Tranquonauts to Release III in June; Playing Freak Valley Festival
To drill down the unlikelihood of a third Tranquonauts record, first you still need to get over that of the first one a decade ago (review here), and the second one that followed in 2024 (review here), and if we’re honest I’m still kind of surprised. The collaboration between Isaiah Mitchell of Earthless, Australian heavy blues rockers Seedy Jeezus, and Tony Reed of Mos Generator (now also Pentagram) have never sounded more distinctly like a band than they do on the four songs of III, or 3 — I’m not sure which is preferred — with opener “All Rise” giving heavy prog presence across a stately, plotted course. Clearly they’ve moved beyond the jams.
The UFO cover “Space Child” resolves with a bit of funk-boogie as though it didn’t spend much of its time in a partly-acoustic ’70s contemplation, while “Broken Star” has a slower, gruffer unfolding but more shred at the finish, and though the apparent Sigur Ros homage “S() Sigurnova” is duly atmospheric, it also has movement at its center. There’s more persona in the 34 minutes of III than anything Tranquonauts have yet produced, and it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that this record will coincide with their first live appearances, happening in Europe with the first test run at Freak Valley 2026.
The PR wire brought copious narrative for background:
TRANQUONAUTS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM III
A boundary-dissolving new chapter from the Australian–American psychedelic supergroup
Following growing international acclaim for their exploratory second album II, Tranquonauts return with their most ambitious statement yet: III, a sweeping new work that continues the deep musical dialogue between members of Australian psychedelic rock torchbearers Seedy Jeezus, Isaiah Mitchell (of Earthless), and guitarist/producer Tony Reed (Mos Generator, Big Scenic Nowhere, Stone Axe).
Set for release in 2026, III expands the Tranquonauts universe even further – part cosmic transmission, part heavy improvisational ritual, part fearless compositional experiment.
A JOURNEY CONTINUES
Since its inception, Tranquonauts has existed as a creative outpost for ideas too expansive, too strange, or too genre-fluid for the members’ main bands. It is a place where progressive rock, motorik groove, deep psychedelia, cosmic jazz, ambient drift and volcanic heaviness can coexist.
Their previous album, II, earned cult status among adventurous listeners for a structure as audacious as it was immersive: two side-long pieces, with side one often described as pure progressive rock in its most transportive form, while side two unfolded as a kraut-orgy of massive proportions – a hypnotic, ecstatic surge of repetition, propulsion and sonic overload.
Critically and artistically, II established Tranquonauts as far more than a side project. It revealed a group exploring music they may never have had the opportunity to write or release in their other bands – yet music that unmistakably captures the essence of what they all deeply love.
ENTER III
On III, that spirit continues – bolder, stranger and more expansive.
The new album contains four expansive 9 -10 minute compositions, each revealing a different facet of the group’s boundary-pushing vision:
‘All Rise’ A crushing descent into heavy riffage, balancing volcanic weight with exploratory improvisation
‘Broken Star’ A surprising turn toward traditional rock/pop songcraft, where melody and classic songwriting instincts meet psychedelic colour
‘S() Sigurnova’ An Icelandic post-rock inspired piece, unfolding in slow-burning crescendos, glacial textures and widescreen emotional atmosphere
‘Space Child’ A radical reinterpretation of Space Child, the 1970s classic by UFO – transformed through the Tranquonauts prism into a cosmic voyage all its own
While rooted in the exploratory energy of II, the new record pushes further into dynamic contrast, deeper collective interplay, and a broader emotional and sonic range. The result is perhaps the most stylistically adventurous Tranquonauts release yet, moving effortlessly from crushing heaviness to melodic classicism, from meditative post-rock drift to outer-space reinterpretation.
Where II opened portals, III steps through them.
A MEETING OF DISTINCT VOICES
The chemistry at the core of Tranquonauts remains singular.
Seedy Jeezus bring the restless experimentalism and psychedelic intensity that has defined their celebrated body of work.
Isaiah Mitchell, revered for his transcendent lead work in Earthless, contributes his unmistakable melodic fire and improvisational reach.
Tony Reed, one of underground heavy psych’s most respected architects, brings production depth, compositional sophistication and sonic daring that help shape the project’s wide-screen vision.
Together, they create something none would make alone.
NOT A SIDE PROJECT – A COSMIC COLLABORATION
What began as an exploratory collaboration has evolved into a fully realized creative force.
Tranquonauts is not about escaping their primary bands, but expanding beyond them.
It is a shared laboratory where krautrock hypnosis, progressive complexity, heavy psych improvisation and cosmic curiosity are allowed full expression.
And with III, that mission reaches a new peak.
RELEASE FORMATS
III will be released in:
Deluxe vinyl editions
Limited coloured pressings
CD and digital formats
Special collector bundles to be announced
Further details- including track listing, artwork and live appearances—will be revealed soon.
FIRST LIVE APPEARANCE
The announcement arrives as anticipation builds for Tranquonauts’ first-ever live performance at Freak Valley Festival, June 5–7 in Germany – the band’s debut live performance and a landmark moment for a project previously known only through its recordings.
Appearing alongside some of the most revered names in psychedelic and heavy underground music, the performance will mark the first time audiences can experience the Tranquonauts’ expansive sonic vision on stage, with material from III expected to feature prominently.
For followers of deep psychedelic exploration, progressive adventure and fearless musical risk, this is not simply a new record.
It is the next transmission.
TRANQUONAUTS – III
Coming June 2026
Label / Pre-order Information:
Australia- Blown Music
seedyjeezus.com
Europe- Kozmik Artifactz
https://kozmik-shop.com/
US- Echodelick Records
https://echodelickrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.seedyjeezus.com/
https://seedyjeezus.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/seedyjeezus/
https://www.facebook.com/seedyjeezuspage/
http://www.earthlessofficial.com/
https://earthless.bandcamp.com/music
www.instagram.com/earthlessrips
https://www.facebook.com/earthlessrips
https://www.blownmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blownmusicpresents/
http://kozmik-artifactz.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kozmikartifactz
https://www.echodelickrecords.com/
https://echodelickrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/echodelickrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/ERECORDSATL
