ZAHN – Purpur
Release Date: 20th February 2026
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Krautrock, Experimental, Instrumental.
FFO: Mogwai, ISIS, JeGong, Russian Circles.
Review By: John Newlands
Berlin‑based experimental trio ZAHN return with their third LP, Purpur, set for release on 20 February 2026.
The album opens strong with “Stroboskop,” a track that evokes the mellower moments of ISIS or nods toward the heavier, synth-driven cuts from Mogwai’s Rave Tapes. It’s a promising start, textured and atmospheric synth work gives way to distorted guitars and bass, suggestive of ZAHN’s ability to balance weight with ambience.
Purpur definitely feels like a deliberate shift away from 2023’s Adria, an album that landed at number nine on my personal end‑of‑year list. Despite its extensive runtime, Adria won me over with its fusion of krautrock, noise rock, and jazz‑inflected experimentation. That said, I can absolutely respect the band’s desire not to repeat themselves, to push forward, explore new sonic territory, and avoid being creatively stagnant.
But for me, this new direction simply doesn’t connect. To clarify, there’s nothing here that I actively dislike. It just never fully engages me or pulls me into its world the way Adria did. One recurring issue is that many of the tracks seem to follow a similar formula, opening with a synth lead or programmed drum motif before gradually building into the main body of the track. It’s not an inherently flawed approach, but when six of the eight tracks lean on the same structural blueprint, the repetition becomes noticeable and the impact is reduced. I’ve given Purpur multiple listens, different moods, different times of day, but unfortunately something refuses to click and keep me engaged.
Even the band’s own description of the cover art in the press statement as, “a burst of grapes and berries that mirrors its lush, colourful sound,” feels disconnected from the listening experience. For me, it’s a straightforward still‑life from the 70s or 80s, an image that looks uncannily like something lifted from a 1970s cookbook. I struggle to see how it reflects the music within.
This disconnect is frustrating because of how much I liked the previous album. Not “getting” what the band is reaching for this time around leaves me both disappointed and a little bewildered. The production is solid, the sonic smörgåsbord on offer nods to two of my favourite bands (Isis and Mogwai), and the mixing and mastering by Magnus Lindberg (Cult of Luna) should, on paper, be a perfect match for my tastes. Yet somehow, it just doesn’t resonate with me.
With all that said, ZAHN remain an interesting project, and I genuinely admire their willingness to evolve with each release. Purpur may not resonate with me, but I’m hopeful that whatever sonic adventure they embark on next will be one I can follow them into again.
(2.5 / 5)
