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shen ao 

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Tianjin-born, London-based producer and pianist shen ao steps up with a debut EP on Kit. Part prog-jazz fantasy score, part moss-encrusted computer boogie download, 𝒄𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 is quite unlike anything we've released (or encountered) before.

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Drawing on the intense emotions and melodic undercurrents of Baroque music, the intricate, evolving structures of prog rock, and the searing palettes of classic video game soundtracks, ao seems to have pulled an entirely new musical genre out of his back pocket (whilst practising ludicrous arpeggios with the other hand).

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Formidable harmonies and befuddling rhythms flex with casual bombast across five movements of knee-wiggling, tear duct-tingling, and downright bizarre audio. An overall picture emerges like the sonic blueprint of some colossal, floating folly: improbable turrets, flying buttresses patched with digital ivy, crevices and staircases that twist and turn in on themselves - all hung in glimmering space.

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Recommended if you like Joanna Wang, Gentle Giant, Bach. Released digitally on April 3, 2026.

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