Sit down and strap in, because the new four-song EP “Gatekeepers” from Daniel Higley, released on April 29th, 2026, serves as a serious warning shot for his full-length “The Pendulum“. But don’t let the short runtime fool you—clocking in at just over 15 minutes, this release packs more emotion and real-world grit than most bands manage across an entire double-LP.
Let’s talk about the lineup behind this thing. Daniel Higley is the main architect here, a guy based out of Regensberg, Germany. He doesn’t just sing; he plays his own guitar, his own bass, and lays down the synth parts all by himself in his home studio. He teamed up with a Ukrainian singer named marin, a rising star whose voice is described as dreamy and angelic—and man, does it fit the atmosphere perfectly. But the star power doesn’t stop there. They brought in Grammy award-winning mixer Paul Boutin to polish the sound. Then, they shipped the entire master off to Abbey Road Studios in London. That is the kind of legendary treatment you expect for heritage rock bands, not an indie project operating out of a home studio, yet here we are.
What really makes this record rock, though, isn’t the gear or the studio legends. It’s the insane, dangerous conditions under which it was recorded. Those live strings you hear were tracked right in Kyiv, Ukraine. While the musicians were laying down parts, a drone attack hit near the studio. The power went out. Sessions came to a screeching halt. They don’t shy away from telling it plainly—the fear, the anxiety, the tension were all present during these sessions. It took over six months of gruelling, meticulous work to get this thing done. In a world full of streamlined, polished pop, knowing that this music was forged right next to actual warfare gives it a heavy, undeniable spirit.
Thematically, “Gatekeepers” is a deep dive into how we sabotage ourselves. Daniel Higley is saying, loud and clear, that we are the ones standing in our own way. We put up walls because of fear, even when we know we’re running out of time. The core message is defiant: it’s never too late to push past your own panic, believe in yourself, and trust the people standing beside you. It’s a shot of adrenaline straight to a cynical heart.
The four tracks on the list let you see the song from all angles. You get the original version, a remix that twists the vibe, “Lotte’s Dream” which shifts the tone, and finally a raw demo. It’s like watching a blueprint become a fully-painted mural. marin’s vocals are pushed right to the front of the mix here. Daniel admitted to heavy vocal tuning just to get that cinematic, haunting quality right, and it pays off in spades. She cuts through the atmospheric synths like a blade of light in a dark room.
If you know anything about the band Air, specifically their classic album “Moon Safari”, you’ll hear that dreamy influence running through the DNA of this EP. Daniel cited that record as a major influence growing up, and you can tell he’s hunting for those same floating, otherworldly spaces. Yet, he still manages to keep one foot firmly on the ground. The bass and guitar lines are carefully practiced and totally locked in.
This EP might be a preview, but it sets the bar astronomically high for the full LP. The fact that a track this beautiful was almost derailed by drone strikes and power outages is insane. But it survived. They didn’t stop. They kept playing, kept tuning, kept pushing. “Gatekeepers” sounds cinematic because it was literally made on the edge of survival. If you want music that hits you in the chest and tells you to get up and fight, this is your record. Stream it, crank it, and break down that wall you’ve been hiding behind.