Arcane Airoplane’s "Spark In The Dark" burns with hard-earned brilliance
Arcane Airoplane’s Spark In The Dark, the passion project of Green Bay’s Jon Agen, is one of those rare instances of true lightning in a bottle. Released August 29th, 2025, it’s a record that feels both intimate and expansive, the culmination of two decades of resilience, reflection, and relentless pursuit of sound. Agen doesn’t just deliver a set of songs, he delivers a life’s journey, refracted through guitars, pianos, and vocals that crackle with sincerity in a way no algorithm could ever manufacture.
The backstory is as compelling as the music itself. In his early twenties, Agen faced a near-fatal battle with mold poisoning, a health crisis that silenced him and nearly ended his relationship with music. Many would have stopped there, but Spark In The Dark is the sound of someone refusing to be erased. These songs, some of them rooted in old lyrics and chord progressions from the early 2000s, glow with the electricity of survival.
The record’s sonic DNA is stitched together from both classic and contemporary cloth. You hear echoes of The Beatles’ melodic fearlessness, the widescreen experimentation of Pink Floyd, the theatricality of Bowie. But alongside that heritage are the jagged edges of The Strokes, the reckless swagger of The Libertines, and the modern indie grit that keeps the album firmly grounded in the now. Agen blends these influences into something distinctly his own, a tapestry that’s equal parts nostalgic and forward-facing, intimate yet cinematic.
Recorded entirely by Agen who wrote, performed, produced, mixed, and mastered every element, the album bears his unmistakable fingerprint. It’s raw in places, polished in others, but always deliberate. The only outside contributions come from The Healy Sisters, whose cello and violin on I Will Still Love You add a haunting gravitas that expands the album’s emotional reach. The decision to rely on real instruments, real performances, real flaws, and real triumphs gives the record a weight that’s increasingly rare in an age of machine-generated gloss.
What truly sets the album apart is its emotional core. There’s no artifice here, no attempt to chase trends. Instead, it’s an artist opening himself up, using music as both mirror and medicine. That honesty resonates in every note, making the record not just enjoyable but necessary. It’s the kind of debut that reminds you why people still make albums, not just collections of singles, but long-form statements that say something about what it means to endure, to grow, to create.
With Spark In The Dark, Jon Agen doesn’t just establish Arcane Airoplane as a project to watch, he places himself firmly among the most compelling new voices in indie rock. It’s a record that carries scars, but also triumphs, and that balance makes it timeless. It’s 100% worth your listen whenever you get a moment! Click those links below to listen in, follow along, and of course to stay tuned for more.
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