Arctic Monkeys, Kim Gordon and Dry Cleaning open 2026 with new releases and albums already in circulation. Rome returns with his solemn dark folk, while Zu pushes their jazzcore into the roughest and most uncompromising metal. On the electronic front, Shackleton digs into the most hypnotic depths and Skrillex signs an EP with three unreleased songs born from new collaborations.
Then Cosmo, Marta Del Grandi, Tutti Fenomeni, Cat Power, The Ruins Of Beverast: different names, distant directions, but the same feeling that the year started with a lot of irons in the fire. The February playlists collect the songs that are already defining these first weeks of 2026. Happy listening!
Rock and surroundings
Among the first releases of 2026, the new singles by Arctic Monkeys, Bug Club, Kim Gordon and Nothing should certainly be highlighted: the latter three are a prelude to upcoming albums. From the albums already released in the first weeks of the year, here is an excerpt from Blackwater Holylight, Converge, Ratboys and Mandy, Indiana (Claudio Lancia)
Pop music
Can't stand the cold anymore? The pop selection dives into discovering the hottest new releases of the month. With one foot on dancefloor…and the other one too. (Daniel Moore)
Dark corner
This first part of 2026 has given us some delights that will delight fans of dark-folk sounds. Before the return of Romethen the excellent ones Chimehours and finally a surprising new dei blackster Americans Uada (an entirely acoustic work is coming for them). Even i The Ruins Of Beverast they toned down the tone thanks to an album closer to gothic-doom, sound that the Faetooth instead they interpret with an approach imbued with pure magical enchantment. For lovers of clubbing dark, we would like to point out a couple of truly appetizing novelties: the late ones Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft remixed by Terence Fixmer and the electro (body music) of Local Suicide, here with a truly successful single. The opening of the dance is instead entrusted to a five all darkwave brand (stand out the synth very black by Adam Tristar, in addition to the much celebrated ones She Past Away), while post-black metal fans can dive into the notes of the various Drudkh, Bizarrekult And Domhain (new section crest). (Paolo Chemnitz)
Electronics
The return of Placid Angles, one of many side project d John Beltran, a new album for Shackleton, an EP with three unreleased songs in collaboration for Skrillex, a collaboration between Arca and Robyn, an unreleased song released by Ikonika: these are the most prestigious names to inaugurate the selection dedicated to the most interesting sounds found on the electro circuit in recent months. To dance, but not only… (Claudio Lance)
Songwriter
Jana Horn, Marta Del Grandi, Courtney Marie Andrews have created splendid albums, but we are also enchanted by the music of the unbeatable Cat Power: 10 minutes are enough for her and it's already magic. (Daniel Moore)
Other sounds
A slow start to 2026 which currently records the good collaboration between Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore whose “Tragic Magic” is the first section crest of the year. A perfect understanding corroborated only in part by the quality of the writing. We highlight the meditative ambient of the Turkish Orkun Akbal, a composed and measured work which however lacks something. We then have a preview by Maple Death and an extract from the second volume of the “Across The Horizon” series: on the one hand the ritualistic industrialism of Mai Mai Mai, on the other the avant stratifications of Clarice Jensen. (Peppe Trotta)
Italy
Roundup with many new releases published in the first weeks of 2026. It starts with a mini Sanremo selection and then leaves room for the return of Giulia Impache and Cosmo, the new popular albums by Marta Del Grandi and Tutti Fenomeni, and the brand new project Sì! Boom! Voila! (with Roberta Sammarelli on bass), to the psychedelia of Al Doum And The Faryds, to the uncompromising jazzcore by Zu… (Claudio Lancia)
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
