Thoma - Leaving Cycles (2026)

“Leaving Cycles is a project we made in collaboration with our friend James Waterman. We were very inspired by Indonesian gamelan music, West African polyrhythms, and Latin percussion, and James is a master of world percussion, so he was able to bring these influences to the record with us. We also wanted it to be a dialogue between synths and live percussion, with synths and drum machines sometimes playing the percussive role and the live percussion sometimes playing the harmonic/melodic role as well, as a conversation between man and machine.“

Thoma excel at building immersive sonic worlds where global textures and traditions intertwine, and that vision comes to life beautifully on their latest album, Leaving Cycles.

Benjamin Hill and Tristan de Liege – two childhood friends and life-long producers – are the brains behind the acclaimed duo Thoma. Together, they are sonically adventurous with their influences as they brazenly blend jazz, world music, IDM, house, techno, and downtempo in a manner that drifts between the dancefloor and home listening. This has led to notable shows across the U.S., playing alongside acts like Com Truise, Emancipator, Two Lanes, Blockhead, il:lo, and Wax Tailor. Pioneers in the IDM / experimental sound.

On Leaving Cycles, the duo expands on their established sound while introducing a more playful, uplifting energy for listeners to indulge in. This is guided by the continuous presence of world percussion and synth textures that ebb and flow tastefully together throughout the experience. The quirky “Key Doors” is a moment in the album that allows us to dance and be gently whisked away by the colorful textures. While “Tidings” and “Soft As” – the other two singles – offer a moodier, introspective feel and showcase the duo’s emotional depth.

The album overall is a fascinating dialogue between machines and earthy percussion tones, brought to life by human hands, a theme that subtly hints at our evolution with the world around us.