Asteroid Ekosystem, the Australian all-instrumental ensemble led by ARIA Award-winning composer and keyboardist Alister Spence, have announced their second studio album, Sounds Have Dreams, along with two rare Sydney performances in March.
Set for release on Friday February 13, the album will be available on CD and all major digital platforms, with pre-orders now open via Alister Spence’s Bandcamp. Early orders come with an instant download of three tracks, Blue Drift, Catch Breath and Off Axis, offering fans a taste of the band’s expansive, immersive sound.
Asteroid Ekosystem features a stellar lineup: Alister Spence on piano, musical pioneer Ed Kuepper on electric guitar, improvisational bassist Lloyd Swanton of The Necks, and drummer Toby Hall, known for his work with The Catholics and Mike Nock. Their music blends elements of jazz, rock, psychedelia and free improvisation, forming a singular sonic universe.
Spence explains the album’s creation as a cross-city collaboration. “In August 2024, I recorded Ed playing solo electric guitar in Brisbane, with sound engineer Derek Bovill. I then took his phrases and composed pieces for the band to explore together. We recorded the album at Rancom St Studios in Sydney over two days in April 2025,” he said.
On Sounds Have Dreams, Kuepper’s original guitar recordings serve as introductions, textures, and loops across nearly all twelve compositions. The band layered piano, double bass and drums-sometimes played in unconventional ways-to complement the guitar’s exploratory threads. The result is a work that stretches the boundaries of contemporary instrumental music, described by critics as “a mighty sonic trip that paints colourful pictures in the mind.”
The album continues the evolution established by their debut, Asteroid Ekosystem (2020), which earned international recognition and was shortlisted for the 2021 APRA/AMCOS Art Music Awards in the Jazz Work of the Year category. Sounds Have Dreams further develops the band’s signature fusion of improvisation, emotional resonance, and sonic experimentation.
Asteroid Ekosystem live dates:
Friday March 20, 2026 – The Living Room, Marrickville, Sydney
Saturday March 21, 2026 – The Living Room, Marrickville, Sydney
Tickets on sale Wednesday January 14 via Humanitix.
Asteroid Ekosystem – Sounds Have Dreams available Friday February 13 on CD and digital download via alisterspence.bandcamp.com, and at independent record stores. Previous releases, Asteroid Ekosystem (2020) and Asteroid Ekosystem Live (From The Great Club), are available now.
ASTEROID EKOSYSTEM:
Alister Spence – piano
Ed Kuepper – electric guitar
Lloyd Swanton – double bass
Toby Hall – drums
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