What Kind of World Is This? — New Album by NTHNL Out Now
The Queens-based multi-instrumentalist and renowned flutist has twisted an eclectic array of sounds that span both era & genre into distinct motifs that show us the way to hell & back. Our journey’s reward is one lesson above all else: find compassion for those whose views we find destructive and hateful, and use that compassion to build a bridge and construct a better world.
The story: beginning with an overture of hope, our hero ruminates at home upon a wistful reflection. But soon their peace is upset as they meet a prophet with nefarious intent. Alas, in an attempt to fix their untimely possession they descend into hell and are confronted with a world of unimaginable darkness. The music is busy and vibrant, dark and twisted: a fiery environment sounding from all angles. The contrast between the soundworlds emphasizes the absurdity of our collective circumstance and the split nature of our perspectives as we learn to navigate it; we must fight, and yet, we must live, and above all, we must learn to know ourselves.
The accompanying film, created in collaboration with Viennese filmmaker Babak Ahteshamipour maintains the core story of descending into a realm of the worst possible evil, finding stillness even there, and returning to the world once known with a newfound joy and equanimity, even as massive challenges are faced.
NTHNL’s vision, in sound and picture, executes a delicate balance of tranquility and turmoil; the recordings playfully pairing serene flute melodies against bombastic percussive programming just as the album’s visual manifestation juxtaposes natural handheld footage with crude 3D-figures, DOS-inspired landscapes, and exaggerated digital clutter. The result is earnest, absurd, and colored by NTHNL’s signature brand of charm & mirth.
Having produced electronic and acoustic music in a variety of contexts since 2012, NTHNL’s work currently straddles both healing and contemporary creative spheres, leading regular sound baths as well as collaborative concerts. NTHNL first joined Youngbloods in 2023 by recording Movement in The Tunnel on the tracks of the NYC subway system. Since then NTHNL has been steadily expanding his unique style. In 2024 he released Ontogenesis, the third album in his Tranquility Studies series, combining electronic binaural frequencies with performances on a variety of instruments to create soundscapes that are at once calming, poetic and healing. Most recently NTHNL released Awareness of the Wind Within with acclaimed percussionist Sphente, combining gongs and winds into immersive long-form improvisations. His mastery of the flute, piano, and woodwind instruments has been featured in projects by Cola Boyy, Laura Wolf, and Liturgy, and met with wide critical acclaim that describes his productions as “genre-defying” and transportive.
"The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis." -Dante
Credits:
Released February 4, 2026
All songs written, performed, and produced by Jacob "NTHNL" Rudin. "Face Up, Twilight" is written and performed by Jacob "NTHNL" Rudin and Nakama.
Jacob "NTHNL" Rudin plays the flute, synths, EWI, drum programming, piano, Shakuhachi, bansuri, percussion, melodica, bodhran, glockenspiel, alto saxophone, pitch pipe, and clarinet
Minnie Jordan plays the violin
John Cushing plays the trombone
Nelson Devereaux play the tenor saxophone
Shalmas Wegsman plays the harp
David Earle Chorowski plays the buzuq
Nakama provides vocals
Lucas Rossi, Beibei Lubin, Sam Wolff, and Blu Frankel provide additional vocals.
Mixed by Jacob "NTHNL" Rudin
Mastered by James Bernard at Ambient Mountain House
Executive Produced by Nicholas Concklin and John Moses
Published by Mushpost, LLC
Listen on Spotify.
Jacob Rudin
Jacob "NTHNL" Rudin
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