Endling

Description

Qasim Naqvi returns to Erased Tapes with Endling, a vivid modular synth tone poem that imagines Earth centuries after the fall of humanity. A prequel to his orchestral work God Docks at Death Harbor, this solo record follows the last human — an “endling” — through a strange and decaying future where nature and technology blend into eerie new forms.

Created with ARP Odyssey, Minimoog and modular systems, Endling treats the synthesizer as a volatile, living instrument — part machine, part organism. The album unfolds in chapters, with Naqvi using his track titles as narrative prompts to shape the music’s emotional arc. On the centrepiece track ‘Power Down the Heart’, experimental poet and musician Moor Mother voices an ancient A.I. in its final moments, delivering a haunting monologue about the beauty and horror of long-forgotten time.

Naqvi is best known as the drummer of minimalist trio Dawn of Midi and has a rich solo career spanning film, installation and orchestral commissions for ensembles including the BBC Concert Orchestra and London Contemporary Orchestra. Endling offers a new chapter in his exploration of synthetic sound, environmental storytelling and speculative memory.