Deathtrippers - Joyride
Psychedelic Rock / Indie Rock / Shoegaze – Leeds, UK – November 6, 2026
There is something particularly appealing about bands that refuse to settle comfortably into one musical genre, and Deathtrippers, from Leeds in northern England, have spent several years developing a sound that moves freely between psychedelic rock, shoegaze, post-punk and electronic experimentation. With their new four-track EP, Joyride, released on November 6, 2026, the band continue exploring those influences, introducing a stronger emphasis on rhythm, melody and hypnotic grooves without losing the darker atmospheric qualities that have characterised their previous recordings.
Led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Sasha Raoul, Deathtrippers have gradually established an identity rooted in the alternative music of the 1980s, particularly its more experimental and gothic tendencies. Their music frequently combines heavily processed guitars, atmospheric synthesizers and repetitive rhythms, creating compositions that can feel equally suited to introspective listening and the more immersive experience of a live performance.
Their early releases, Unity Of Light (2017) and Disintegrate (2018), introduced this fascination with contrasting musical textures. Working with producer and musician Richard Formby, Deathtrippers developed a sound that brought together the melancholic atmosphere of post-punk, the hypnotic qualities of psychedelic rock and the enveloping guitar effects associated with shoegaze.
Some of these early recordings were subsequently collected on a self-titled compilation released in 2021 through Spanish label Dead Wax Records, providing a broader introduction to the band's developing musical identity.
Further releases, including Higher in October 2024 and When Darkness Fades in August 2026, continued that evolution, with the group increasingly exploring the relationship between electronic textures, psychedelic repetition and more direct melodic songwriting.
Joyride feels like a natural continuation of that journey, but its four compositions also suggest a band becoming more interested in movement and rhythmic energy.
The opening title track, “Joyride,” immediately establishes the EP's direction. Running for just over six minutes, the composition develops around an insistent psychedelic groove, with atmospheric instrumental layers gradually building around its rhythmic foundation.
The combination of swirling guitars, hazy textures and repetitive patterns gives the track a hypnotic character, while backing vocals from Jo St.Clair-Lister introduce an additional melodic dimension.
There is a sense of freedom in the arrangement, with the music allowed to develop gradually rather than being confined to a conventional verse-and-chorus structure. It is an effective introduction to the EP, bringing together the band's interest in psychedelic exploration and their growing appreciation for more rhythmically driven compositions.
“Rise” takes a different approach, with Deathtrippers revisiting a song originally recorded by American psychedelic garage rock band The Fuzztones.
The choice feels appropriate given the band's musical background, connecting their contemporary sound with an earlier generation of musicians who explored the rawer and more experimental possibilities of guitar-driven rock.
Rather than simply reproducing the original, Deathtrippers bring the composition into their own atmospheric world, allowing its garage rock energy to coexist with the more expansive textures of modern psychedelia.
One of the EP's most interesting moments arrives with “We All Rise,” a composition that places greater emphasis on melody and accessibility.
Built around a more direct songwriting approach, the track introduces a sense of optimism through its themes of freedom, escape and hope. Its melodic character provides an effective contrast to the more immersive instrumental passages elsewhere on the record.
The song also benefits from a particularly significant collaboration, having been mixed by Mark Gardener, singer and guitarist of legendary British shoegaze band Ride, at his OX4 Sound studio.
Given Ride's considerable influence on the development of shoegaze, Gardener's involvement creates an interesting connection between Deathtrippers and one of the genre's most important musical figures.
Backing vocals from Sarah Rose add another layer to the arrangement, reinforcing the song's melodic qualities and giving it a more expansive, uplifting character.
Closing track “Electric Sky” returns the EP to more experimental territory, exploring the atmospheric possibilities of space rock.
At approximately three minutes, the composition draws inspiration from the hypnotic and expansive musical universe associated with Spacemen 3, combining repetitive instrumental ideas with a sense of movement through increasingly abstract textures.
Its more spacious arrangement provides a fitting conclusion, allowing the record to end on a distinctly psychedelic note.
What makes Joyride particularly enjoyable is the way its four tracks explore different aspects of Deathtrippers' musical identity without losing their overall coherence.
The title track emphasises groove and immersion, “Rise” celebrates the group's garage-psychedelic influences, “We All Rise” introduces a more immediately melodic direction, and “Electric Sky” returns to the experimental possibilities of space rock.
Together, these compositions demonstrate the band's ability to move between different musical traditions while retaining a recognisable atmospheric character.
There are clear connections to the darker side of 1980s alternative music, but also to the psychedelic revival and the more experimental corners of contemporary shoegaze. The combination gives Deathtrippers considerable room to explore different approaches to songwriting and production.
The involvement of Mark Gardener is especially interesting, although the EP's appeal extends beyond that collaboration. Its strongest quality is the band's willingness to let rhythm, melody and texture interact naturally, creating music that feels immersive without becoming unnecessarily complicated.
With Joyride, Deathtrippers deliver an engaging four-track EP that brings together psychedelic rock, atmospheric shoegaze and the hypnotic energy of post-punk.
It is a release that reflects both the band's musical history and their continuing desire to explore new directions, balancing darker instrumental textures with a more immediate sense of movement and melody.
For listeners who appreciate the psychedelic atmosphere of Spacemen 3, the guitar-driven sound of Ride or the more experimental side of British alternative rock, Joyride is certainly worth discovering.
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