NYC’s psych-jam heavyweights Escaper release their long-awaited studio album Still Time today via Ropeadope Records. Following the fiery singles “Chance” and “Sleepin’,” released this summer, the eight-track journey captures the journey from chaos to clarity, offering an expansive statement from a band revered for transforming stages into ecstatic, communal celebrations.
LISTEN | Escaper – Still Time
At its core, Still Time is a meditation on presence. The band’s core duo, guitarist and vocalist Will Hanza and keyboardist and vocalist Phil Kadet sculpt Escaper’s signature fusion of rock, funk, R&B, jazz, and electronica into soul-stirring soundscapes. On the record, the pair is joined by bassist Luke Bemand of lespecial and Grammy-nominated drummer Aaron Johnston of Brazilian Girls.
The project opens with “Breakaway,” a defiant anthem born in isolation that channels pandemic-era claustrophobia into explosive release, blending piano-driven intensity with cathartic rhythm. “Chance” follows with an urgent life-seizing manifesto, merging razor-edged energy with an existential call to arms.
Sultry single “Sleepin’” takes a late-night turn, layering Rhodes keys, minimalist guitar, and smooth vocals into a spacious meditation on awakening. Later on, “Warp Speed,” featuring John Davis, delivers a bass-forward instrumental rager that surges with pure kinetic energy. The album concludes with “There’s Still Time,” a six-minute epic that moves between decay and resolve before dissolving into a redemptive glide.
Since 2015, Escaper has ignited venues and festivals across the Northeast, sharing bills with Thievery Corporation and The Disco Biscuits, and drawing sit-ins from members of Rubblebucket, Dopapod, and Turkuaz. Their acclaimed live shows, heralded for a “sparkling sonic interplay” (Live For Live Music), attract true music lovers eager to lose themselves in a groove-forward communion.
Still Time follows the band’s 2022 Spaceship EP, recorded at Telefunken Studios, and marks their most ambitious work to date. The release coincides with Escaper’s Northeast tour, including a special album release show at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn on September 4. Next week, the band returns to Greenfield, MA’s Wormtown Music Festival for a highly anticipated performance
For more information on Escaper, Still Time, and upcoming performances, please visit the band’s official website.
About ESCAPER:
Deep kinetic grooves take you to outer space, elevate your soul and liberate your mind
Piloted by the broadly influenced, stage-seasoned pair of Will Hanza (guitar, vocals) and Phil Kadet (keys, vocals), Ropeadope Records recording artists Escaper blend Rock, R&B, Jazz, Funk and Electronica into cohesive, soul-stirring, jam-filled soundscapes. The duo are complemented by a cadre of in-demand drummers and bassists. Heavy grooving bassist Luke Bemand (lespecial) in particular, is a key contributor and collaborator.
Since its formation in 2015, New York-based ESCAPER has enchanted audiences at venues and festivals throughout the Northeast with their inspired musical celebration of life and being. The band’s unrestrained yet creatively engaged musicianship has attracted sit-ins by players from notable like-minded bands such as the Disco Biscuits, Brazilian Girls, Thievery Corporation, Rubblebucket, Dopapod, Cabinet and Turkuaz.
The sparkling sonic interplay between Hanza and Kadet, underpinned by the funky punch of the talented pocket keepers, is ready-made for uninhibited communal hip-shaking. Escaper’s acclaimed live shows attract true music lovers of all ages and backgrounds, eager to vibe in the band’s musical embrace.
