The New York-based ritual-centered artist Matthew O'Neill delivers a profound and immersive sonic journey with his latest EP "REENTRY" (officially titled REENTRY / Spawning Grounds), released on November 20, 2025.
Building on his established blend of ambient soundscapes, field recordings, and ceremonial intent, this release feels like a deeply personal rite of passage — a "renaissance sonore" as one early review aptly described it. O'Neill, who plays, produces, records, and mixes everything himself (with mastering by John Thayer), crafts an experience that transcends traditional genre boundaries. Drawing from ecological kinship, ancestral reconnection, and land-based practices, the EP weaves organic pulses, distorted textures, and nocturnal atmospheres into a cohesive ceremonial offering.
Tracks like the opener "In The Tissue" envelop the listener in liquid electronic layers that build to liberating tension, while "Roots Drift" contrasts mineral-like distortion with meditative rhythms. "Night Beat in the Canyon" masterfully incorporates natural field recordings — insects, wind, breath — blurring the lines between human creation and the wild world outside. Later cuts such as "Dance Reintegrating Biostructure" evoke ritual movement through pulsating grooves, and the closer "Your Ready Master" suspends everything in cosmic ambiguity, leaving a lingering sense of transformation.
O'Neill even encourages listening with a lit candle at home, turning playback into participatory ceremony. In an era of fleeting digital releases, "REENTRY" stands out as intentional and restorative — a portal for reflection on reconnection, both personal and planetary. It's ambient yet visceral, spiritual without pretension, and a testament to O'Neill's evolving voice as a curator of sound and kinship.
A luminous, transformative gem for seekers of ambient ritual music. Essential listening for fans of immersive soundscapes akin to early Pink Floyd's cosmic explorations or nature-infused experimental works. Light a candle and dive in.
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