Occurrence’s REAL PERSON is a bold and deeply personal exploration of sound, emotion, and experimental form—an album that confidently blurs the lines between electronic pop, drone, and avant-garde composition. As their sixth full-length release and second of 2025, the New York City-based trio—comprised of Ken Urban (electronics), Cat Hollyer (vocals), and Johnny Hager (vocals)—delivers a sonic experience that is as intimate as it is immersive. Each of the eight tracks is a tribute to a real person who has profoundly influenced the band, offering a sonic portrait not only of their subjects but of Occurrence themselves.
From the outset, the record challenges expectations. “Louise Penny” opens with layered ambient textures and distant vocal echoes that gradually congeal into an eerie yet tender atmosphere. The track’s rhythm is subtle, often implied rather than stated, giving space for synths to shift fluidly in tone and temperature. This approach continues throughout the album: instead of relying on standard structures, Occurrence lets emotion dictate form. The result is a collection of pieces that feel unbound and deeply human.
The standout track “Wayne Feldman” is a fascinating hybrid, transforming a friend’s old banjo recording into a pulsing techno-driven exploration. Ken Urban’s manipulation of Feldman’s acoustic material is masterful—melding rustic timbres with synthetic textures to create a track that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking. It pulses with life, balancing rhythmic propulsion with a sense of reverent curiosity. The synth layers stretch wide, evoking both motion and memory, while the beat holds a hypnotic pulse just below the surface.
“John Charles Hager” turns even more inward. With actor Ryan Spahn reading a spoken-word piece written by Urban, the track becomes a raw meditation on love and vulnerability. There’s no beat here, only the soft throb of drones, glacial synth swells, and Spahn’s voice, full of fragile sincerity. The piece demands close listening, revealing the kind of emotional openness rarely found in electronic music.
One of the album’s most compelling qualities is its sonic variety. Each track represents a distinct individual, and each production mirrors that person’s perceived essence. “Romeo Castellucci” feels theatrical and unsettling, with warped vocal samples and dissonant synth work evoking the intensity of Castellucci’s stagecraft. Meanwhile, “Olga Tokarczuk” shimmers with lightness and literary elegance, slowly unfolding with spacious arrangements and harmonic richness. The rhythmic elements remain sparse but intentional, grounding each abstract idea in physical sensation.
The album’s atmosphere is consistently immersive, filled with ambient detail and tactile textures. Synths often dominate the soundstage but never overwhelm—whether droning in minimalist layers or soaring with melodic intent. There’s a warmth to even the coldest tones here, as though each frequency carries with it a piece of human memory.
With REAL PERSON, Occurrence embraces their experimental roots while maintaining emotional clarity. It’s not a conventional follow-up to Real Friend, but rather a companion piece that dives deeper into their personal and sonic identities. From its rich production to its heartfelt concept, the album stands as a testament to the trio’s artistic vision and vulnerability.
We’re proud to feature REAL PERSON on our webzine—an extraordinary album that resonates long after its final note.