Following the release of their debut singles “Burning Hammer” and “Sunset Hex,” Opal Drums, the new collaborative project from UK turntablist/producer Jon1st and Denver-based electronic artist Mux Mool, return with their debut EP, Sarsen Cinema.
Written between studios in Leicester and Denver, Sarsen Cinema captures the duo’s evolving chemistry and shared fascination with sonic world-building. Together, they explore the overlap between their mutual love of the instrumental beat continuum and contemporary alternative club music, weaving a cinematic narrative centered on the mysterious arrival of colossal, breathing monoliths that trigger visions in those who approach.
Across its tracks, Opal Drums balance lush atmospheres and intricate arpeggios with heavy percussion and bass weight – a dynamic that mirrors the mixed reactions to the monoliths’ arrival: fear, awe, devotion, and curiosity. Where debut single “Burning Hammer” introduced their raw, percussive energy, follow-up “Sunset Hex” leaned deeper into hypnotic, vibrating bass territory. Together, they form the first transmissions from the Sarsen Cinema universe: a space where sound becomes vision, and each rhythm a frame in a larger myth.
“Thematically, we’re exploring uncertainty. How people react when faced with something beyond their understanding, whether that’s fear, superstition, excitement, or isolation.” – Opal Drums
The title Sarsen Cinema reflects the tension between ancient and modern: Sarsen referencing the prehistoric sandstone used in monuments like Stonehenge, and Cinema representing projection, perspective, and storytelling. In this imagined world, sound becomes vision, and rhythm becomes myth.
Blending both producers’ individual practices, Opal Drums approach their process as both experiment and dialogue. Rather than adhering to a single tempo or subgenre, they’ve created a cohesive sound world, one that will expand into immersive live and visual experiences in 2026. At its core, Sarsen Cinema is less an EP than a portal: a window into a sound both ancient and futuristic, mechanical and human, marking just the beginning of the Opal Drums mythos.
