface, seemed immediately accessible, but also delivered on complexity that mirrored Isaac’s personal expression. It was a highly collaborative and fluid process where the track developed over a series of months with everyone contributing musical ideas.”
– Peter 7, A State of Flux 
credits
released July 3, 2025

Written by Isaac Howlett and Peter Sutherland Burns. Performed by Isaac Howlett and A State of Flux. Mixed and mastered by Pete Burns.

Spiralling

Aenaos Records is an independent record label based in Leipzig, Germany, founded in 2018. Their focus spans a diverse range of alternative music genres, including Darkwave, Gothic Rock, Post‑Punk, Shoegaze, Indie Rock/Pop, Dream Pop, Synthwave, Neofolk, Dark Folk, Dark Ambient, and Experimental. They maintain a strong presence across key platforms - Bandcamp, YouTube, SoundCloud, Discogs, and Spotify - where they showcase releases and facilitate digital downloads and streaming. As a boutique label, Aenaos Records is recognized for supporting emerging and niche artists in the post‑punk and darkwave scenes, prioritizing artistic integrity and aesthetic depth over mass commercial appeal.

All dressed up and nowhere to go

AENAOS RECORDS

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