Daniel Avery has long been a master at straddling the liminal space between club floor euphoria and headphone introspection. With his latest album, Tremor, set for release on October 31, 2025 via Domino Recording Company, he takes that duality and runs it through the amplifier—resulting in one of his most ambitious statements to date.
The Sonic Vision
From the lead single “Rapture in Blue” (featuring Cecile Believe), Avery signals his intent to expand—not just his sound palette, but his conception of what an electronic album can be.
He describes Tremor as “a living and breathing collective… a studio in the sky… the doors flung open wider still to allow in every influence from my musical journey.”
That journey shows: echoes of acid-house stabs, shoegaze guitar textures (thanks to buffs like Andy Bell of Ride), post-punk grit (with help from Alison Mosshart), and ambient drift all collide. Rather than a clean compartmentalising of styles, Avery layers them, allowing one to bleed into another. The title Tremor is apt: the album vibrates, quakes, unsettles.
Highlights & Structure
The record opens with synths that shimmer like heat on tarmac, then lurches into rubble-rock guitar and techno kick drums. Tracks like “Rapture in Blue” anchor its celestial ambition; others dig into mood-scapes where you sense the club’s bass vibrating your ribcage and the headphone’s whisper brushing your ear at once.
Avery’s production is lavish but not gratuitous—every texture feels earned. Mistakes, glitches and loops purposely wobble; the unexpected becomes part of the architecture rather than an interruption. As he has said in past work, he embraces the edge, not hiding the imperfections but leaning into them.
Context & Evolution
When compared with his previous album Ultra Truth (2022), which critics hailed as a dark, dense triumph, Tremor feels more expansive and outward-looking. While Ultra Truth secluded you in internal shadows, Tremor invites you out into the world—though the world it invites you into is a fractured, pulsing, electrified one.
Strengths
- A bold, multi-modal statement: Avery doesn’t just make techno or ambient—they integrate into something larger.
- Rich collaboration: The guest list elevates rather than distracts.
- Emotional heft: Even amid beats and noise, there’s humanity.
Weaknesses
- The density could overwhelm; this isn’t casual background listening.
- Fans of his earlier, purer club work might miss the streamlined dancefloor immediacy.
Verdict
Tremor is a definitive chapter in Daniel Avery’s catalogue. It doesn’t simply advance his sound—it broadens his scope. If you approach it with headphones and intention, it reveals itself in layers, like a hidden city of rhythm, texture and emotion. For listeners willing to dive deep, it delivers richly. 8.5 / 10
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