IX delivers the full variety of flavours that Papir have to offer, so jump in for a masterclass in stratospheric psych-rock.
Release date: November 21, 2025 | Stickman Records | Bandcamp | Facebook
My first thought when IX was announced was ‘am I that bad at roman numerals?‘, but thankfully, we’re actually still awaiting the release of 8/VIII from Papir, according to a Facebook comment questioning the same that they replied to back in July. Not forgotten, simply unfinished according to the the band; any album from the Danish psych-pioneers is good enough in my book. That’s not to say we haven’t been spoilt with adjacent content – since their 2022 record 7, guitarist Nicklas Sørensen and members of Causa Sui have released four mediative ambient albums under Edena Gardens. If you enjoyed the ambient, downtempo mood of 7, then you will love the sprawling introspective landscapes they craft in those records.
The sound in the first half of IX wanders back away from that ambiance through Papir‘s extensive discography, skipping over their jammier records, and honing in more on the krautrock and post-rock you hear in IIII and V. What remains of 7 is the incredibly soft, rays-of-sunshine guitar work, the band managing to consistently inject that feeling of dappled sunlight breaking though trees onto your skin feeling. You know, that feeling? The second half drifts a lot more, like you’d find in 7, giving the listener a perfect blend of Papir‘s range.
The first track “IX.I” is a rambling psychedelic post-rock journey that keeps escalating in beauty. Soaring psych riffs are captured within an airy mix, giving the instruments tons of room to breath, and allowing new motifs and sounds from synthesisers to spring up in the song and consistently build the foundations to a stratospheric climax. Papir worked in that sunny feeling perfectly, making it an ideal way to start a walk or even just your day and give you that lift you need. The nine minute runtime washes over you, the journey of the track enthralling, and setting the scene perfectly for the next track.
“IX.II” is a krautrock-psych gem, the consistent background thud of the drums setting the stage for an upbeat and groovy bassline, with islands of guitar motifs drenched in sunshine lathered on top. The intensity ratchets up and down throughout the track with feedback-soaked, scorching riffs topping out the escalations, providing a stark contrast to the warm and inviting riffing earlier in the track. Yet as soon as the breaking waves are crashing over you, they are gone again, with the band gently ebbing out the track.
Track four is a really interesting one for me as well, as it sets the scene brilliantly for the softening of the album around track five. Half of the song is an intense krautrock adventure, before Papir suddenly slip into the dream state magic they showcased on 7. The music becomes so gentle so suddenly, you feel like a weight is taken off your shoulders – yet they have more to offer. As you pass through onto the cloudy ambience of “IX.IIIII”, the meditative state they so perfectly delivered in 7 returns, with the tempo slowed down significantly, and the subtle guitar twangs washing over you like a cool breeze.
The penultimate track brings the tempo back to offer a nice contrast to the ambience, before we get a monster twenty-minute closer that does the same as the transition from track four to five, but in a much longer and dreamier format. For only three musicians, there are a hell of a lot of layers that seemingly bounce off each other, before we once again wander into a dreamy, misty forest soundscape that feels like a fitting closer to this beautiful record. What I like is that you can start from anywhere to set your mood the right way. Empowering at the start, more groovy and energetic in the middle, and loftier later on, there is so much to choose from. Shorter tracks are paired against more long-form ones for a really good smorgasbord of options for the listener. All throughout, the mix is divine, sounding incredible on every speaker, headphone, or car I’ve tried. Yet another triumph for Papir and the Stickman Records catalogue.
