TANGIENTS Share Dreamlike New Single 'The Ether' Ahead of Debut Album Embers
- Stevie Connor
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
By Stevie Connor | The Sound Cafe Journal
In the ever-shifting landscape of modern alternative music, certain songs arrive less like singles and more like transmissions, signals from somewhere just beyond the familiar. With the release of “The Ether,” the Los Angeles duo TANGIENTS send exactly that kind of message drifting into the night sky.
Released on March 13, “The Ether” is the first glimpse into Embers, the long-awaited debut full-length from the band, due May 1, 2026. It is a track that unfolds slowly, like mist gathering over water at twilight, shimmering guitars, weightless vocals, and a rhythmic heartbeat that keeps the song grounded even as it drifts into the cosmos.
At the centre of the sound is vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Chelsea Ray, whose delivery carries an ethereal softness that immediately recalls the dreamlike vocal textures of Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, while also echoing the expansive emotional reach of modern alt-pop visionary Aurora. Ray’s voice doesn’t simply sit on top of the arrangement — it floats through it, weaving between shimmering guitar layers and atmospheric synths with an almost celestial grace.
Behind the gauze of sound is the equally vital presence of Be Hussey, whose instrumental architecture forms the backbone of the duo’s sonic universe. Together, Ray and Hussey construct a modern interpretation of the nu-gaze aesthetic, a hybrid sound shaped by the DNA of ’80s post-punk, ’90s shoegaze, and dream pop’s endless horizon.
“The Ether” captures that lineage beautifully. Glittering guitar lines spiral upward like starlight refracted through glass, while a laid-back yet tightly woven percussive pulse keeps the track moving forward. The result is both nostalgic and startlingly modern, a sonic space where reflection and movement coexist.
But beneath the dreamlike textures lies a deeper emotional core.
For Ray, the song touches on the quiet awareness of mortality and the fragile nature of human relationships.
“The Ether is an homage to death and relationships that don’t work out,” she explains. “Every night we spend here is a night closer to not existing in our physical form, becoming one with the ether. The song is a reminder to live in the now; do the things you want if you’re able; tell the people you love that you feel that way; and try to be honest, because the truth is key and will set you free.”
That sentiment resonates strongly throughout the song’s lyrical landscape. Lines such as “One night closer to the ether” and “Nobody knows me like you do” carry an introspective vulnerability, echoing the album’s broader themes of memory, loss, and perseverance.
According to Ray, Embers is not an exercise in nostalgia, despite its sonic nods to earlier eras of alternative music. Instead, it is a record rooted in realism.
“This record is a focused, mature body of work that deals directly with core human experiences: memory, loss, and the will to persevere. This isn’t nostalgic indulgence, it’s a realistic look at identity and survival.”
Visually, the newly released music video for “The Ether” deepens the song’s dreamlike aura. Ray appears immersed in a celestial milk bath scattered with flower petals, her voice echoing like a distant siren call. The imagery feels suspended between myth and memory, reinforced by surreal cracked-skin effects that appear on both band members, a symbolic gesture toward vulnerability, fragility, and transformation.
Layers of gauze and diffused light create a hypnotic visual texture, placing the viewer in a kind of interdimensional dream state. Reality blurs with imagination, and the ordinary dissolves into something more mysterious and intangible.
It is a fitting visual companion for a song that thrives in that same liminal space, the place where emotion becomes atmosphere.
For listeners who have followed TANGIENTS since their earlier releases, the 2018 single “White Foam” and 2019’s “Hazel”, “The Ether” feels like both a continuation and a significant step forward. Those earlier songs introduced the duo’s ability to craft lush sonic environments, but this new material suggests a more confident and fully realized artistic identity.
The forthcoming album Embers promises to expand that world further.
Recorded and produced by Ray and Hussey in Los Angeles, the project is deeply personal and almost entirely self-contained. Ray contributes vocals, synths, guitars, organ, and string composition, while Hussey handles bass, guitars, drums, synths, and programming. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Hussey at comp-ny studio, with additional recording sessions taking place at Catwater in Los Angeles and Gatos Trail in Yucca Valley.
It is, in every sense, a collaborative creation built from the inside out.
And if “The Ether” is the opening doorway into that universe, Embers may well become one of the most quietly captivating dream-pop releases of the coming year. Because sometimes the most powerful songs don’t shout for attention. They shimmer softly in the distance, like stars hanging speechlessly in the sky.
And if you listen closely enough, you might just hear the signal.
WEBSITE TANGIENTS
Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Musique Alternative, Musique Indie, Nouvelle Musique 2026, TANGIENTS, Chelsea Ray, Be Hussey, Album Embers, Single « The Ether », Nu-Gaze, Musique de Los Angeles, Vague Éthérée, Revival Post-Punk, Indie Pop, Première Clip Vidéo
About the Writer:
Stevie Connor is a Scottish-born polymath of the music scene, celebrated for his work as a musician, composer, journalist, author, and radio pioneer. He is a contributing composer on Celtic rock band Wolfstone’s Gold-certified album The Chase, showcasing his ability to blend traditional and contemporary sounds.
Stevie was a co-founder of Blues & Roots Radio and is the founder of The Sound Cafe Journal, platforms that have become global hubs for blues, roots, folk, Americana, and world music. Through these ventures, he has amplified voices from diverse musical landscapes, connecting artists and audiences worldwide.
A respected juror for national music awards including the JUNO Awards and the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Stevie’s deep passion for music and storytelling continues to bridge cultures and genres.
Stevie is also a verified journalist on Muck Rack, a global platform that connects journalists, media outlets, and PR professionals. He was the first journalist featured on Muck Rack's 2023 leaderboard. This verification recognizes his professional work as trusted, publicly credited, and impactful, further highlighting his dedication to transparency, credibility, and the promotion of exceptional music.
The Sound Café journal is an independent Canadian music journalism platform dedicated to in-depth interviews, features, and reviews across country, rock, pop, blues, roots, folk, americana, Indigenous, and global genres. Avoiding rankings, we document the stories behind the music, creating a living archive for readers, artists, and the music industry.
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