First Listen: New Releases for 20 February 2026
Artist : Out of Place Artefacts Album : A Complex Interplay of Zeros and Ones Quick Thoughts : It's hard for me to write about music electronic music normally, so my intentions for highlighting Out of Place Artefacts this week is less about how good the album is and more about how it combines everything I love about excellent electronic music all at once. It's equal parts complex and abrasive while nevertheless having strong, coherent throughlines and great beats. It borrows a little bit of everything from everywhere and that's hard to do in any genre, never mind one with so many expectations / no expectations at all. Worth an adventurous listen. Songs of Note : "Closed Loop Grids," "Panopticon," "Healing of a Ghost," "Wunschmachine," "Help is On the Way," "Quantum Waltz" Artist : Lucid Express Album : Instant Comfort Quick Thoughts : 2026 is quickly working itself out to be the Year of Shoegaze, wi...