Vanishing Twin

Shapeshifting trio Vanishing Twin continue their stealth mission to redefine the possibilities of the modern band on new album Archives – a collage of postmodern songcraft that finds nirvana in the shared experience of creation.

Initially formed by singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas in 2015, Vanishing Twin are the protean trio of Lucas, Valentina Magaletti (Holy Tongue, Tomaga, Moin) and Susumu Mukai (Zongamin). With Lucas now relocated to rural France, and Magaletti and Mukai in London, the geographic distance separating the trio is bridged by their hivemind creativity, with multi-instrumentalist input from each member.

Each player brings a wide experience of musical collaboration and improvisation to the table. Concepts of authorship and ownership are dissolved in their music, with members swapping instruments and losing themselves in the collaborative moment and the forest of sound created. Vanishing Twin’s collective intelligence becoming sentient.

By plugging the listener into this collective patchbay, new album Archives (out October 2^nd on Fire Records) gives the closest encounter with Vanishing Twin thus far. That directness is reflected in Lucas’s songs and vocals. Close-miked recording and multiple overdubs bring a sense of intimacy and human presence, with the songs’ allusions to motherhood and close-quarters living accentuating the feeling of connection.

Bringing noise tables to the party, the chaotic energy of their new release pushes Vanishing Twin in unfamiliar shapes and new directions. Out of their comfort zones, the trio find new moments of enlightenment and delight. Deep in the mix, you might hear Magaletti picking up the bass, Mukai unexpectedly sitting in on drums, or Lucas slipping chameleon-like between the gaps. As Magaletti sees it, “music is just an energy, it doesn’t belong to anyone. No one channels it. It is bigger than the sum of its parts.”

The arrival of Archives refines Vanishing Twin’s model of collective music making, where egos are dispelled in playful games of mix and match, and creativity flows between the three multi-instrumentalists. The three operate between and outside conventional categories of genre, alongside fellow travellers stretching the idea of the contemporary music ensemble such as Tara Clerkin Trio and Still House Plants.

Adding to a formidable body of work, ‘Afternoon X’ (2023), ‘Ookii Gekkou’ (2021), ‘The Age Of Immunology’ (2019) and ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ (2016), Vanishing Twin are mercurial like never before.

“Quite marvellous.”  Boomkat

“Encompassing dreamlike sound collages, electronic oddities and motorik avant pop… Vanishing Twin is a kaleidoscopic entity”  The Wire