Imagine this: you're winding down after a long one, lights low, and suddenly time starts doing weird things. Clocks ticking in unison, then speeding up, stretching, folding back on themselves. That's the magic Damian Boylan pulls off in "Eternal Return," the latest single from his upcoming album Rarefactions. If you're into downtempo, ambient electronica, or anything that blurs the line between meditative soundscapes and subtle rhythmic evolution, this one's going to hit different.
Right from the jump, the track builds around a fascinating percussive foundation – hundreds of sampled clocks, grandfather mechanisms, winding cogs, even vintage typewriters and MRI scanners, all locked into a tactile 4/4 pulse. It starts at a relaxed 74 BPM and gradually climbs to 84 over its eight-minute run, with clever metre shifts slipping between 4/4 and 7/4. Those moments of instability? They create this beautiful tension and release, like time itself is breathing. It reminds me a lot of the slow-burn rhythmic design in Jon Hopkins' Immunity era – where the beats aren't just support; they're expressive tools carrying emotional weight with technical finesse.
Layered over that mechanical heartbeat come wistful piano chords (mostly hanging in G major and B minor), giving everything a touch of human vulnerability amid the cosmic machinery. Cinematic strings swell and fade like gentle breaths, while granular textures and foley details weave in and out. There's even a luminous Fairlight CMI melody that floats through, leading into a suspended breakdown with vibraphone and pure atmosphere – that exhale before the inevitable return. The whole thing feels intimate yet vast, mechanical yet deeply human.
The track draws its name and concept straight from Nietzsche's eternal recurrence – the wild philosophical idea that the universe repeats itself identically forever. Damian turns that into sonic structure: the piece loops ideas, accelerates, contracts, and ultimately folds its opening harmonic motif back into what ties the album together. It's the penultimate release from Rarefactions, and the way it circles back suggests the whole LP could be experienced as an infinite loop – no true beginning or end.
Damian Boylan is a British composer, producer, engineer, and visual artist splitting time between London and Hong Kong. He's got serious cred: co-production work with a 2x Grammy-winning producer, plus over 3 million streams on his melodic house & techno project Parvenu, which took him touring globally as a live act. Now, with this new solo direction, he's diving into a lush blend of neoclassical, ambient downtempo, and experimental melodic electronica. Rarefactions was recorded live in studios across London and Asia, and it's getting the full treatment – self-authored art, short films for each of the 12 tracks, and a limited 2x12" vinyl drop on the London-based art-record label Arrow of Time. His work's popped up in Rolling Stone, Paper Mag, Monocle, and Hashtag Legend, so yeah, he's not new to turning heads.
In 2026, ambient and downtempo scenes are thriving with this exact kind of thoughtful, immersive stuff. Playlists are full of chill electronica, lounge vibes, and introspective soundscapes – from Kompakt's Pop Ambient 2026 comp to rising artists blending textures with emotional depth. Tracks like this fit right in, offering that perfect escape: reflective without being sleepy, structured yet free-flowing. And with masters like Matt Colton (Four Tet, BICEP, Brian Eno, Aphex Twin) handling the final polish at Metropolis Studios, the production is crystal-clear and spacious.
If you're chasing new ambient electronica, downtempo gems, or just music that makes you think about time in a whole new way, add "Eternal Return" to your rotation. It's the kind of piece that rewards repeat listens – each time revealing another layer.
What do you think of this sound? Does it pull you into that cyclical headspace, or are you more about the rhythmic evolution? Drop your thoughts in the comments – I'd love to hear!
