Krautrock is one of those genres that I’ve dipped my toes into but never been fully immersed in, and even if I was to dive headfirst into that barrel of trippy bokeh beeps and boops, the genre itself is so vast that it would only ever feel like scratching the surface. Fortunately, for you and me, we don’t have to go too far to get a hit of spacey eccentrics jamming out with theremins for days on end. Enter avant-garde disciples Arcane Allies: enjoy the video premiere of single “Kallisto” from their upcoming album Aestesia.
Arcane Allies are a Berlin/Cologne-based wife-husband-plus-brother trio who embrace the organic and mechanical, merging free flowing psychedelic rock with cosmic soundwaves. They’ve been working together for ten years now and 2026 will see the group release their fourth full length album. Meditative and transitory, Arcane Allies’ new single is the audio equivalent of viewing the vastness of space through the Hubble Space telescope, whose lens has been switched out with a kaleidoscope.
The single “Kallisto” is a minimalist exploration of psychedelic rock and futuristic electronic production. While the video puts us in the Captain’s chair of a spaceship on a voyage across the universe, possibly coming across a new planet, we aren’t met with the cold, uncaring, metallic version of probing of spaces darkest corners. Instead we are offered a nostalgic and retro-themed galactic odyssey that is inviting and warm. The first half of the track features looping guitars and hypnotic drums that provide a structure for the synths to paint an ever-changing palette of colourful clicks and bubbling textures, before giving way to a more trippy, ‘jammed’ psychedelic section that adds a more ‘human’ feel to the music.
While the group pulls a lot of inspiration from the realm of psychedelia-infused Krautrock, the band’s fourth album Aestesia promises to bring in more elements like ambient, doom, jazz, and surf guitar. If that piques your interest check out the entire album when it releases on November 20 through Crazysane Records. You can pre-order the album here and show them some support on their Facebook and Instagram.
