Autarkh Announce New Lineup Ahead of EU Dates

Autarkh are locked in a state of constant evolution. After the dissolution of Dodecahedron, in 2019, frontman Michel Nienhuis assembled a new band of innovators for his blackened, electro-shocked  vision of the future on Autarkh’s debut Form in Motion. Just last year, the contemporary metal band pushed their cybernetic view on the digital age to even greater extremes.

“It is even safe to say that the Autarkh that exists on Emergent is not the same Autarkh that existed on Form in Motion”, No Clean Singing wrote about their latest album, “…right when you’re able to put a pin in why you’re enjoying a particular segment of Emergent, Autarkh problem themselves off in a completely different direction with joyous abandon”.

The circularity that courses through Autarkh has even sparked two separate alter egos. Autarkh III re-imagines their cutting-edge contemporary metal as ambient drones, while Autarkh Collective is a fully improvised collaboration that features a revolving lineup around Nienhuis.

While their third album is already in its earliest test phases, before the band embarks on their first tour supporting Emergent, today, Autarkh are introducing two new members.

For the very first time, Autarkh will now feature a live drummer. Nienhuis’ old band mate Jasper Barendregt has earned a reputation as both a brutal metal drummer and a refined groove master during his time in Dodecahedron, Ulsect and Our Oceans. Adding him to the lineup will not only inject heart-pounding fervor to the band’s rhythm section but frees electronic wizard Tijnn Verbruggen to focus entirely on his dazzling synthetic textures and razor-sharp percussive layers.

“I find the synergy between these musicians inspiring, especially how it evolves new and existing cooperations”, Barendregt says. “Teaming up with Autarkh has been a logical and intuitive step for me. I appreciate the mutual trust, respect and admiration between these individuals, who also align with my hybrid live drumming experiments. It’s rewarding to work on new music as well as re-imagining work of Autarkh’s precursor, Dodecahedron, which I was part of from inception to disbandment”.

Unfortunately, former bassist Desmond Kuijk has left to focus on other priorities, but Autarkh have found a talented replacement. Max Blok is the bassist for the heavy rock band Dead Eyed Creek and live guitarist for Autarkh label mates and progressive metal scientists Alkaloid. He’s also worked as a session musician for Ruins of Beverast and Dark Fortress. His supercharged low-end will bring even more heft to the band’s industrial-sized riffs.

“It’s a pleasure to be working with people that are not afraid to try something different and keep re-inventing themselves in the process”, says Blok. “I’m grateful to be joining this group of very skilled musicians and composers”.

Autarkh will debut their new lineup live next year when they play a string of shows in The Netherlands and Belgium with Farer and Alkahest.

Emergent Live 2025

January 3 – Uden, NL @ De Pul w/ Farer & Alkahest [TICKETS]
January 4 – Utrecht, NL @ DB’s w/ Farer & Anapoda [TICKETS]
January 7 – Antwerp, BE @ Music City w/ Alkahest
January 8 – Tilburg, NL @ Hall of Fame w/ Alkahest [TICKETS]
January 9 – Groningen, NL @ Vera w/ Farer & Alkahest [TICKETS]
January 10 – Apeldoorn, NL @ Gigant w/T.F.O. &  Alkahest [TICKETS]
January 12 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat w/ Farer & Alkahest [TICKETS]
February 21 – Bergen Op Zoom, NL @ Gebouw-T w/ Farer & Alkahest [TICKETS]
March 15 – Leiden, NL @ Resistor w/ Farer & Alkahest

Emergent is now available through Season of Mist.

Order

https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/AutarkhEmergent

Stream

https://orcd.co/autarkhemergentpresave

More praise for Autarkh

“Smart, adventurous, and unquestionably brave, Autarkh continues the streak of producing material that defies any expectations of a presumed next chapter while fitting its new mutant member into another nook of the extended Nienhuis universe.” – Angry Metal Guy

“Autarkh will become highly influential on the next generation of extreme metal” – Chicago Reader

“In their particular realm of experimental music, Autarkh have truly crafted something of grave significance – Everything is Noise

“No matter what the path Autarkh eventually choose to follow, the result in Emergent is stunning” – Pop Matters (Best Metal Albums of the November 2023)

Open Focus (6:59) Strife (5:23) Duhkha (5:20) Trek (5:26) Refocus (4:49) Aperture (1:46) Eye of Horus (4:23) Countless Kaleidoscopes (5:17) Ka (6:14)