midorinozu - lost horizons (2026)

We’re thrilled to introduce midorinozu, the collaborative project of Mike Cottone (The Green Kingdom) and Tim Diagram (maps and diagrams), with 'lost horizons', a deeply atmospheric collection of blurred electronics, organic textures and quietly unfolding melody.

The roots of this collaboration reach back through both Home Normal and our sister label Nomadic Kids Republic. We released two maps and diagrams albums through NKR in 2011, followed by The Green Kingdom’s beautiful 'Egress' in 2012. More than a decade later, it feels especially meaningful to bring Mike and Tim together for a new project that reconnects those histories while creating something entirely its own.

Mike’s work as The Green Kingdom has long blurred the lines between soundscape and wonderfully melodic structures, drawing together instruments, electronic sources, and field recordings to critical acclaim. Tim’s work as maps and diagrams is equally distinctive, shaped by tactile electronics, gentle imperfections and an extraordinary ear for small, emotionally resonant detail. On 'lost horizons', these two approaches do not simply sit alongside one another; they merge into a shared and beautifully cohesive world of stunning melodicism and care.

Across the album’s eight pieces, forms emerge slowly through distance and haze. Titles such as 'radius-drifting', 'when flowers wake', 'a dark tide', 'across broken time' and 'moon garden' suggest movement through landscapes that feel at once natural, celestial and imagined. Textures shift beneath the surface, melodies appear briefly before dissolving, and each piece carries the sense of travelling towards something that remains just out of our line of sight in this world.

The title 'lost horizons' evokes places that have disappeared, but also those that may only ever have existed through memory, dreams or sound. There is a gentle melancholy in the misty memories at the heart of the album, yet it is balanced by warmth, curiosity and quiet wonder. The music feels expansive without losing its intimacy, offering the listener space to drift while remaining attentive to the smallest details.

With midorinozu, Mike and Tim have created far more than a meeting of two established musical identities. 'lost horizons' feels like the beginning of a distinct third space: patient, richly textured and full of subtle life. We are honoured to reconnect with Mike after all these years, to work with the legend that is Tim once again, and to present this beautiful collaboration through Home Normal.

'lost horizons' will be released through Home Normal on September 25th, 2026.