PSTMRD explores time & space on synth-based record, “Lanzarote”
With Lanzarote, the Italian electronic producer and composer PSTMRD delivers an album that feels less like a collection of tracks and more like an environment or world that’s been built from the ground up. Officially released on February 6th, this second full-length release confirms his reputation as an artist deeply invested in sound as texture, space, and emotion, rather than something strictly for dance floors. We found it to be an unconventional electronic album in the best sense, one that resists easy categorization, but the more you listen, the more profound it becomes!
PSTMRD’s background in the hardcore and post-rock scenes of the 1990s quietly informs the record’s sense of tension. However, there’s an underlying physicality here, even when the music leans toward abstraction. Rather than chasing mainstream dance floor immediacy, Lanzarote focuses on atmosphere and movement, balancing energy and introspection with a control that only happens through his literal years of experience. The album is completely cinematic, unfolding like a series of evolving landscapes as the record goes on. Sure, there’s plenty of songs we’d categorize as singles, but the cohesive “album experience” is so important to really get this.
The standout single “Fullmoon” serves as a clear entry point into this world as the second in the tracklisting. Truly though, it felt more like a jumping off point to everything else that follows though. He’s taken his influences like classic IDM and the early innovations of Aphex Twin that come through wonderfully. But, it’s those glitch-infused details and the nod toward the minimalist digital experiments of Ryoji Ikeda that really take this from good to great.
Analog synth tones drift through the arrangement, evoking the spirit of 1980s pioneers like Tangerine Dream (a personal favorite of his), giving the music a vintage glow that never feels nostalgic just for the sake of it. Somehow it sounds both aged and futuristic, but considering it’s 2026, the albums arrived at just the right time.
Across the record, PSTMRD’s fascination with modular synthesis and custom electronic instruments is on full display. Some absolutely major standouts for us were “The Wave” and “Dune”! The sound design is meticulous, testing the limits of what synthesizers can express emotionally. Textures flicker, pulse, and dissolve, often revealing new details on repeat listens. This is very much a headphones album, where subtle shifts in stereo space and little events become part of the narrative. You really don’t need lyrics or messages to bring your own thoughts about it.
For all its intricacy and experimental ambition, the album never feels stale in the slightest. If you’re looking for humongous drops, this probably isn’t the album for you. There’s a sense of curiosity and wonder running through it, like a quiet human presence or puppeteering of the machines. PSTMRD understands when to push forward with energy and when to let moments linger, creating a listening experience that is sooo unbelievably immersive and hypnotic.
In an era where electronic music often prioritizes immediacy, Lanzarote takes the long view. We couldn’t help but fall in love on the first listen and we think you will too. Go ahead and click those links below to enjoy and of course to stay tuned for the latest.
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