Unravel, the much-anticipated debut album from Edinburgh-based composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Geo Chandler, was released on September 5th, 2025. A record that merges the atmospheric depth of classical music with the textures and rhythms of UK electronic sounds, it introduces Chandler as a distinctive voice in the contemporary electronic and cinematic landscape.
Originally from Peterborough, England, Chandler’s musical roots were forged through bass guitar in rock, funk, and jazz bands. His later immersion in London’s club culture exposed him to UK garage, house, techno, and post-dubstep, leaving a lasting imprint on his sonic identity. This background provides the foundation for Unravel, a work that embodies both rhythmic sophistication and emotional resonance.
The album’s rhythmic dimension demonstrates Chandler’s attention to detail and range of influences. Beats shift fluidly from subdued, almost meditative pulses to intricate patterns reminiscent of UK garage and house. Tracks like Y & Y and Delaware employ lo-fi textures such as vinyl crackle alongside steady percussion, creating a rhythm that feels simultaneously organic and precise. Elsewhere, more propulsive sequences emerge, guiding the listener into moments of dancefloor energy before retreating again into cinematic calm.
Synthesizers form the album’s central fabric, weaving atmospheric layers that are both expansive and intimate. The opening track, Like a Lake on the Moon, already highlights Chandler’s ability to use synths as tools of emotional storytelling. Here, shimmering tones and reverberant textures coexist with delicate piano phrases, before folding back into an outro that will later return in reverse at the beginning of the closing piece, Leave Up. This cyclical construction underscores the album’s carefully considered structure, making it feel like a continuous narrative rather than a collection of standalone pieces.
Throughout Unravel, the atmosphere is further shaped by field recordings captured from Chandler’s bedroom window in Edinburgh. Passing cars, distant trains, and birdsong subtly drift through the compositions, grounding the electronic soundscapes in tangible reality. This interplay between synthetic layers and natural elements embodies Chandler’s commitment to merging the organic with the synthetic, a theme central to his creative vision.
The use of live instrumentation is another defining feature of the record. Chandler performs piano, synthesizers, percussion, bass, and guitar, while violinist Anna Keary contributes additional textures. These elements give the album a cinematic richness, recalling the impressionist sensibilities of Debussy and Ravel, while also reflecting influences from modern electronic artists such as Kiasmos, Jon Hopkins, Burial, and Ross From Friends. The result is a sonic world where classical depth meets electronic subtlety, as noted in early press reactions to the singles.
At its core, Unravel is a deeply personal work, shaped by Chandler’s reflections on grief, dreams, and hope. Each composition serves as an introspective meditation, yet the emotional vocabulary remains universally accessible. The album does not rely on genre clichés; instead, it strikes a careful balance between detail and spaciousness, intimacy and scale.
Entirely written, recorded, and produced in Chandler’s bedroom, the album stands as a testament to independent creativity and focused artistic vision. With its seamless blend of rhythm, synth, and atmosphere, Unravel establishes Geo Chandler as a promising and distinctive presence in electronic and cinematic music—a release of high quality that we are proud to host on our webzine.