The turbulence and sweetness of "Static Separation": Savoring Terra Twin’s second EP

Terra Twin, by Rory Dunn via DIY Mag

I first discovered London-based Terra Twin mere months ago, but was immediately hooked on their sound and songwriting. Not long after that, in February 2025, they released their second EP Static Separation – under Producer James Dring and Dance To The Radio UK. I had heard many of the songs, as they did intermittent releases until all of the tracks were out there in the world.

Yet listening to all four tracks in succession is a whole experience of its own. It packs more than would seem possible in just over fourteen minutes, while remaining notably digestible. It’s an exhilarating, if short, sonic adventure.

The assertive “Again and Again” kicks it off. The track begins with a playful beat that accumulates layers, downbeat to riff to vocals. It also starts with a question: inviting listeners to ponder, to become immersed, to stay and sit a while. Lead vocalist Maxim Baldry's voice offers a unique tenacity and heft, yet also clarity. It’s a perfect pairing for simultaneously melodic and vigorous chords ringing from start to finish.

“The Recogniser” comes next: a poetic and relatable anthem for those seeking to hold onto their joy in a world doing the most to crush it. The sound is highly energetic and danceable, satisfying and sweet to the ear. Yet a scream comes seemingly out of nowhere; the aim is certainly not pretty melodies, but something real and honest.

The songwriting is introspective and vulnerable, simultaneously with such duality of sweetness and rawness. Some lines are the kind that philosophers could chew on for hours; “redefining the locus” of what they “might find” in the process. The song’s speaker again breaks the fourth wall, directly addressing listeners – calling us to our own vulnerability.

The alluring “Crooked” follows. Opening chords offer a slight softening, and lyrics deepen a vague sense of relationship turbulence that began in two prior songs. Rawness and vulnerability, which the two prior songs also began to establish, also heighten – with exclamations like “the place you want is gone / I don’t know why you stand here in your crooked shame.” The muscularity and size of the sound escalates, but then eases. The contrast makes both ends of that spectrum smoothly resonate.

The pensive “No Ghost” brings us into a softer, gentler sound – yet angst remains. It’s the exhaustion at the other side of anger. The guitar riff, as throughout the EP, is enticing without being catchy in a saccharine sense. Naming “the places you go” brings a dreamy, imaginative sense. Perhaps that’s beyond the tired beyond the angry. We move through emotions; that’s just living.

An extended guitar section (with Lewis Spear on lead guitar and Johnny Twaithes on bass) has me wanting even more of the same captivating magic in future songs. Clouded vocals instill mystery before a final fading resolution. Another special part of this song is that it was written for their drummer Alex Wadstein after a “tumultuous year,” Baldry said in an interview.

With “No Ghost” the sonic and emotional journey is complete…for now. It’s a stepping forward from their first 2024 Hanging Around (as noted, the tracks that first got me hooked on their songs): presenting the the sultry playfulness of “Hanging Around”; the layered moodiness of “Soup”; the slightly somber wistfulness of “Plain Bridal”...and much, much more aural alchemy where that came from.

Static Separation is an evolution to a somewhat more scaffolded sound, more poetic depth in songwriting, and even more singularly bold vocals. Such evolution is only natural when artists keep doing their thing: with intention, commitment, and care. It certainly seems that this band is doing just that – and I eagerly await what will continue coming from their axes and synths.

By Rory Dunn, via Read Dork