Tristan Perich & James McVinnie - Infinity Gradient (2025)

I dig pipe organ sound in anything. Give me Anna von Hausswolff's early releases anytime of day. But when I heard about this album where this instrument meets post-minimalism and "1-bit music", I had no idea what to expect.

Tristan Perich is well-known for his minimalist electronica (not by me cause that is, simply speaking, not my kind of music), James McVinnie is an acclaimed organist from NY and together they've created something they call "an hour-long symphony in seven movements for organ and 100 speakers in 1-bit audio". It sounds extremely impressive, probably more from the realm of modern art than music, but it doesn't matter to me much. What matters is that the album itself is so satisfying to listen to. Probably because all I hear is the organs i various compositions I have no ability to describe as I lack music knowledge. What I know is that the hour passed so quickly when I was submerged in the massive sound of the king of the instruments.

Infinity Gradient costs 9 EUR (8 GBP).

Check: Infinity Gradient: Section 7

Country: New York, US

Genre: organ-based orchestral neoclassical

Label: Erased Tapes Records

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Theory of Ghosts - The Sulphur and the Grey (2026)

For many reasons, Closure by Piano Magic was an album as important as it was devastating to listen to for me. It also crowned the band's discography in near perfect way, but still meant that there was a musical presence I would sorely miss. Fortunately, on Piano Magic's ashes, Theory of Ghosts rose and it shares a lot of common things with its predecessor. And the artists behind it have just released their debut album!

Theory of Ghosts is Glen Johnson and Franck Alba (of Piano Magic) who, together with Robert Hervais-Adelman, create something I would call minimal ghost rock. All the PM fans out there will quickly recognize the vocals (obviously) but also the lyrical flavour that, to me, a person from Central Europe, is so strikingly British. I love it and I love when they sing about UK and London (places I've never been to, let alone have any relationship with) but also about more universal aspects of life. "When nobody knows who you are, you can do whatever you want" being probably the sentence I will take with me from this one.

Music-wise, it's a minimal (but still very artistic) electronica that has a hint of this autumnal sadness I associate these vocals with. Especially when it's joined by subtle guitar sounds and strings. Sometimes the electronic part is even more... beepy. I know it's not a word, but listening to Blame makes me think of this word. Theory of Ghosts is a great name as it's like listening to a ghost of something that used to be, but also to something that is completely new in form. 

The Sulphur and the Grey costs 9 EUR (7.99 GBP).

Check: When Nobody Knows Who You Are

Country: UK

Genre: minimal ghost rock

Label: Second Language Music

Theory of Ghosts - EP1 (2023)

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monotheism - Mantra (2025)

Three masked individuals from a far away country of South Korea bring another near-divine (and very short) album to my speakers. 7 years (!) after their last EP (also mentioned in here), they come back with this trance-inducing, spiritual and mind-blowingly noisy release that is entitled Mantra but also IS a mantra at the same time.

"We play the resonance of the divine. Three waves become one mantra", they state and they follow by explaining the role of each of the three tracks on the EP. The noisy guitar sounds first let us connect with the divine resonance, then find the origins of all sounds and finally get lost within the sound itself. The aggressive-sounding guitars are most certainly NOT what one would imagine when reading a description like this, but I can assure you that the flow is there and it can take anyone with it towards the sonic awakening.

Mantra costs 5 USD.

Check: Cycle

Country: South Korea

Genre: noisssssy post-rock

Monotheism - Reveal (2019)

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The Burning Paris - Last Leaves (2025)

When the American Post. Festival announced another batch of artists set to join this year's edition, one addition to the list caught my attention and reminded me that I used to listen to Coral City Ruin a lot when I was much younger. So I checked them (again) and I'm blown away and their 2025's third ever album is just exactly what I love in music.

They call it a combination of shoegaze, dream pop, neoclassical and post-rock, but I just call it "what if Piano Magic played post-rock today" and I can't think of a better compliment in my mind. I reckon it's the combination of the slowcore, extremely melancholic atmosphere, poetic lyrics and violins-heavy, but also very much multidimensional compositions that makes me think of the British band (R.I.P.). According to their own words, the music here "swells between serenity and intensity" and I have to say that the balance between the weight of the guitars and the beauty of piano and violin music (as well as the ethereal vocals) is perfectly struck.  

So it seems that during the hiatus of my attention in their music, the Americans managed to disband, get back together, albeit with substantial changes to the line-up, release their first album in years and now top it with a second release. And I'm more than glad to say that they keep doing what I remember from over 20 years ago.

Last Leaves costs 10 USD.

Check: August Fires

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: post-ghost rock

Label: A Thousand Arms Music

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Mary Lattimore & Julianna Barwick - Tragic Magic (2026)

What can you get when you have an acclaimed harpist (Mary Lattimore) and equally acclaimed ambient pop artist Julianna Barwick in one room (I assume (EDIT: it was a whole philharmonie!) )creating music? Well, exactly what you've expected: pure magic (even if tragic). The two American musicians created one of the highlights of the dawn of this year and filled it with the perfect soundscape.

While I know some projects with harp music (LEYA!), it is still pretty exotic to me. I've seen Lattimore performing live already and harp sounds and subtle electronica make an interesting blend, but I feel like only now, with the addition of ethereal vocals, it is complete. I can't get rid of the picture of tall tree-stacked forest while listening to this album (curse you, fantasy movies!) so it's no wonder this is exactly what the album's cover art features. But there is also a certain amount of ethereal mist and omnipresent melancholia in the air present.

Naturally (sic!), this brings up the hippie, New Age vibes o the picture as well. But, according to the album's description, it is mostly focused on the human nature and inter-human relations. And nature. And the cosmic. I guess you can't escape these. Nevertheless, the combination of ambient pop with the sound of harp is something I did not have on my bingo card for 2026 music, but I'm glad I found it.

Tragic Magic costs 10 EUR.

Check: Perpetual Adoration

Country: US

Genre: harp-based ambient pop

Label: InFiné

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Syberia - Quan tot s'apagui (2026)

When I'm asked about the loudest concert I've ever been to, I mention MBV at OFF Festival and Syberia's gig in a tiny cellar in Kraków, where five guys barely fitting the small stage filled the space with extreme atmospheric noise. I'm ecstatic to listen to their new album that is all about the same glorious experience: the guitar noise that makes you fly.

Quan tot s'apagui (that translates roughly to "When everything goes out") is another album in recent months that is filled with dark and heavy post-rock. Yes, this is the band's signature sound (with Ain't.Care.About.Bullets as one of my very favourite post-rock tracks ever), but it's also a trend that must be fueled with whatever is going on with the world right now. But this darkness is also filled with energy (which usually is not a good sign, but this time it really is). The guitars gallop furiously most of the time, the walls of noise come at you one by one and I just loooove how the drums work here. This music is extreme, doesn't let you breathe even for a second, but it doesn't matter. You only want to breathe the sound.

Coming back to the Kraków concert: some enthusiastic but not very good at geopolitical matters bloke shouted "Viva España!" at the band (with good intentions) to which the artists politely corrected him that they are from Catalonia. And this brings me to the last point about the album: it is their first work in their own language which I respect extremely!

Quan tot s'apagui costs 9.99 EUR.

Check: naixença d'una mort tranquil·la

Country: Catalonia/Spain

Genre: dark post-rock

Label: Moment of Collapse Records

Syberia - Statement on Death (2022)

Syberia - Seeds of Change (2019)

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Tethered Hands - How We Live Is How We Die (2026)

I've covered their debut album exactly a year ago, but these guys have a great ability to create new music fast! And here we are, the transatlantic project is now five people in a band (they don't have a picture together though from obvious reasons) and two albums in their discography. Their piano and guitar kind of post-rock is as beautiful as ever and so the project band is one to have your eyes on as this time next year they will probably surprise us with even more great music.

As I mentioned before, pianist Joseph D. E. Phillips (US) (hi, Joseph!) and guitarist Daniel Rickards (UK) created ANOTHER transatlantic pact, but their aim is to create instrumental music despite of the obvious geographical barriers. Like a lot of water between them. Together with three new members (Pascal Normand, Sam Wallis and Joshua Cook), they can now fulfill the dream of becoming a real post-rock band, not just a project. And I think it's noticeable in their music: the complex compositions gained more dimensions while still having the same core values: piano keys as the structure that is complimented by guitar noise.

The artists translate their emotions into instrumental music, making it affect the audience in turn. As Joseph mentions: "We want [the fans] to feel something. We want the hairs to raise on their arms and their eyes to go wide". With the beauty of piano sounds, the ethereal, tear-jerking passages (so well done in Your Mind Is Going (I Can Feel It) and the guitars that ultimately add heaviness to the compositions, I feel like this goal has been reached. Make ŁŚ feel something? Check!

How We Live Is How We Die costs 5 USD.

Check: Ghost of Rochelbel

Country: US/UK/Canada

Genre: piano post-rock

Tethered Hands - Tethered Hands (2025)

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