Beside the odd supersaturated, esoteric Instagram post, very little exists to tell us who in the hell ‘ear’ is. Their Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Youtube are mysteriously wordless. Even their own website declares that ear is simply “jonah and yaelle”. Two names, and nothing else—an impossibly modest footprint for a band who have just dropped some of the most exciting and unique music to grace the indietronica scene in the last while.

Released in September, The Most Dear and the Future is the debut album of the mysterious duo, and although it only clocks in at a mere 16 minutes it’s a staggering introduction to the world of ear. Through the full traverse of the record, the production (which is credited solely to Jonah and Yaelle themselves) feels distinctly like an open world video game, moving through bizarre terrain with unabashed playfulness and tranquil charm.

Straight out of the gates, ‘Real Life’ feels like an effortless answer to the prayers of cool-girl content creators and sunset DJs alike—blending bouncy stereo panning and soft danceability with a bright and unserious sincerity. On ‘Give way’, meadow-like ambience (complete with bird sounds) is slowly animated into full blown IDM swagger. On ‘CMYK’, janky discordance is made silky-sweet with soft harmonies and melodic beeps.

Some songs are clear standouts, others play like less consequential interludes. None are redundant—each track dissolves into the soft architecture of the album with tacit agency. Gentle and often unintelligible vocals are felted into unexpected samples, glitchy cuts slam into big bass, and forlorn synthy drones melt into nothing and then resurrect in full chaos. In amongst the auditory anarchy the album maintains a paradoxical nakedness, and a serenity that at times feels sparse in the sort of way that makes you wonder if it’s intentional or not.

While evoking blinking visions of electrotrash revival stalwarts like The Hellp and Bassvictim, ear presents a boldly understated counterpoint to the often jagged sonic topology of indie-sleaze. On The Most Dear and the Future, ear demonstrate that cool-on-the-internet vibes, choppy production, punchy synths, stock amen-breaks, and dirty bass drops don’t have to make you want to don a pair of Converse and come-of-age in some sweaty, bunker-like club. Instead, they show that you can tweak the recipe to make something entirely fresh. Unbound by the same stylistic sentimentality that has popularised many of the bands peers, ear is flaunting a sound that is familiar, yet totally their own—a welcome breath of fresh air on the frontier of a movement whose revival has often been (lovingly) derided as being a ‘recession indicator’.

Showerings of praise aside, there’s definitely more to want on The Most Dear and the Future, but for a band at their dawn, more to want is perhaps only more to look forward to. ear is one to watch. Don’t believe me? Maybe you should ask the one and only Yung Lean, who selected the elusive pair to support his shows in Canada just last month. With a stamp of approval like that, I’m certain that we can look forward to hearing more about ear in the months and years to come…

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Lara Young

17 December 2025