You can pre-order ‘Ambivalence from Bandcamp here
Release date: 6th March 2026
Track listing:
Late Work I
Late Work II
Haptic are Steven Hess, Joseph Clayton Mills & Adam Sonderberg
On 6 March 2026, Ash International will publish Ambivalence, the seventeenth release by Haptic. This live album documents the group’s 2025 tour of the UK, organized to celebrate the 20th year of their ongoing collaboration, and comprises two dramatically different takes on the same piece. “Late Work I” was recorded in London, at Cafe OTO, with Mark Wastell on contrabass. “Late Work II” is a delicately layered composite of the Leeds, Brighton, and Bristol shows that also includes a handful of field recordings woven throughout. It features contributions from Linda Jankowska, Sarah Hughes, and Seth Cooke.
Across two decades of restless exploration, the Chicago trio Haptic—Steven Hess, Joseph Clayton Mills, and Adam Sonderberg—has earned a reputation for meticulously assembled recordings complemented by unpredictable, often riveting live performances that veer from rigorous minimalism to densely textured, immersive sonic environments. Consistently blurring the lines between different genres and disciplines, their experimental practice has expanded to include installations, soundtracks, and unique site-specific performances at venues such as Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Lincoln Park Conservatory, and Hyde Park Art Center, as well as collaborations with dancers, filmmakers, and institutions such as the Chicago Film Archive and the Art Institute of Chicago. Their recorded output has been marked by a similar breadth and eclecticism, ranging from the intricacies of Scilens (2011) to the almost monochromatic hush of Abeyance (2014) and slow-motion dissolution of Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions (2024).
Performed by Steven Hess, Joseph Clayton Mills, Adam Sonderberg
with
Mark Wastell (1)
and
Linda Jankowska, Sarah Hughes, Seth Cooke (2)
Late Work I
Recorded by Billy Steiger (London)
Mixed by Olivia Block and Adam Sonderberg
Late Work II
Recorded by Thomas Carroll (Leeds), Will Montgomery (Brighton), Kathy Hinde (Bristol), and Haptic
Mixed by Joseph Clayton Mills
Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi
credits
releases March 6, 2026
Research and development: Thanks to Mike Reed and Josh Berman (Chicago), Thomas Carroll (Leeds), Will Montgomery and Paul Khimasia Morgan (Brighton), Dan Linn-Pearl (Hay-on-Wye), Seth Cooke (Bristol), and Fielding Hope (London) for hosting; Sarah Hughes and Mark Wastell for logistical support; Linda Jankowska, Sarah Hughes, Seth Cooke, and Mark Wastell + Tim Daisy (Chicago) and Rose Linn-Pearl (Hay-on-Wye) for performing; Arts Council England and Arts Council Wales for financial support.
Ambivalence 2025: 28 September, Hungry Brain, Chicago; 2 October, Wharf Chambers, Leeds; 3 October, Coach House, Brighton; 4 October, The Old Electric Shop, Hay-on-Wye; 6 October, The Cube, Bristol; 7 October, Cafe OTO, London.