MIDWINTER will release “Spectral Studies” on 16 February 2027, its first album since “The Glassy Waters” came out in 2007. The French project has assembled 18 contributors from eight countries for 13 songs with a total running time of 61 minutes, led by vocalist Alessia Scolletti. Pre-orders are already available.
Eighteen voices, eight countries
The album was written and recorded across eight countries, with musicians exchanging files, different versions and messages across multiple time zones. The contributors named so far include Nils Courbaron, Déhà and Niko HK Vamacara, alongside Scolletti. Björn “Speed” Strid of Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra appears on “Hollow Crown” and “The War on Reality”, while Daniël de Jongh, formerly of Textures, features on “The Mire” and “Coffin of Thoughts”.
Working this way forces you to express precisely what you want, what you reject and why, since nobody can read the other person’s expression while listening. We did not choose this method; it imposed itself on us, and it was probably the only way to bring these 18 people together on one record. Bringing musicians scattered across eight countries into the same place would have required resources we do not have, whereas a file crosses borders in an instant and costs almost nothing to anyone.
- Midwinter
The track list also includes “A Leash with no Tug”, featuring Déhà, “Old Hands, Young Hearts”, “Emptiness Resonates”, “A Light in my Eyes”, “Watch it Burn”, “The Quiet Rebellion”, “Red Curtains Close”, “The Last Case” and “The Philosophy of Time Travel”, which also features Déhà.
Mylène Genoux sang on earlier records
The earlier documented MIDWINTER line-up included vocalist Mylène Genoux, alongside bassist and vocalist Manu Chauty, drummer Emmanuel Colombier, and Pierre Chauty on grunts, keyboards, piano, programming and synthesisers. Genoux was part of the Nantes project’s known line-up during its earlier period. The announcement does not identify the full line-up for “Spectral Studies”, while Scolletti is the vocalist named for the new album.
A return, not a reunion
MIDWINTER began in Nantes around the turn of the century and released “Fountain of Youth” in 2004 before following it with “The Glassy Waters” in 2007. The project describes its return as a continuation rather than a reunion, saying that it exists when there is music to make and can remain quiet until that music is ready. “Spectral Studies” is due on 16 February 2027 through the project’s current release campaign, with its contributors and full recording process still being presented in stages.
