Lunar & The Deception released their first album The Somnambulist on March 6, 2026 through X-Ray Sound, alongside the lead single ‘Ezeru Kazpam’. The band centers on vocalist Britt Xyra Dusk, who grew up between Durban and Nelspruit before moving to the UK. She also handles the group’s visuals, which are rooted in ancient deities, sorcerers, and warrior imagery drawn from her years in professional costume design. Percussionist Hedge Seel developed his playing style during extended time in Southeast Asia and India. Thomas Hammond contributes dub production and Greg Chapter serves as sound engineer. The group built early momentum by opening for Pussy Riot at Glastonbury Festival in 2016 and 2019, playing London venues, and appearing at the 2022 Sync Summit Music Conference. Their previous single ‘Your Monsters’ premiered on LOCK Magazine and received support from Nieuweplaat, followed by Artist of the Week recognition from Richer Sounds and a 9/10 score in Powerplay Magazine. They worked with co-producer Michael Rendall, whose résumé includes The Orb, Peter Murphy, and Killing Joke, to shape an album that sits between indie rock, dream pop, darkwave, gothic, and neo-psychedelia, drawing from Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, Tool, Evanescence, Portishead, and Esben & The Witch.
The Somnambulist drifts effortlessly through its influences, weaving atmospheric electronics with pulsing rhythms and richly textured guitars to create a sound that feels intense and intimate. The album opens with ‘Ezeru Kazpam‘, where gentle piano chords set the stage for a spoken-word passage challenging society’s fixation on wealth, before Dusk’s haunting, echo-laden vocals emerge. As the track unfolds, a steady beat and surging guitars build a dense, swirling crescendo that brushes against the edges of shoegaze. In its final moments, the song strips away its layers, leaving only the piano and ghostly echoes behind.
Lunar & The Deception had this to say on the album: “We recorded the album in a secluded studio in Oxfordshire called Woodworm Studios. Originally set-up by David Pegg of Fairport Convention, it is now run by engineer Stuart Jones who did a meticulous job of recording the album with the added benefit of the unique acoustics due to the high ceilings – the studio having been converted from an old church.”
The Somnambulist Tracklist
1. No More Secrets
2. Ezeru Kazpam
3. Your Monsters
4. The Great Bison
5. Storm
6. Eclipse
7. The Way Down.
8. We Looked The Other Way
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