Atsuko Chiba introduce new era with ‘Retention’
Experimental rockers Atsuko Chiba have released their new single ‘Retention’ today, February 3, 2026, marking the first taste of their upcoming self-titled full-length album, due April 24, 2026, via Mothland.
The Montréal-based five-piece share ‘Retention’ as the opening track from Atsuko Chiba, a record that promises to expand their established blend of post-rock, progressive rock, and krautrock into new territory. The single unfolds as a slow-burning, atmospheric composition built on an otherworldly shuffle, with arborescent synthesizers and guitars drifting over patented percussion and uncanny melodic basslines. Vocals gradually emerge with increasing warmth and melody, culminating in a layered choral coda. Lyrically, the song explores a parallel universe populated by rituals, spirits, and effigies, reinforcing the band’s long-standing interest in immersive narrative worlds.
Karim Lakhdar from Atsuko Chiba comments:
“‘Retention’ takes place in a world not quite our own—half dream, half memory—where every shadow holds a story and every breath carries the weight of what once was. At its center is a young boy who lives in a village haunted by the quiet, persistent ghosts of the past. They linger in doorframes, whisper through the trees, and stare back from every surface like reflections. There is only one way to free himself: the boy must meet the spirits face to face. He gathers what remains of them—fragments of memory, pieces of lives unfinished—and shapes them into effigies. One by one, he sets them aflame. This ritual, both tender and terrifying, invites the spirits to release their hold and return to whatever lies beyond. With each burning figure, a thread is severed, a burden lifted, a soul allowed to rest. Yet the question remains—when all the effigies have turned to ash, will the boy finally be free, or will he always carry the guilt of the past.”
No tour dates have been announced at this time.
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