In 2023, industrial-ambient artist Antonino Pedone was processing a recent Ménière’s diagnosis, an inner-ear disease that can lead to tinnitus, vertigo, and even hearing loss. After a decade of crafting noise collages under the Shapednoise moniker, the Berlin-based Italian artist found himself inspired to initiate a new venture as he dealt with the disorienting news, one that invited a fascinating slate of collaborators to rap over murky sound designs that effectively served as musical interpretations of his emotions. Titled Absurd Matter, the release featured verses from Armand Hammer, Moor Mother, and ZelooperZ, as well as sound design contributions from Brodinski and former David Lynch collaborator Dean Hurley.
Yet this wasn’t the end of the journey, as Pedone’s process of learning to live with the condition was far from over. Thus, Absurd Matter 2 was born—a sequel with a lightly adjusted tone and a new slate of exciting guests: ICECOLDBISHOP, Fatboi Sharif, Loraine James, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Slikback, and Modulaw join the show, with Armand Hammer and Moor Mother also returning. The most recent single to be released, though, was a solo venture for Shapednoise. “Oblivion Step” is a skittering nod to garage music that maintains the distinct dark-ambient aesthetic of the Absurd Matter universe. “I’ve always felt a deep connection to the UK scene, particularly in the way it seamlessly blends tension with groove, urgency with darkness,” Pedone shares. “With this one, I took some of those 2-step, garage, and grime references and filtered them through my lens, distorted, personal, and a bit fogged out.”
With the full album dropping on September 19, you can check out the latest cut from Absurd Matter 2 below. Additionally, to get a little more context for the track, the record, and the Absurd Matter series more broadly, we set up a quick Q&A with Shapednoise who opened up about his process.
How much work had you put into Absurd Matter 2 by the time the original Absurd Matter was released? Were you planning a sequel?
By 2023, when Absurd Matter was released, I had already started developing a few ideas that would eventually become Absurd Matter 2. I wasn’t intentionally planning a sequel at the time, but I knew the story wasn’t finished. The first album focused on the initial shock of being diagnosed with Ménière’s—about confusion, disorientation, and trying to process something entirely new and disruptive. However, as I began to live with the condition, there was a shift toward more reflection and adaptation. This transition naturally led to Absurd Matter 2. It wasn’t forced; it simply happened because I needed to express what was coming next. The sound became more focused and deliberate. The textures, rhythms, and collaborations all reflect this new phase I was entering.
What do you see as the mark of a good collaborator on these albums?
For me, a good collaborator on these Absurd Matter records is someone willing to go all in, someone who’s not afraid to get uncomfortable or explore unknown territory. I really value when an artist brings their full voice and energy into the process, but also stays open, ready to shape something that belongs to both of us, not just them or me. The people I worked with on these albums just understood this. There was a genuine trust from the start, which was very important since the project is so personal.
It’s interesting that this series seems deeply personal to you, yet it also sees you collaborating with vocalists. How much room do you give them to do their own thing, lyrically?
Everyone’s free to do what they want and fully dive into the project. I might share some context or feeling behind the track, but I never give strict directions. I trust the people I work with, and I want their voice to come through in the most honest way. That freedom is what makes the collaborations feel real and connected.
You mention 2-step, garage, and grime as reference points for the new single. What’s your process for transforming those genres into something new based purely on emotion?
With 2-step, garage, or grime, it’s more about the feeling they give me—the swing, the tension, the rawness. I take that and let it guide me emotionally. I twist it, stretch it, break it apart if I need to. I’m not overthinking—if something hits a nerve or feels right, I follow it.
Now that the song is finished, are there any artists you think could’ve been good collaborators for “Oblivion Step”?
Honestly, this is one of the few tracks where it had to be just Shapednoise. “Oblivion Step” came from such a specific emotional and sonic place that I never considered adding anyone else. It’s rare, but sometimes a track feels so personal and self-contained that collaboration would interfere.
