lower your eyelid, melting dream bullets - ludwig wandinger & geo - 28/11/2024

ꜰᴁ𝟢𝟢𝟥 - ʀʜɪᴢᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴛ ꜱᴛᴇᴘꜱ

ɪꜱ ᴡᴀɴᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴀ ʟᴏꜱꜱ ᴏʀ ᴀ ᴘᴀᴛʜ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀʏ? 

ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴇꜱᴄᴀᴘᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘɪʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴜɴꜰᴏʟᴅꜱ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴘᴜʟꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴀɴ ᴏᴘᴇɴɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ, ᴀ ɢᴇɴᴛʟᴇ ᴅᴇꜰɪᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜰɪxᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀᴍꜱ. ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ ᴛʀᴜꜱᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴘʀᴇᴅɪᴄᴛᴀʙʟᴇ, ᴛʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴘᴀᴛʜꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅɪꜱꜱᴏʟᴠᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴇᴄʜᴏᴇꜱ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴜɴʜᴜʀʀɪᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴇᴘꜱ. 
ᴡᴀɴᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ ᴀɪᴍʟᴇꜱꜱ—ɪᴛ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴛ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴇɴꜱɪɴɢ, ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜʀʀᴇɴᴅᴇʀ.ᴇᴀᴄʜ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ɢᴇᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜʏ, ᴀ ᴅéʀɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʟᴀɴᴅꜱᴄᴀᴘᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴅʀᴀᴡɴ ʙᴜᴛ ꜰᴇʟᴛ.ɴᴏ ᴀʀʀɪᴠᴀʟ, ɴᴏ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴇʀ—ᴏɴʟʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜰʟɪᴄᴋᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴠᴀɴɪꜱʜ, ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴀ ʀᴇꜱᴏɴᴀɴᴄᴇ. ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ꜰʀᴇᴇᴅᴏᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪꜱᴏʀɪᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴏɴʟʏ ꜰʟᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴇꜱ ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴ, ʙʟᴜʀʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʀᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ…

ᴀᴄᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴɪᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴏꜰ ɢᴀʀʏ ᴅᴜᴠᴇʀɴᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀʀɢ𝟢, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟꜱ ᴀ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ-ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴏꜰ ɪɴꜱᴀᴛɪᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ. ᴀ ꜱᴄᴜʟᴘᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴠɪʙʀᴀᴛᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴠɪꜱɪʙʟᴇ ʟᴏɢɪᴄ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ. ᴀ ꜰɪʟᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀʏ, ᴜɴᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴜᴍɪɴᴏᴜꜱ.

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ ᴛᴏ https://soundcloud.com/alix-plessis https://soundcloud.com/dalidacarnage https://soundcloud.com/sub-accent https://soundcloud.com/pont-levis https://soundcloud.com/prieste5s https://soundcloud.com/yonvonkim https://soundcloud.com/kamen-music https://soundcloud.com/slowfoam https://soundcloud.com/anemiflux https://soundcloud.com/tomo_sound https://soundcloud.com/connaharaway https://soundcloud.com/kal1one https://soundcloud.com/behindcurtains ꜰᴏʀ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ꜱɪɴɢᴜʟᴀʀ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋꜱ.

ʟᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ʙᴇ ᴄᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ.
ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴏʀᴡᴀʀᴅ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ.

ᴀʀᴛᴡᴏʀᴋ : Sansplomb.95 & Carg0
ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ : IREN

Kalione - Not the Same

Heith - Escape Lounge 
Label: PAN
Cat.No.: PAN 147
Release Date: 25 April 2025
Purchase: pan.lnk.to/EscapeLounge

Heith's music has always been infused with sacred mystery, striking a delicate balance between lived experience and imagination.

On Escape Lounge, his second full-length release for PAN, Heith draws inspiration from contemporary digital spirituality and interpretations of experience that are crossing over from cultural niches into the mainstream – including internet-based conspiracy theories and psychological operations. The album presents a sonic diary recorded across Milan, Berlin, London, and Stockholm, crafting a post-informational folklore while exploring new territories in personal songwriting.

The title Escape Lounge, inspired by airport waiting areas, serves as a metaphorical waiting room of the mind. Its hidden passages can lead either to peril and loss or to enlightenment and kaleidoscopic mental landscapes. This liminal space echoes the mysterious realms of Twin Peaks or the viral "Backrooms" phenomenon. Within it, contributing musicians – including frequent collaborators Leonardo Rubboli, Aase Nielsen, and 33 drummer Alexander Iezzi – move like ethereal presences, creating intangible soundscapes that leave traces of post-hypnotic melancholia. Notably, the vocal contributions from Price and James K enhance the otherworldly atmosphere, their multifaceted timbres adding layers of intentional ambiguity.

Throughout the album, Heith masterfully blends acoustic instruments, human voices, and digital technology along an uncharted path that references the experimental pop of 90s trip-hop, 2000s indie-folk songwriting, and lush Mediterranean psychedelia. The sounds are meticulously crafted, combining synthesizers with guitar-based compositions in a computational songwriting approach that creates a collage across eras and landscapes. Each track unveils new dimensions of this delicate hallucinogenic narrative, delivering an immersive listening experience. As reality continuously shifts, Escape Lounge emerges as both sanctuary and confinement – a space of momentary connections and endless potential.

In 2025, Heith will debut a new live show and audiovisual collaboration titled 'The Talk' with James K and Günseli Yalcinkaya, commissioned and premiering at Sonar Festival, Terraforma, Nuit Sonores, and Reworks.

All tracks written and produced by Heith 2021-2024.
Mixed at TWS
Mastered by Amir Shoat
Artwork by Heith and Nicola Tirabasso
Vocals by Heith, Price, James K
Strings by Leonardo Rubboli, H, Renato Grieco, Fausto Cigarini Guitars by Heith, Leonardo Rubboli
Drums by Heith, Alexander Iezzi, Jacopo Battaglia, Leone Ciocchetti Flutes by Leonardo Rubboli
Saxophone by Aase Nielsen
Lyrics on track 4 by Cecile Believe, Price and Heith
Lyrics on track 10 by Alia Seror O'Neill and Heith

Heith - Escape Lounge

Venera - Tear
Label: PAN
Cat.No.: PAN 153S1
Release Date: 10 July 2025
Purchase: pan.lnk.to/Tear

Venera shares ‘Tear’, the first single of the upcoming album ‘Exinfinite’ out via PAN on September 12th, 2025.

Having defined a multi-dimensional sonic universe on their acclaimed eponymous debut album, composer/filmmaker Chris Hunt and Korn’s James “Munky” Shaffer abandon the familiar and drift towards a kingdom of recursion on EXINFINITE, staring down a tangled mass of mirrored wormholes that hum with eldritch ambiguity.

On ‘Tear’, the duo’s new direction can be heard clearly as Shaffer’s primal guitar noises are reformed into eerie widescreen expositions that Hunt punctuates with pneumatic kick and snare cycles. Broken up by airlock hisses and luminous synths, the track proposes a backdrop that VENERA continuously transmute, reforging the concept as the album develops.

Recorded in Downtown Los Angeles, CA and Atlanta, GA
Mixed by Chris Pawlusek in London, UK
Mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis, London, UK
Art by EFFIXX with Samanta García

Venera - Tear (PAN 153S1)

Velo

https://soundcloud.com/exilee591 live from @norbergfestival

Listen 24/7 at www.retreatradio.net

Exilee @ Norbergfestival (11/07/25)

Venera - Asteroxylon
Label: PAN
Cat.No.: PAN 153S2
Release Date: 21 August 2025
Purchase: pan.lnk.to/Asteroxylon

Venera shares ‘Asteroxylon’, the second single of the upcoming album ‘Exinfinite’ out via PAN on September 12th, 2025.

Having defined a multi-dimensional sonic universe on their acclaimed eponymous debut album, composer/filmmaker Chris Hunt and Korn’s James “Munky” Shaffer abandon the familiar and drift towards a kingdom of recursion on EXINFINITE, staring down a tangled mass of mirrored wormholes that hum with eldritch ambiguity. They launch squelchy, decelerated techno into occult noise reflecting pools on the slithering ‘Asteroxylon’.

Recorded in Downtown Los Angeles, CA and Atlanta, GA
Mixed by Chris Pawlusek in London, UK
Mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis, London, UK
Art by EFFIXX with Samanta García

Venera - Asteroxylon (PAN 153S2)

@fakethias

Limited run of CD's available this Saturday at RF003.

Fireworks

Download

FAKETHIAS – Fireworks [RFCD01]

ARIGTO - Guest mix #1

Venera - Exinfinite
Label: PAN
Cat.No.: PAN 153
Release Date: 12 September 2025
Purchase: pan.lnk.to/Exinfinite

Having defined a multi-dimensional sonic universe on their acclaimed eponymous debut album, composer/filmmaker Chris Hunt and Korn's James "Munky" Shaffer abandon the familiar and drift towards a kingdom of recursion on EXINFINITE, staring down a tangled mass of mirrored wormholes that hum with eldritch ambiguity. VENERA's sophomore full length is darker, heavier and more percussive than its predecessor, but there's something more intimate wired into its circuitry that's harder to define - something mystical, mysterious and melancholy. Songs materialize from the void only to be dissolved by acidic synths or pierced by Hunt's whetted beats, while Shaffer's dense, tortured riffs are offset by euphoric, time-dilated vocals from FKA twigs, Dis Fig and Chelsea Wolfe. Following their encounter with vastness, VENERA have peered inward, ruminating on the limits of existence and excavating their most deeply buried emotions.

VENERA emerged in 2022 when Hunt and Shaffer veered into their own musical territory after recording with Albanian artist Xhoana X. Improvising together and experimenting with cinematic, sci-fi-inspired sound design, the duo realized the collaboration had potential, so they began developing and evolving the sound further, bringing in assistance from former Mars Volta drummer Deantoni Parks, Queens of the Stone Age's Alain Johannes, post-punk duo VOWWS and LA noise rock legends HEALTH. And after their debut album appeared on Mike Patton's Ipecac imprint in 2023, VENERA kept deconstructing and rebuilding their approach to songwriting, swapping out ambient Eno-esque atmospheres for blown-
out beats and dense textures, and figuring out how to extend the narrative they'd opened up without retreading old ground.

On 'Tear', the duo's new direction can be heard clearly as Shaffer's primal guitar noises are reformed into eerie widescreen expositions that Hunt punctuates with pneumatic kick and snare cycles. Broken up by airlock hisses and luminous synths, the track proposes a backdrop that VENERA continuously transmute, reforging the concept as the album develops. Cult singer-songwriter Wolfe adds a gothic American flavor to the crepuscular 'All Midnights', crooning powerfully over VENERA's vacuum packed rhythms and gaseous synths, and Berlin-based noisemaker Dis Fig follows work with The Body and The Bug on 'End Uncovered' lending breathy, emotionally layered tones to Shaffer and Hunt's tape-damaged industrial pops and whirrs. They launch squelchy, decelerated techno into occult noise reflecting pools on the slithering 'Asteroxylon', and Hunt replies to Shaffer's reverberating plucks with foghorn groans on the ominous, pensive 'uuu773'.

'EXINFINITE' perpetually builds momentum until it hits 'Caroline', an intense collaboration with FKA twigs that isolates her most unearthly tones. Initially curling her words around ominous electrical distortions and mangled, ghostly voices, twigs launches into a charged operatic cry that Shaffer and Hunt meet with skittering cybernetic beats and dense walls of guitar noise. It's this track that fully cracks open VENERA's concept, merging the synthetic with the natural and prompting dysphoria, loss of self and infinite regress. So the blood-curdling noise and sinister ambiance of 'Decreation' acts like a dissociated coda. In the 'EXINFINITE', destruction and death are not overcome, they're intensified until they metamorphose completely.


Venera ft. Dis Fig - End Uncovered

Firewall of Twos V2

Label based in Berlin, est. 2008. http://www.p-a-n.org