“Come Back” marks a pivotal new chapter in AUNCE’s musical evolution — a track that encapsulates both profound personal emotion and technical mastery. Emerging from her residency at the University of West London’s Townshend Studio, the piece stands as an introspective journey through sound and silence, grief and resilience, texture and transcendence. Crafted using a collection of rare vintage synthesizers on loan from Pete Townshend — most notably the ARP 2500 — Come Back is a testament to the transformative power of sound when used as both language and therapy.
From its very first pulse, Come Back establishes a deeply immersive atmosphere. The rhythmic framework feels organic, more like a heartbeat than a drum pattern — fluid yet deliberate. The percussive structure avoids rigidity, favoring intricate syncopations that seem to breathe with the track’s emotional undercurrent. There’s a sense of push and pull in the rhythm: sometimes hesitant, sometimes assertive, mirroring the fragility and strength inherent in the process of loss and recovery.
The ARP 2500 serves as the spine of the composition, its modular warmth lending an almost tactile quality to the soundscape. AUNCE uses the synth not merely as an instrument but as a living organism, shaping waves of resonance that evolve continuously throughout the track. Each modulation feels intentional, every harmonic shift a reflection of inner turbulence. The ARP’s distinctive tonal imperfections — that slight unpredictability that defines analog synthesis — add depth and authenticity to the emotional texture of the piece.
Layered atop these foundations are subtle contributions from other legendary instruments — the Buchla Easel, the MS-20, the Prophet 6, and the Moog Sub 25 — which expand the track’s sonic palette without overwhelming its core. The result is a multilayered environment where analog grit meets ethereal fluidity. The synth lines interweave like neural pathways, connecting fragments of memory, each oscillation shimmering with feeling.
What distinguishes Come Back from conventional IDM or electronic compositions is its vocal presence — or, more precisely, its wordless voice. AUNCE’s vocal performance functions as both instrument and emotion. It doesn’t narrate; it resonates. Her voice drifts through the mix as a spectral element, conveying grief, tenderness, and a quiet form of transcendence. Inspired by the experimental vocal works of Meredith Monk and Norma Winstone, AUNCE embraces the idea that words can sometimes diminish emotion. The human voice, when liberated from language, becomes pure expression — and in Come Back, that purity is palpable.
There’s a haunting immediacy to the production — the sense that much of what we hear was captured in the moment of discovery. The imperfections are not masked; they are preserved as part of the narrative. AUNCE’s approach to first takes recalls the intuitive spirit of early electronic pioneers, where spontaneity outweighed precision. Yet the mixing and mastering by TJ Allen and Ben Horton refine the piece with modern clarity, ensuring that its emotional rawness translates seamlessly across frequencies.
Atmospherically, Come Back exists in liminal space — between solitude and connection, between mourning and acceptance. The track feels suspended in time, unfolding with cinematic pacing. As textures build and dissolve, a sense of catharsis gradually emerges. By the time the final tones fade, the listener is left not with resolution, but with a deep, resonant stillness — the kind that only true emotional honesty can evoke.
In many ways, Come Back embodies everything that defines AUNCE as one of the most promising voices in contemporary electronic music: fearless experimentation, emotional transparency, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. Her sound is simultaneously intimate and expansive, bridging the cerebral intricacy of IDM with the visceral depth of human experience.
We are delighted to feature Come Back on our webzine — not only as a release of exceptional quality, but as an artistic statement that reaffirms the transformative potential of electronic music. In AUNCE’s hands, synthesis becomes soulcraft. And Come Back stands as a powerful reminder that even in wordlessness, music can speak volumes.