The Dharma Chain have officially dropped their new album titled ‘Some Kind Of Pure State’ via Spinda Records in collaboration with Le Cèpe Records, Clostridium Records, Echodelick Records and Dirty Filthy Records.
Berlin has a habit of turning good psych bands into great ones, and Some Kind Of Pure State feels like proof. The Dharma Chain arrive at their second album sounding less interested in genre loyalty and more interested in building a mood so thick you could probably lean against it. Shoegaze haze, post punk momentum, neo psychedelic drift, and a touch of classic rock swagger all get tossed into the same swirling machine. The result is an album that feels simultaneously restless and assured, like a band finally realizing they can stop introducing themselves and start making statements.
What immediately stands out is how focused the record feels without sacrificing any of its mystery. Plenty of bands talk about evolution, then hand over forty minutes of aimless noodling wrapped in reverb. The Dharma Chain avoid that trap entirely. Every track here has a purpose, every groove seems to be pulling toward something just out of reach. Jonathan Dreyfus’s production keeps the guitars gloriously expansive while allowing the rhythm section to do the heavy lifting. Beneath all the dreamlike textures is a pulse that never quits.
The first major highlight is ‘Cross Over’, a track that practically serves as the album’s mission statement. The guitars shimmer and collide in slow motion while the rhythm pushes forward with quiet determination. What makes the song so effective is its balance between accessibility and atmosphere. It never abandons the listener in a cloud of effects, yet it never settles for straightforward rock mechanics either. Every element feels suspended between worlds, perfectly matching the album’s fascination with transformation and uncertainty.
Equally impressive is ‘Inside A New’, which opens the record with the confidence of a band that knows exactly where it’s headed. The song unfolds gradually, pulling listeners into its hypnotic orbit through layered guitars and ethereal vocals that seem to materialize from somewhere just beyond the speakers. Instead of exploding into a predictable climax, it keeps expanding outward, creating a sense of motion that sets the tone for everything that follows. It is the kind of opener that makes checking your phone feel like a deeply embarrassing life choice.
Across the album’s eight tracks, The Dharma Chain demonstrate a rare understanding of restraint. Songs like ‘Borderline,’ ‘Minor Prayer,’ and ‘How Far’ allow tension to accumulate naturally rather than forcing dramatic payoffs every few minutes. That patience gives the record an immersive quality that rewards repeat listens. Each return uncovers another buried guitar line, another rhythmic shift, another detail lurking beneath the surface. In an era where many albums seem engineered to become background noise, this one actively demands attention.
Some Kind Of Pure State succeeds because it captures a band in motion while sounding remarkably self possessed. The themes of renewal, disorientation, and clarity after chaos run through the album without ever becoming heavy handed. The Dharma Chain have created something immersive, elegant, and surprisingly addictive. It is the sound of a group refining its identity without sanding off the rough edges that made it interesting in the first place. For a record obsessed with uncertainty, it leaves very little doubt that this is the band’s strongest work yet.
About The Dharma Chain
Recorded at Funkhaus Berlin and produced by Jonathan Dreyfus, the album finds the band refining their signature blend of shoegaze, neo-psychedelia, post-punk, and classic rock influences. Across eight immersive tracks, reverb-drenched guitars, hypnotic rhythms, and ethereal vocals create a soundtrack for transformation, uncertainty, and renewal.
Originally formed in Byron Bay and now based in Berlin, The Dharma Chain have built an international following through their powerful live performances and genre-defying sound, appearing at festivals including SXSW, Fusion Festival, Sharpe, Synästhesie and DunaJam.
Following their acclaimed debut album Nowhere and the singles “Inside A New” and “Red Red Red Red Red” Some Kind Of Pure State with the album focus track “Cross Over” marks the band’s most focused and compelling statement to date—an album shaped by movement, change, and the search for clarity amid chaos.
The release is accompanied by an extensive European touring schedule in 2026, including appearances at Desertfest Berlin, Fuzz Club Festival, Brighton Psych Fest, and Manchester Psych Fest.
Featured image by Dan Trautwein.
LINKS:
https://www.thedharmachain.com/
https://www.instagram.com/the.dharma.chain/
https://www.facebook.com/The.Dharma.Chain/
https://thedharmachain.bandcamp.com/