Experimental Rockers Atsuko Chiba will release their self-titled fourth full-length on April 24, 2026 via Mothland. The Montrealers to share images compiled by the band to go along with futuristic Chamber Pop banger “Torn,” out today, March 17, 2026.
Watch the music video for “Torn” via the YouTube player below:
Experimental Rock collective Atsuko Chiba have a knack for creating off-kilter earworms, novel groover “Torn” (March 17th, 2026 via Mothland) being a prime example of their singular approach to songwriting. This second single off forthcoming self-titled full-length, “Atsuko Chiba” (April 24th, 2026), is both expansive and introspective, an astute mælstrom of synthetic melodic onflow where harmonically dense waves of sonic mastery crash against one another, while the rhythm section pulses with sheer focus. The futuristic chamber pop banger centres around a tale of megalomania, pinning unhinged ambition against self-reflection.
Atsuko Chiba on the new single: “‘Torn’ explores the struggle with anxiety through the lens of overconfidence, transforming imposter syndrome from a state of paralysis into propulsion. By constructing a false reality, the protagonist earns the trust of those around him through promises he can not keep. He embarks on a quest to control the world around him, while gradually losing himself in the deception of others—and his own. Eventually, he stares into the mirror and no longer recognizes the person looking back. Over time, he becomes a composite of the characters and narratives he has invented, dissolving into his own fiction. The game becomes indistinguishable from reality, breeding a deep and growing unease. Panic attacks and episodes of depersonalization follow, each one pushing him further, eroding sleep, stretching time, tightening the tension in his chest. At the edge of a cliff—unsure how long he has been awake—he searches for release as the pressure becomes unbearable. This release is marked by the shift at the end of the song. What happens next remains unresolved: does he jump, or does an old photograph—himself beside his father—surface from his wallet, pulling him back toward the memory of who he once was? We don’t know.”
Each sprawling sonic essay is a world of its own, yet “Atsuko Chiba” remains iridescently cohesive, putting on display an a-priori array of polychromatic sounds…
Atsuko Chiba come full-circle with the release of their self-titled fourth long-player, positively rethinking their sound while unearthing six idiosyncratic gems that resonate deeply with their experimental ethos. Each sprawling sonic essay is a world of its own, yet “Atsuko Chiba” (April 24th, 2026 via Mothland) remains iridescently cohesive, putting on display an a-priori array of polychromatic sounds. Drawing inspiration from visionary artists such as Mark Lanegan, Beak>, Talk Talk, Can, or Portishead, the five-piece offer 32 minutes of ethereal exploration.
Though the Montréal outfit have been introducing more and more singing with every release, their namesake sees Atsuko Chiba further wield vocals as a means to delve into their intrinsic meta. And with this introspection comes a lyrical universe that coexists effortlessly with wildly evocative soundscapes. “Atsuko Chiba” is all at once a gritty Post-Rock epic and an intimate hymn to self-discovery, made possible by creativity, but even more so by collective self-reflection; its moodiness amplifying a communal desire to strain away from recurrent patterns for the sake of comfort, approval, and longevity.
Atsuko Chiba comment: “Overall, Atsuko Chiba is an exercise in patience and restraint. The mood of the album is melancholic, at times feeling optimistic, while other times feeling almost hopeless—there’s a sense of loss and disconnect, but also a glimmer of hope. It is the most vulnerable and stripped down music we have ever made. It is a departure from the aggressive and distorted guitar sound we’ve relied on over the years. We also chose to make it a self-titled record which is something we battled with. We went with Atsuko Chiba because its overarching themes relate to us in a deep way. The material on this album presents itself as a mosaic of our interests and experiences as a band. We let the music guide us every step of the way, never forcing our will upon it, instead paying attention to what it was telling us and what we could do to further support it.
At first, we would come into the studio without a plan, just playing and recording the entire time, with no pressure as to a specific outcome: free jams during which we were just generating grooves, parts, and moments that felt good to us. We also put limitations, cutting out certain instruments from session to session, opening us to new options and pathways, generating new sound palettes. A lot of attention was put into creating space and holding back from always going for big epic moments. We focussed on keeping things simple and using dynamics to create exciting moments instead of relying on loud guitars to get us there. This album features a lot of auxiliary percussion, synthesizers, and keyboards, and places a strong emphasis on vocals. We explored acoustic guitars and created many custom percussive sounds by layering two or three sources together, also programming rhythms using samplers and drum machines.”
From the onset, Atsuko Chiba decided to treat this new opus with a freeform creative process, which could only be achieved by pursuing a hands-on approach, and by each band member—Anthony Piazza (drums, electronic drums, percussion), David Palumbo (bass, bass VI, vocals), Eric Schafhauser (guitar, synthesizers), Karim Lakhdar (vocals, guitar, synthesizers), and Kevin McDonald (synthesizers, guitar)—sharing the roles of engineer and producer. The collective later turned to longtime collaborators Matthew Cerantola for the mix, Harris Newman for the mastering, as well as Hannes Pasqualini and Elizabeth Busani at Papernoise Design for the artworks, a diorama inspired by a photograph by Ari Magnusson.
The new self-titled Atsuko Chiba album will be available April 24, 2026 through Mothland.
Purchase and Stream the new single “Torn” on Bandcamp: https://atsukochiba.bandcamp.com/track/torn
Tracklist:
01. Retention
02. Pretense
03. Future Ways
04. Tar Sands
05. Torn
06. Locked and Array
Read our review of their previous album “Water, It Feels Like It’s Growing” here: [Review] Atsuko Chiba – Water, It Feels Like It’s Growing