Rooted in Rotterdam’s fertile cross-section of club culture and improvised music, keyboardist, composer and producer Anton de Bruin has been carving out a name through projects like Dragonfruit and Peter Somuah, and recent appearances at North Sea Jazz and Valkhof. With his label Sundown Recordings, he’s also been instrumental in pushing late-night events where bands perform like DJs, redefining what live music can be on the dancefloor.

Following the release of his 2024 debut album Imaginarium, de Bruin returns with a new blistering single, ‘Running on Slippers’, featuring Budapest-based flautist Fanni Zahár. Drawing from the rhythmic intensity of African percussion, jungle, and samba, the track is both high-energy and slightly off-balance, reflecting its title, which serves as a metaphor for the feeling of reacting too late. The single offers a first glimpse into his forthcoming album Sounds of the Eclipse, set for release on October 17th. According to the press release, the record grapples with the sense that “we’ve run out of time,” socially and politically, but also points to the potential for renewal.

“There is always something super interesting to find in any record of any culture you’ll dive into,” Anton explains. “The low end and drive of Jamaican records from the 70s, the arrangements of Nigerian and Ghanaian records from the 60s and 70s… there’s so much inspiration hidden in all of that.”

‘Running on Slippers’ is out now through Sundown Recordings and you can listen to it below.