As regular visitors of the blog are probably aware, we have an abiding appreciation of the EP format here. Not unlike short stories and novellas in the literary world, sometimes an abbreviated format is all that is needed to explore an idea or create a sense of immersion and cohesion. That is certainly the case with the compelling group of modern and post classical releases featured here by Alaskan Tapes & Blu Miles, Michael A. Muller & Otto A. Totland, Moshimoss, and Sophie Hutchings with Digitonal.
Alaskan Tapes & Blu Miles – Oversky
Order: https://modernarecords.bandcamp.com/album/are-we-alive
While Oversky may be listed on some digital platforms as a 5-track EP, technically it is part of a seven-song release that will not be complete until May when it will see release on vinyl. That said, you likely won’t want to wait to get started enjoying this delightful collaboration between Alaskan Tapes (Brady Kendall) and Blu Miles. Meditative piano lines and gentle saxophone weave together in serene fashion with occasional flourishes of warm acoustic guitar contributed by Ann Annie. Keep on eye & ear out for the full release next month on Kendall’s own We All Speak in Poems label. Featured here is a live studio version of that particular song which was originally composed by Luke Howard.
Oversky was released digitally on April 16, 2026, via We All Speak in Poems.
Michael A. Mueller & Otto A. Totland – Unna
Order: https://michaelamuller.bandcamp.com/album/unna
Unna is a beautifully developed collaboration between Michael A. Muller (Balmorhea) and Otto A. Totland (Deaf Center) which is the inaugural release for the Brooklyn, NY based Ojas Music imprint recently founded by Muller along with artist and audio engineer Devon Turnbull. “Analog music for deep listening” is the label’s mission statement and this music fits the bill with Muller’s delicately constructed crepuscular ambient textures woven around Totland’s elegant piano lines.
Unna was released February 27, 2026, on CD, cassette, and vinyl by Ojas Music and features artwork by Case Simmons.
Moshimoss – The Boy, the Girl, & the Key
Order: https://moshimoss.bandcamp.com/album/the-boy-the-girl-the-key
This late 2025 release was almost a missed gem for me. The Boy, The Girl, & The Key is an original soundtrack Japanese composer Kosuke Anamizu aka Moshimoss which he developed for a short film of the same name written & directed by Danish actor Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen. The film, which is sumptuously shot mostly in black & white, is presented as a ““a cinematic love story exploring the sparks of connection,”” that embraces “the beauty of chance, the wonder of discovery”. Absent of any dialog, the music is key (no pun intended) to the immersion of the audience into the story and its development. That said, it stands alone beautifully as a pure listening experience as well.
The Boy, The Girl, & The Key was released digitally on December 25, 2025. The EP was mastered by Taylor Deupree.
Sophie Hutchings – Become the Sky (for sleep)
Order: https://www.mercurykx.com/release/become-the-sky-for-sleep/
Originally recorded at the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s studios in Sydney, Become the Sky is a collection of meditative songs created by pianist & composer Sophie Hutchings as a way of affording listeners “a way to slow down and truly appreciate life in slow motion“. Following the album’s release last year, Hutchings wanted to explore this motif further which led to this companion EP which offers four of the original songs treated to lush, hypnagogic reworks in collaboration with British electronica artist Digitonal. Just what the doctor ordered.
By stripping back the arrangements into dreamy ambient textures, these versions take my original melodies and soften them into a beautiful gentle hum for the nervous system, reducing a busy mind and creating a gift for anyone who needs a quiet space to breathe.
Sophie Hutchings
Become the Sky (for sleep) was released digitally by Mercury KX on March 13, 2026.
