orchid mantis

Orchid Mantis sounds like a polaroid photo that has been left in the sun too long. The music is defined by a heavy sense of 'hypnagogic' nostalgia, where melodies feel familiar but slightly out of reach, obscured by layers of tape hiss and analog warmth. It is the sonic equivalent of a liminal space, capturing the beauty in the mundane and the ghostly echoes of the past.

What makes Thomas Howard's project distinctive is the seamless marriage of indie-songwriter intimacy with experimental electronic textures. While many lo-fi artists rely on simple loops, Orchid Mantis builds dense, submerged worlds using pitch-shifted guitars, bit-crushed synthesizers, and found-sound percussion. The vocals are often buried in the mix, acting more like a soft instrument than a focal point, which invites the listener to lean in and get lost in the atmosphere.

Start with 'Holograph Tapes Vol. 1' to experience the project's most iconic tape-saturated textures. It serves as a perfect gateway into Howard's ability to turn bedroom recordings into expansive, cinematic landscapes of memory. From there, explore 'Far From This World' for a slightly more structured but equally ethereal take on dream pop.