HEAVY MOON – Outerstellar Phase (2026, Digital/Bandcamp, Self-Released) 

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Self-Released

Format: Album, Digital/Bandcamp

Release Date: 29 June 2026

Somewhere between the infinite expanse of Kosmische music and the rougher, more psychedelic edges of Space Rock, Heavy Moon has been quietly building its own little universe for two decades now. Behind the project stands Canadian multi-instrumentalist Jakob Rehlinger, a true one-man cosmic operation who has been writing, performing, recording and mixing his own material since the mid-2000s. With a catalogue spanning more than two dozen releases, Jakob has turned Heavy Moon into a remarkably consistent vehicle for his fascination with synthesizers, psychedelic guitars, motorik rhythms, progressive excursions, and deep-space atmospheres.

“Outerstellar Phase”, released independently through Bandcamp in June 2026, arrives after what Jakob describes as a year of being “stranded in outerstellar space” — and judging by the album’s concept, the journey back to Earth has not exactly been a pleasant one. The planet he returns to is in worse shape than ever, so perhaps there is little reason to come back down to Earth at all. Instead, Heavy Moon once again points its antennae towards the unknown, using cosmic synths, psychedelic guitar work and an impressively broad instrumental palette to construct a soundtrack for escape velocity.

And this time Jakob brings an entire arsenal into the cockpit: electric and acoustic guitars, bass, organ, electric piano, synthesizers, saxophone, flute and drums, handling the mixing and additional production himself (as always). Recorded between May 8 and June 16, 2026, “Outerstellar Phase” is therefore another chapter in an unusually personal DIY space-rock odyssey — music created not from nostalgia alone, but from a genuine desire to keep pushing the psychedelic imagination further beyond the known coordinates. Seven tracks, almost forty-four minutes, and one more invitation from Heavy Moon to leave this troubled planet far behind.

“Artemis LXIX” (7:39) starts with a slow, spacey motive, drenched in effects, immediately suggesting another voyage into the infinite cosmos, but something feels different this time. The destination may be the same, but the route has changed — and this time the route is unmistakably Psychedelic. The cosmic effects are all there, but the electric guitar is so acid-drenched that it seems to literally melt into the mix, while the organ adds a beautifully trippy, Psych-flirting dimension. The whole recording develops a unique, almost pompous Psych-Space aura, setting the stage for what is about to follow. “Petroleum Death Raga – Outerstellar Ascension” (6:32) takes us a million light years away from Earth, yet somehow this is profoundly earthly PSYCHEDELIA. Trippy, mind-melting and deeply hallucinogenic, it feels as if the entire spacecraft has been soaked in LSD, with hallucinations becoming indistinguishable from reality. The Cosmic complexion is everywhere, but gradually everything begins to float, drift and dissolve into an absolutely Psychedelic trip… “Moonbase 54” (4:46) brings us into more familiar Space Rock territory, but with a wonderfully funky mood and plenty of room for improvisation. Experimental touches, huge doses of PSYCH, and a loose, jam-oriented attitude turn this into a delicious Space-Psych-Funky excursion, as if the spacecraft has suddenly discovered a groove somewhere between the stars. With “Motörkopf” (5:59), we are back in orbit, driven by a steady drum beat, but definitely not back on Earth. This is a spacey, motorik Neo-Kraut anthem, slightly acid-drenched and naturally improvisational, once again entering the familiar territory of Jakob Rehlinger’s space-travelling imagination. “Death Raga Comedown” (5:40) feels as though the spaceship has suddenly entered a time warp and travelled backwards into the golden age of late-60s improvised Psychedelia. Lysergic Acid seems to be running through the atmosphere, guitars and effects bending the dimensions around us, resulting in a completely mind-bending, Space Trip-A-Delic soundscape! “Outspiral Madness” (4:53) takes us back towards Space Rock territory, with improvisation once again at the controls and an acid-drenched electric guitar leading the way. A funky complexion gradually becomes heavier, while an astonishing organ/synth presence expands the whole sonic landscape. Yes, Space is the Place! Finally, the title track “Outerstellar Phase” (7:59) returns to that hazy, trippy, stoned and wonderfully spacey atmosphere, almost like a cosmic ping-pong game bouncing endlessly from one side — Space — to the other — Psychedelia. But here, finally, the two sides completely merge. It is Space, it is Psychedelically Trippy, it is totally Mind-Expanding, and it feels less like music about travelling to another dimension than an actual soundtrack for doing exactly that. Music to trip to another reality. Invest! TimeLord Michalis 

Tracklist

Links

Listen / Buy through HEAVY MOON Bandcamp

Visit JAKOB REHLINGER Facebook

Check Jakob’s MOONWOOD, another interesting project