Review: Inade & Troum - To Pan Eon

Artist: Inade & Troum

Album: To Pan Eon

Label: Drone Records

Release date: March 2026

Here comes a release that definitely wasn't on my bingo card for 2026. It's exciting enough when Troum releases anything, sure; it's perhaps even more exciting to see Inade with (as far as I know) their first new studio material since 2018. But to see these two absolute titans of the German drone/ambient scene team up out of the blue, and not even for a split release, but a full-blown collaboration? Now that's genuinely out of the ordinary, and one of the most pleasant surprises of the year so far, even if it's just an EP.

In fact, maybe it's worthwhile to start from there - To Pan Eon, which is ancient Greek for (roughly) the all-eternal, is much more than just an EP. Firstly, because of the people involved; when I called Troum and Inade titans, I really meant titans, as both projects have been around for more than three decades, so it could have been no casual decision to team up for a collab with such long-spanning careers under their respective belts. Secondly, because To Pan Eon isn't a result of some improvised weekend-long studio session, but a result of an exchange of ideas spanning across no less than eight years. Thirdly, because the EP is such a good amalgam of the respective projects' strengths that its (re)play value exceeds that of most other artists' full-length work. I will not waste words by enumerating these strengths, since if you're reading this website, you're more than likely to be aware of them already; suffice it to say that Troum's signature kaleidoscopic, dreamlike drones are wonderfully supplemented by Inade's deep textural atmospheres, creating a sonic space of remarkable proportions. The opening track Mnemosynon Pelagos (Greek for sea of memory) wastes no time in showcasing this, as the two creative currents intertwine to create a vast, immersive soundscape that feels so comfortably enveloping that it gives me the urge to replay the track before continuing with the EP every time. The second track Self-Realisation of Matter goes into more dreamlike waters before exploding into a stream of lava-like intensity around midway into the track with more industrial elements. Things settle down somewhat in the second half of the EP, but not at the expense of dynamics, as the cyclical drones wax and wane, giving the atmosphere an element of both introspection and exploration on a vast cosmic scale, with the occasional tribal incursion. If that sounds like a lot of things going on at the same time, fear not - the musicians make full use of their multi-decade songwriting experience to put everything in its right place and weave a sonic tapestry that never feels saturated or overwhelming.

To Pan Eon is one of those releases that, despite its long creative gestation, feels like a shooting star, a brief flash in otherwise rich respective discographies that works perfectly as an EP and would perhaps lose some of its potency had it been extended into a full-blown LP. That said, a part of me can't help but wonder what would happen if this duo really did team up for a longer foray into this particular creative space. I guess we'll never know.

Rating: 9/10