Mishkin Fitzgerald & Third Bloom link on new LP

When the dark romanticism of Mishkin Fitzgerald and the shadowy cinematic vibes of Third Bloom collide, something extraordinary happens. Their brand new collaborative album titled ARCHIVE captures that spark of creative alchemy, bringing together orchestral grandiosity, electronic immersion and the aching beauty of memory. It’s an enveloping, wordless journey through a world that’s already ended, where what remains are fragments of sound, echoes of what once was, rendered with haunting intensity.

Mishkin Fitzgerald has long been a magnetic force in the UK’s alternative scene best known as the frontwoman of progressive rock outfit Birdeatsbaby, she’s earned her reputation by blending theatrical melancholy with emotional honesty. Her work is brimming with contrast; the delicate against the defiant, the classical entwined with the avant-garde. Informed by her early years studying classical piano and opera, her sound took a sharp turn toward the experimental after discovering artists like Nick Cave, Patti Smith and Kate Bush.

Her collaborator, Third Bloom, arrives from a different but complementary path as a trip hop producer and visual artist whose story traces back to the acid jazz and drum and bass underground of the early ’90s. Introduced to Gil Scott-Heron, Donald Byrd and the deep grooves of jazz-infused electronica, he developed an ear for rhythm that was as soulful as it was subversive. A spontaneous lost weekend in Amsterdam became a decade-long immersion in the city’s burgeoning club scene, a period of decadence and discovery that left its mark on his sound. Eventually returning to Brighton, Third Bloom shifted from listener to creator, channeling years of experience into cinematic production.

Together, Mishkin Fitzgerald and Bloom have created something that feels like a piece of art cinema, a soundscape you inhabit rather than simply hear. Featuring guest appearances from violinist Hana Piranha and guitarist Garry Mitchell, ARCHIVE is described as a meditation on memory and loss, set against a post apocalyptic vision of Britain where everything familiar has vanished, but the record ultimately finds a strange beauty in the ruins. Fusing classical and electronic elements into sweeping, otherworldly compositions, Mishkin’s piano and orchestration provide the emotional backdrop while Third Bloom’s electronic textures build an expansive, immersive world around it.

Opened by “Claw, Pt. 1,” the haunting pulse of deep low end textures and contrast of eerie tones above sinks the listener into a dark well before the crisp rattle of mechanic percussion injects a dash of hypnotic rhythm before dropping out to leave space for the ghostly melodic lines to drift. “Passenger” follows with delicate piano notes and soft string lines, forming an emotive orchestral soundscape that deftly balances a sense of melancholy with subtle flashes of uplifting tone.

“Dark Horse, Pt. 1” brings an unsettling march of pulsing synth tones and gliding string lines to cast an engrossing listening experience that’s mesmeric and brooding in equal measure. Other highlights on the record include songs like part two of “Claw” with its graceful flutter of warm acoustic guitar and hazy stretch of ominous bass textures, taking listeners on a wholly absorbing musical voyage.

“Erosion” delivers a stripped back piece of quiet, bubbling synths and dazzling strings, crafting an atmospheric sound that finds beauty in minimalism to delivery a truly affecting musical moment. “Dark Horse, Pt. 2” presents a dark waltz of bright but moody piano before closing track “Blackout” shimmers into focus with gentle synth loops. The stab of buzzy tones and punch of drums brings a intense trip hop energy as female vocals ring out and wah-tinged guitar leads flicker, resulting in a gripping and truly spectacular finale to Mishkin Fitzgerald and Third Bloom sensational collaborative album.

Both artists are known for their uncompromising vision and ARCHIVE feels like the natural product of that shared ethos. It’s not music designed for brief consumption, but for contemplation, for late nights, headphones and long walks through empty streets. In the end, ARCHIVE is less about the world that’s vanished and more about what survives it, offering a reminder that even in endings, there’s art.

Listen to ARCHIVE below