Portland duo Visible Cloaks return with their first full album in nine years, Paradessence, featuring the new single “Disque” out May 22 on RVNG Intl.
- February 18, 2026
AceShowbiz - Visible Cloaks, the Portland-based ambient duo of Spencer Doran and Ryan Carlile, are making a significant comeback with their first full-length album in nine years. Their new record, Paradessence, is set for release on May 22 via RVNG Intl.
To give fans a taste of what’s to come, the duo has unveiled the lead single, “Disque,” which features contributions from Motion Graphics on synthetic woodwinds. A captivating music video for the track has also been released, highlighting the album’s ethereal and immersive aesthetic.
The last time listeners heard from Visible Cloaks was in 2019, with the collaborative album serenitatem, created alongside ambient artists Yoshio Ojima and Satsuki Shibano. Their previous solo LP, Reassemblage, debuted in 2017, followed by a mini-LP titled Lex the same year. In addition to his work within the duo, Spencer Doran curated the Grammy-nominated compilation Kanky? Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990 in 2019, further cementing his influence in the ambient music scene.
The title Paradessence is a blend of the words “paradoxical” and “essence,” a term coined by author Alex Shakar. According to Visible Cloaks, the word captures the dualities and contrasts they aim to explore throughout the album. Doran explained, “Instead of creating pieces that function horizontally as environments, we wanted to conceptualize them as living material changing in space, continually in flux.”
The album features collaborations with several artists, including Motion Graphics, Yoshio Ojima, Satsuki Shibano, Félicia Atkinson, Ioana ?elaru, and the Componium Ensemble, enriching its textured soundscapes.
Paradessence tracklist includes:
01 Apsis
02 Skylight
03 Disque (feat. Motion Graphics)
04 Balloon
05 Slippage
06 Telescoping
07 Shapes (feat. Yoshio Ojima and Satsuki Shibano)
08 Thinking (feat. Félicia Atkinson, Yoshio Ojima and Satsuki Shibano)
09 Zinna
10 Swirl
11 Steel
12 Intarsia (feat. Ioana ?elaru)
13 Capgras
14 System (feat. Componium Ensemble)
The album is available for purchase at Rough Trade for £22.99. Fans of ambient and experimental music will find Paradessence a compelling addition to Visible Cloaks’s innovative discography.
