Bremen, Germany based drone ambient duo Troum will release the new full-length album “EmphasYs” on April 24, 2026 via Cyclic Law and Transgredient Records, paired with the first vinyl edition of the Troum & Raison d’être collaboration album, “Xibipiio – In and Out of Experience”.

Details on Troum’s ‘EmphasYs’ album

“EmphasYs” is a seven-track album built around the idea of one dominant instrument per piece. Initially developed under the working title “Schwerpunkt” (“focal point”), the project asks what happens when one core sound becomes the centre of an entire composition instead of one layer among many.

Each track focuses on a specific instrument: electric guitar, cello, accordion, didgeridoo, acoustic guitar, zither, or saxophone. These sources are then treated as material for drones, resonance and texture, processed into long-form pieces typical of the duo’s work.

The album runs 63:05 and appears as a co-release between Cyclic Law and Transgredient Records.

“EmphasYs” will be available in three formats:

• CD edition of 500 copies in a 4-panel Digipak
• 2LP edition of 300 copies (100 copies on marbled blue & black vinyl, 200 copies on black vinyl) in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves
• Digital download via Cyclic Law’s Bandcamp page

Pre-orders are open now via Cyclic Law’s official store.

Troum & Raison d’être collaboration album ‘Xibipiio – In and Out of Experience’ comes to vinyl

On the same date, Cyclic Law will issue a 2LP edition of “Xibipiio – In and Out of Experience“, the collaborative work by Troum and Raison d’être first released in 2017.

Originally created between 2013 and 2017 as the second part of the collaboration that began with “De Aeris In Sublunaria Influxu” (2015, Essence Music), “Xibipiio” uses sound sources by Raison d’être that were transformed, re-framed and layered by Troum. Additional material recorded by Troum includes guitars, voices, flutes, accordion, cello, violin, didgeridoo, dombra, tapes and found sounds.

The concept is linked to a linguistic and perceptual notion from the Amazonian Pirahã people, structuring the album as a sequence of distinct “micro-worlds” of perception. In its original version, the work comprised nine pieces and appeared on CD and digital formats via Transgredient Records.

The new 2LP edition expands the album to eleven tracks with two previously unreleased bonus pieces, bringing the total running time to 72:10. It is limited to 300 copies (100 copies on marbled red & black vinyl, 200 copies on black vinyl) and comes in a gatefold sleeve with matte lamination. Mastering was done by Peter Andersson, while artwork was created by Marcin Lojek with pattern drawings by Bartosz Zaskorski.

Pre-orders are available via Cyclic Law or via the label’s Bandcamp page. The earlier CD/digital edition of “Xibipiio – In and Out of Experience” (2017) remains available via the shared Bandcamp page of both projects.

About Troum

Troum is a Bremen-based German drone and dark ambient duo founded in early 1997 by Stefan Knappe and Martin Gitschel after the end of their previous project Maeror Tri. Alongside their work as artists, the members are behind Drone Records, which has documented a wide range of experimental and ambient music since the 1990s.

The project focuses on multi-layered, largely guitar-based and tape-based drones, combining electric and acoustic instruments, voices and field recordings while avoiding samplers and computer-generated sound. Over time, Troum have issued a large series of albums, EPs and collaborations through labels such as Transgredient Records, Essence Music, Zoharum, Cold Spring and Cyclic Law.

Key long-form releases include albums such as “Tjukurrpa” (early 2000s), later works like “Acouasme” (Cold Spring, mid-2010s) and compilation-style releases like “Da-Pu-Ri-To-Jo (The Singles 2004–2016)” on Zoharum, which gathered rare and single tracks into a single edition.

About raison d’être

Raison d’être is the long-running dark ambient project of Swedish composer Peter Andersson, founded in 1991 in Linköping, Sweden. Early releases appeared through Cold Meat Industry.

Over more than three decades, Raison d’être has released a substantial body of work including albums such as “Prospectus I” (early 1990s), “Enthralled by the Wind of Loneliness”, “The Empty Hollow Unfolds”, “Metamorphyses”, “Mise en Abyme”, “Alchymeia” and “Daemonum”. Many of these titles have later appeared in expanded or remastered editions on Cyclic Law, often with additional material, revised mastering at K-14 level and new packaging.

More recent activity includes the 2025 2LP reissue of “The Empty Hollow Unfolds” via Cyclic Law and Rune Serpent Europa, continuing a series of remastered and expanded editions.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Drone, Soundscape.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: German Troum duo has now been active since 1997. They released an impressive discography and have worked with numerous –and famous artists. This album is a compilation featuring songs originally released on 7” (and one digital EP) format in between 2004 and 2016. We get a total of twelve tracks.

Content: This work is a nice and diversified selection of tracks. Pure dark reverie and Cinematographic passages have been alternated with harsher Noise-Ambient cuts. The work also brings raw-sounding Soundscapes recovered with abyssal atmospheres. The last part of the album is definitely Cinematographic.

+ + + : I like this kind of ‘compilation’ featuring a selection of singles. But this album also gives us an opportunity to (re)discover the wider spectrum of influences created by Troum. Diversity is the keyword to introduce this work, which is however dominated by harsh and raw Soundscape and Cinematographic style. I like the unrefined format of “Betonwolke” and the anguishing sphere hanging over “Gruoen”. But my favorite pieces are right at the end; a total Cinematographic experience illustrated on “Victoria” and “Unreleased Theme For River Endscene”.

– – – : The singles by Troum have never been my favorites although I have to admit there are some forgotten treasures featured on this work.

Conclusion: This is the kind of compilation I like; a great selection of singles you now get together on one and the same disc. It’s an essential item to complete your Troum collection.

Best songs: “Victoria”, “Unreleased Theme For River Endscene”, “Betonwolke”, “Gruoen”, “Aerugo”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.troum.com / www.facebook.com/Troum.Bremen

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, drone, cinematographic, experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This album features thirteen artists dealing with music influences related to dark-ambient, drone, cinematographic and related genres.

Artists: Rapoon, Troum, Autopsia, Schloss Tegal, Tunnels Of Ah, Alphaxone ao.

Content: Eight Tower Records (subdivision of Unexplained Sounds Group) invites the listener to a sonic travel where darkness is King. There’s an interesting mix between established, great names and  a few ‘new’ ones. They all bring an interesting twist of dark music moving from heavy sound treatments towards pure experimentalism/minimalism driven by field recordings to dark evasive passages into the realms of cinematic music.

+ + + : This compilation reveals a great sound production, which I especially noticed on the tracks by Rapoon and Gaspar Peralta –who’s one of those ‘new’, but talented artists featured on the sampler.  The track by Simon Balestrazzi is another attention grabber for the mix of cello-like sounds together with metallic noises and vocals’ effects lost in space. Taphephobia is one of the noticeable formations in the cinematographic style, but my absolute favorite track is the one by Martyria. I discovered this Greek project by their debut album released on Malignant Records. They’ve been featured here with a track that makes me think of a haunted version of Ennio Morricone.

– – – : The biggest names from the compilation aren’t maybe featured with the best cuts.

Conclusion: This is a sampler with a great sound production featuring visionary and diversified artists.

Best bands: Martyria, Gaspar Peralta, Taphephobia, Rapoon, Simon Balestrazzi, Troum.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.facebook.com/eighthtowerrecord

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Swedish artist Peter Andersson set up Raison D’Être in 1991. He rapidly became one of the most praised- and influential artists from the dark-ambient scene. He became one of the flag holders from the legendary and now defunct label Cold Meat Industry. Peter Andersson set up different side-projects such as Atomine Elektrine, Bocksholm, Necrophorus, Stratvm Terror, Panzar, Anonyma Alkoholister ao but always moved on with his main project. He this year joined hands together with Canadian label Cyclic Law to unleash his newest creation “Alchymeia”. It’s a new opus revealing the dark- and artistic sound approach of Peter Andersson. It also was an opportunity to make an interview with this talented and unique musician.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I first of all want to ask you if you’re satisfied with the new album and what kind of work did you want to accomplish by releasing “Alchymeia”?

Peter: I can’t be anything, but satisfied with a new album, else it would not have been existing. The previous album was the same, just as the next one will be. With all of my albums I want to establish and accomplish some sort of connection with my inner self; to get to know myself better.

The process of creating the album is the most important phase because then the connection is deeper and more intense than when listening to a completed album a few years later, but after a few years I might start to understand things in or around the album better, like pieces of a puzzle finding their correct places.

Q: When listeners are listening to music they only hear the result of a long-time during process featuring numerous aspects such as sound creation, the equipment/gear to compose music, influences, eventually a conceptual theme, the writing and recording process, mixing, mastering, artwork etc… How do you manage all these aspects and do you have a specific way of working/proceeding?

Peter: Yes, there are many aspects, and the ways may vary in different degrees from album to album. I don’t lock myself to one specific way, even if that may seem like a safe and confident way. But I don’t want to be safe, it would mean stagnation. I want to find new/other methods and work with new/other gear which give raise to new/other possibilities.

The concept is never the same for one album to another, even if there may be similarities and relations between them.

Q: During the last years Raison D’Être has released several live recordings and these albums together with Troum. Does it mean it becomes more and more difficult to compose a new studio album after more than 20 years of involvement and maybe finding new challenges?

Peter: No, it’s not the case really. Sure it’s a challenge to create an album, but as long as ideas, inspiration and curiosity is part of my life I know there will be ways to do good material. The truth is this: in the early and mid 90’s I released a new Raison D’Être album each year because I had the time to do it. I was young and searching for employment, but did not get any job. In the late 90’s I got an employment and from that moment it took longer time between the albums. And times seem to go faster the older you get. And in recent years I have a family and a house to take care of, so at the end there is very little time for music.

Not many can live on their music alone, they need some kind of employment to pay the bills. I wish I would only work half as much and make more music, but at the moment it’s really not possible for various reasons. I choose to release live albums because they are unique and very different from studio albums, and the material that are performed are almost always (at least since ten years back) tracks that does not exist in studio versions, they are made on the fly during the performances. The live tracks may remind of studio tracks, but that’s just because they may share some common sounds, and then they evolve into something else.

And the two collaboration albums with Troum, well it is like making one normal studio album in effort I guess. These albums were released within a two year period but the material for the first album were completed between 2011-2014 and the second album between 2013-2017, so they were pretty slow processes. To complete a Raison D’Être album I would typically need a year (noneffective time) from the start of making sounds to complete everything including the release of the album, but before that start of making the first sounds a concept has been developed, and my mind has been accumulating energy and adopted itself to the concept maybe two years earlier.

Q: What I especially like in your sound is that Raison D’Être –and a few other number of dark-ambient projects, has created a kind of very own sound DNA; I mean you directly can recognize it’s Raison D’Être! What do you think makes your sound that specific and recognizable and what does it say about your perception of composing music?

Peter: I agree that artists can have a specific and recognizable sound profile. I think the most important (and maybe the only way) in order to get a unique and very own sound DNA is to find one self in the creative process and to find where I belong in all this, what is my talent so to speak. When this has been found, and it may take many years, than that unique sound profile will follow naturally and be a natural part in every creative process. This kind of profile is not unique to music, it can be about any type of creative output. It’s just a matter of finding one self.

Q: The album has been introduced as ‘diving deep down to the shadows of the unconsciousness’. What fascinates you in the inner world of human being, which is a path mostly explored by psychologists, and how do you transpose these themes into a sound, a track and finally an album?

Peter: What does not fascinate with the inner world? The dream world, the subconscious, the unconscious, archetypes, symbols and imagination is perhaps the most fascinating for me I think.

How things work between the inner world and the creative output, how things are rendered into music, is a bit of an enigma. It’s just happens and it works as it was a natural process. But I believe the language of symbols plays a big part. Symbols are the ‘common’ language between our inner and outer world, but the decoding process is the difficult issue. Anyway, I believe it works, a connection with the inner world must be there and I follow the voice of my inner which guides me to follow a path that may not exist, but are created while I follow it. When a sound is the right sound I will feel it, when a track is the right track I feel it, and when an album is final I feel it, and this feeling resonates in accordance with my inner resonance.

Q: I read that this album will be the first time a Raison D’Être production will be released on vinyl format. How does that feel and how do you explain the come-back of vinyl while CD sales are going the other way round?

Peter: Yes, and we are still waiting for the vinyl production. The aim was to release the vinyl at the same moment as the CD and digital release, but there is a very large queue and all is crazy because of all the records that need to be produced for the record store day. It screws up the production for the rest that are not interested in the that specific day. I think the return of the vinyl is good, but the production companies and equipment are not enough to meet the greater amount of possible vinyl releases. I like the impact and size of the vinyl, but I prefer the sound quality of the CD, at least for my own music.

Eventually all my studio albums will get a vinyl release. After “Alchymeia” I will start to make vinyl master for “Prospectus I” and then go in chronological order. I guess the return of the vinyl has to do with a reaction against the digital and less physical world of music, and also the 80’s is in retro fashion at the moment, and vinyl were big in the 80’s just before CD’s got popular. Vinyl is a collector’s item with high status while a CD don’t have high collector status at all.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

The second part of the collaboration that started in 2013 with the (now deleted) “De Aeris in Sublunaria Influxu” CD now sees the light of day under the title “‘XIBIPIIO'”.

For the new album Raison D’être source material was used, processed and mixed with additional recordings by Troum. You can take that literally as Troum added guitars, voices, flutes,accordion , cello, violin, didgeridoo, dombra, tapes and found sounds.

The release can be ordered right here with digipak artwork with extra silver pantone printing as created by Marcin Łojek. The final mix of the tracks was executed by Troum while the mastering was handled by Peter Andersson.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, industrial, power-noise, experimental, noise, ritual, cinematographic.

Background/Info: A label sampler always offers an opportunity to familiarize with the different bands from the roster. I noticed that Cold Spring is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year so you can imagine this British label and distributor has a great history. “Pyre” got released end 2016 and features a sonic spectrum from the latest- and forthcoming release on the label.

Bands: Troum, Khost, La Breiche, Skullflower, Penny Rimbaud’s L’Académie Des Vanités, Tunnels Of Ah, Sutcliffe Jugend, Tenhornedbeast, Sun Ra/Merzbow, She Spread Sorrow, Coil, Common Eader King Eider, Trepaneringsritualen, Henrik Nordvargr Björkk, Dave Ball + Jon Savage.

Content: This sampler featuring 15 bands confirms the fine nose of label owner Justin Mitchell to sign original- although often ‘extreme’ artists. Cold Spring is a label for experienced fans of experimental-, noise-, power-noise-, drone-, dark-ambient- and other related genres. This sampler is an exciting mix of different genres, but still a mix between long-time established and recognized artists on one side and a few new, upcoming talents on the other.

+ + + : It all depends of your personal taste and favorite music styles, but globally speaking I like the great diversity on “Pyre”. The tracklist has been progressively built up and finally moving into a brilliant final part with tracks from Troum, She Spread Sorrow, Common Eider King Eider, Henrik Nordvargr Björkk and Dave Ball + Jon Savage. It also remains a particular and I dare to say emotional experience to re-discover the genius of Coil.

– – – : There’s no real minus on “Pyre”, but it for sure remains the kind of music you can’t share with everybody.

Conclusion: Cold Spring is a label that has no longer real surprises for all music lovers familiarized with the label roster, but “Pyre” clearly proves 2016-2017 will be remembered as being a great vintage!

Best bands: Troum, She Spread Sorrow, Common Eider King Eider, Henrik Nordvargrg Björkk, Coil, Dave Ball + Jon Savage.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, dark-ambient, cinematographic.

Background/Info: Glit[S]ch and Baraka[H] better known under the Troum moniker can already look back on an impressive discography, which started long time ago before Troum when both members were involved in Maeror Tri.

Troum has released an impressive number of productions featuring multiple collaborations. “Acouasme” has been announced as different and more industrial compared to previous productions.

Content: The universe of Troum remains an inspiring sonic world where they move from intriguing sound labyrinths towards ghost noises and ritual passages. The ambient atmosphere injects a kind of desperate feeling leading into nihilism and the darkest, imaginable visions in life.

Troum prefers to move throughout the darkest depths of human mind, which is an aspect reinforced by humming waves and spooky sonic elements. The music becomes partly cinematographic, but still carried by a strong ritual aspect. The industrial percussion passages accentuate the global feeling of terror.

+ + + : I was impressed by the fine elaboration of the work and the slowly progression of the compositions. There’s a fascinating crescendo-like writing explaining the long during tracks featured at this work.

– – – : I expected a bit more explicit industrial elements, which on some passages would maybe have reinforced certain power emerging from the tracks.

Conclusion: Troum is the kind of music project that can’t leave you unaffected. The sound has a serious impact on listeners and you better avoid “Acouasme” if you’re a novice! Troum sound sick and magic!

Best songs: “Outer Brain Outsourcing”, “Aliens Laughing About Us”, “Signe Du Miroir.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.troum.com / www.facebook.com/Troum.Bremen

Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, dark-ambient, cinematographic.

Background/Info: Glit[S]ch and Baraka[H] better known under the Troum moniker can already look back on an impressive discography, which started long time ago before Troum when both members were involved in Maeror Tri.

Troum has released an impressive number of productions featuring multiple collaborations. “Acouasme” has been announced as different and more industrial compared to previous productions.

Content: The universe of Troum remains an inspiring sonic world where they move from intriguing sound labyrinths towards ghost noises and ritual passages. The ambient atmosphere injects a kind of desperate feeling leading into nihilism and the darkest, imaginable visions in life.

Troum prefers to move throughout the darkest depths of human mind, which is an aspect reinforced by humming waves and spooky sonic elements. The music becomes partly cinematographic, but still carried by a strong ritual aspect. The industrial percussion passages accentuate the global feeling of terror.

+ + + : I was impressed by the fine elaboration of the work and the slowly progression of the compositions. There’s a fascinating crescendo-like writing explaining the long during tracks featured at this work.

– – – : I expected a bit more explicit industrial elements, which on some passages would maybe have reinforced certain power emerging from the tracks.

Conclusion: Troum is the kind of music project that can’t leave you unaffected. The sound has a serious impact on listeners and you better avoid “Acouasme” if you’re a novice! Troum sound sick and magic!

Best songs: “Outer Brain Outsourcing”, “Aliens Laughing About Us”, “Signe Du Miroir.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.troum.com / www.facebook.com/Troum.Bremen

Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

6 years after the “Hel” album, Germany’s Nina Kernicke aka Allseits returns with “Chimäre”. The more than one hour long 6-track album comes in a limited edition of just 600 copies in a 8-panel digipack. Pre-orders are accepted right here via Cyclic Law’s webshop. The album will be officially out on January 21st 2016.

Here’s what the label says about the concept of the album: “(The album is) inspired by the seeming duality most of us carry, the fight between what one desires to be and one’s current state. A look at the illusory world constructed by the mind and the fact that everything is relative and a matter of perspective. “Chimäre” is a metaphor for doubt and subsequent questions. No one truth exists. A surreal journey submerged in profound guitar drones and hypnotic rhythmic pulses, “Chimäre” sees the grand return of a true musical force.”

You can listen to a preview of the album below.

Allseits is the solo project of the German instrumentalist Nina Kernicke known from her recent collaboration with German drone pioneers Troum of which Nina has also been a recent live member of and her work under her other alias, All Sides. Kernicke uses guitar, bass, drums and sampling to create her work.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

side-line.com