Nearly 25 years since his debut In Moll helped define the blueprint for pop-ambient music, Guentner’s longevity is not only remarkable—it is foundational. His early work paved the way for an entire generation of ambient and electronic artists, many of whom cite his gauze-like atmospheres and emotional subtlety as formative influences. Yet despite that legacy, Guentner continues to challenge himself, and On Brutal Soil, We Grow stands as evidence of an artist who refuses to rest on reputation, but is determined to express himself through sound, and also visuals with the accompanying artwork.
Where Black Dahlia explored shadowed introspection and cinematic tension, his new album pushes further inward and outward at once, probing the harshness of contemporary life while cultivating an unexpected sense of resilience. Guentner shapes layered, brooding textures and fractured harmonies into an ambient meditation on endurance.
These pieces feel rawer, more exposed, and yet shot through with the quiet conviction that growth is still possible, even in hostile conditions. Rather than resignation, the album offers a slow-burning assertion of human persistence. Flickers of hope rise from spacious, almost alien, windswept soundscapes and clarity eases out of the darkness.
In an age dominated by speed and constant output, Guentner’s commitment to slowness reads as radical. On Brutal Soil, We Grow refuses quick resolution, instead offering space, patience, and an immense depth that has come to define not only his music, but his enduring presence in the electronic and ambient landscape. It’s a musical environment where listeners can linger, reflect, and in Guentner’s own words – “stand for a while.”
The first single, The Silver Path, is accompanied by Guentner's signature style visualiser and brings the artwork of the album to life through slow-moving and evolving shifts in textures, layers and light. View the visualiser on the Affin YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRc7RinCyDE
The album arrives January 30, 2026 on CD and digital formats, with preorders beginning December 12, 2025.
Find the album on Bandcamp: https://markus-guentner.bandcamp.com/album/on-brutal-soil-we-grow
Visit the artists website: https://m-guentner.de/
Visit the label website: https://affinmusic.de/