Joe Harvey-Whyte & Paul Cousins - 'in a fugue state' album launch

Event information

in a fugue state finds pedal-steel guitar maestro Joe Harvey-Whyte collaborating with tape loop sound scientist Paul Cousins on a warped ambient excursion into the subconscious. Originally written and recorded in one night, the eight tracks of hypnotic electro-acoustic music explore the concept of memory and time. The duo study how we remember and misremember things; forming an imperfect reorganisation of time, events and emotional states. This album exists at a cross-section where loss, confusion, trauma and dissociation meet moments of joy, healing, acceptance and groundlessness.

in a fugue state was born out of a single two hour long improvisation session between Joe and Paul on “The Dream Stream”, Joe’s Soho Radio show focused on ambient/field recording/drone music designed to assist those who struggle with insomnia. This original session was then intuitively framed and mixed down to the eight tracks that make up the album.

A fugue state is a temporary dissociative mental state where one takes a journey and may completely forget who they are or where they are from. Eventually after returning to a ‘normal’ state of mind they may have no recollection of the events or the journey.

Wistful, euphoric, melancholic, and meditative; in a fugue state is an emotional listening experience, creating a space for contemplation. Mastered by Taylor Deupree at 12k Mastering and with cover artwork by Raimund Wong (Suzanne Ciani, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alabaster Deplume), in a fugue state is set for release via None More Records on LP and digital formats on 17th October 2025.

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Vera Sacra is cellist and producer Emily Marks from Sheffield, UK. Creating music that feels as ethereal as it is intimate, she blends cello and synth ambience with whispery vocals inspired by her classical background and introverted tendencies. The resulting sound is one that is texturally rich and melodically intricate. Intrigued by spirituality, devotion and obsession in a world that frequently feels dark, she writes about the fragility of relationships and searching for a sense of home.

Over the past two years she has developed a live show blending live-looped cello, improvisation, electronics and delicate vocals performing in spaces such as Stoke Newington Old Church, Avalon Cafe, Windmill and the George Tavern, No Bounds Festival and Float Along Festival for BBC Introducing. Following residencies at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (Summer 2024) and AVA Creators Forum (2025), she released her debut EP sacred spring, which translates the experience of constant movement into a spectral, sonic form.