Relapse Records Releases AUTHOR & PUNISHER’s Most Collaborative Album Nocturnal Birding October 3
AUTHOR & PUNISHER expands beyond the singular vision that has defined the project’s two-decade existence. Nocturnal Birding, arriving October 3 through Relapse Records, represents the first time Tristan Shone has genuinely shared creative space with another musician, bringing guitarist Doug Sabolick into the fold as a full creative partner rather than session contributor.
Artist: AUTHOR & PUNISHER
Release Date: 2025-10-03
Genres: Doom Metal, Electronica, Experimental Music, Industrial Music, Sludge Metal
Label: Relapse Records
Description: AUTHOR & PUNISHER teams with Doug Sabolick for Nocturnal Birding, incorporating bird songs and international collaborators. Relapse Records, October 3.
Sabolick‘s integration fundamentally alters the project’s DNA. His guitar work doesn’t simply accompany Shone’s custom-built mechanical instruments but actively shapes the album’s sonic architecture. The collaboration emerged from Shone’s decision to transpose actual bird songs into musical frameworks, using avian melodies and rhythmic patterns as compositional starting points rather than industrial processing as the primary creative driver.
The album assembles an international roster of contributors. French artist Lucile Lejoly created the artwork, while Will Putney handled mixing and mastering duties. Musical guests include France’s Fange, Indonesia’s Kuntari, and Megan Oztrosits from New York’s Couch Slut.
Bird songs appear throughout the album as literal source material rather than atmospheric texture. Shone documented these natural recordings and used them as melodic and rhythmic templates, creating an unusual synthesis between organic patterns and mechanized sound generation. The process required abandoning established creative routines that had governed the project since its 2004 inception.
The “Titanis” video features Shone wearing a custom mask fitted with functioning RC airplane engines. The device controls engine throttle through jaw movement, releasing exhaust fumes based on the wearer’s bite pressure or vocal tension. Shone acknowledges the equipment’s hazardous nature, noting the mounted fuel tanks could ignite during use. He has commissioned flame-resistant protective gear to enable potential live deployment, though safety concerns remain unresolved.
Tristan Shone operates as both composer and mechanical engineer, designing the custom controllers that define AUTHOR & PUNISHER‘s sound. Based in San Diego, he constructs devices that translate physical gestures into electronic manipulation, creating instruments that require bodily exertion to operate. His engineering background includes work in aerospace before transitioning to full-time musical focus. Previous AUTHOR & PUNISHER releases have appeared on labels including Housecore Records and Seventh Rule Recordings. Doug Sabolick has performed with Ecstatic Vision, Plaque Marks, and A Life Once Lost, bringing experience from Philadelphia’s experimental metal scene to this collaboration.
Retrofurista is a site on design, interesting things, audio visual arts, and food.
Discover more from RetroFuturista
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
