The War on Drugs' Robbie Bennett announces two solo double albums, Steloken and Circulation

The albums follow Bennett's self-released 2020 debut Permanent World, as well as The War on Drugs' recently released single, their first new music in four years. Lead singles "Sister" lifted from Steloken and "The Light on Your Face" from Circulation offer the first tasters of the new works, which see Bennett offering something to explore.

"I want the music to be like you're walking through an unfamiliar place you want to keep exploring and never have to circle back to where you started," he says.

The songs first emerged from the keyboard rig Bennett uses with The War on Drugs. Working in his home studio, he built the albums in layers, incorporating piano, synthesisers, Fender Rhodes, vocoder and a Soma Terra, as he explains: "I was able to react in real time with this instrument that is so expressive and mysterious to me," says Bennett. "It can go from atonal noise to beautiful, deep, warm chords."

While Bennett's initial plan was to make one album, it was eventually split into two separate concepts. Steloken explores warm, fuzzy side of Bennett's piano and synthesizer compositions, while Circulation leans further into improvisation — with both albums capturing the organic process and mistakes that can come with experimenting.

"It's tempting to mute what's ugly and what makes me feel uncomfortable," Bennett notes, "but the full spectrum of the mistakes and the triumphs feels most real and beautiful."

Steloken artwork

Steloken tracklist

"Radii"
"Serendipity"
"Air Signals"
"Sea-Level Horizon"
"System of Warmth, Collection of Jackets"
"Snowfell"
"Darkness in Bloom"
"Sister"
"Moonframe"
"Footprints in the Ash"
"Horse to Lead"
"Lattun"
"Dragging out the Cans"
"Ascent"
"Cathedral"
"Purgatory"
"A Love Song / Universal Interface"

Circulation tracklist

Circulation tracklist

"Breathing Glass"
"Panthalassa"
"Norrland Night Train"
"Vermiculite"
"Change the Clocks (DST)"
"Phantom Signal"
"CACC (Hope)"
"ISO Dream"
"MN3009"
"The Light on Your Face"
"Vivere!"
"December"