Richard Barbieri returns with Hauntings, a collection of brooding instrumentals that deepen the shadowy electronic language he has refined over decades. First emerging as a key architect of the late ’70s and ’80s synthesiser movement with Japan, Barbieri’s textural approach reshaped the possibilities of electronic sound, influencing artists from The Human League and Duran Duran to Gary Numan and Talk Talk. His work with Porcupine Tree, including In Absentia, Fear Of A Blank Planet and Closure/Continuation, further cemented his reputation for atmosphere and detail. On Hauntings, he leans into a pensive, cinematic mood. These pieces feel suspended between memory and speculation, exploring the blurred line between reality and simulation. Echoes of gas-lit Victorian streets and faded Belle Époque grandeur give way to colder, future-facing tensions, with tracks such as ‘Traveler’ and ‘A New Simulation’ edged by modern anxiety. Barbieri’s intricate sound design is complemented by performances from Morgan Ågren (drums and percussion), Percy Jones (bass) and Luca Calabrese (trumpet), adding organic depth to these carefully constructed electronic spaces.