In a world where AI is increasingly stepping into creative roles - composing music, writing lyrics, playing instruments, even mixing and mastering tracks - it might seem like handmade music is fading into the background.
Add to that: AI now creates visuals, videos, and even runs marketing campaigns. So, it’s fair to ask - what space is left for real musicians?
Our answer: The most important space of all.
We’re not just making music. We’re investing in what machines can’t truly replicate—human connection, emotion, and lived experience. Together, we create innovative music and meaningful content that reflects our deepest feelings, longings, and stories.
Whether it’s in our songs, our artwork, or our videos, everything we do is rooted in real life:
Journeys to places no algorithm can reach. Expertise that goes beyond data. Experiences and insights that aren’t part of any AI training set—and never will be.
As AI continues to grow, we see the need to push back. Not out of fear - but to offer something different. Something human. As authentic artists and creators, we want to bring a fresh perspective - one that’s not defined by trends or data, but by emotion, connection, and creativity.
And we’re not alone in this.
More and more, younger generations are rediscovering the value of physical music.
Compact Discs and vinyl records are making a comeback - not just as collectibles, but as a way to slow down, to really listen, and to reconnect with the music they love.
It’s a quiet rebellion against the endless stream of algorithms and playlists. A growing desire to move away from the overwhelm and instead focus on a few artists who truly matter to the listeners/users. Moreover, Spotify now announced to invest massively (0.7 billion €) into the warefare industry - a step that is recognized not being compatible with the interests and ethics of many musicians who are now starting to re-think their engagement on Spotify.
This shift could be a turning point. One where we move away from machine-curated tracks and algorithmic data-mining-based music distribution to meaningful, human-made sounds and back to physical media. Where emotion, haptic experience, and authenticity take center stage again.
Hopefully, many people - especially of the younger generation - will follow this turn, rethinking how they want to consume music in the future.
And we’re here for human-produced E-Motional Electronic Music and consequently collaborate with ElasticStage and Bandcamp.
Discover the new issue Q2/2025 of the Time Lapse ("Zeitraffer") newsletter containing a wealth of information on new releases, upcoming releases, news and background information from backstage around my music and photo / PR projects which are presented in a modern style with many illustrations and hyperlinks for your convenience.
From now on, the "Zeitraffer" newsletter is available in bi-lingual format (german/english).
Click on the image for a direct access (it's free!).
Give it a try and have fun!
Fantomacs’ next project, OUTER SURFACE, is an evocative and finely textured musical journey into the boundary — or boarder — between our intimate, internal landscapes and the often overwhelming, fast-paced outer world. This track is not just a collection of sonic ideas; it’s a conceptual voyage that reflects on how we perceive, protect, and project our identities across this fragile, shifting line.
We all live on the edge — constantly navigating between thoughts and actions, emotions and expressions, fears and desires, solitude and connection. OUTER SURFACE is the space where those contrasts meet and sometimes collide. It’s where inner truth brushes up against external expectations. It’s where vulnerability meets resistance, and where silence is transformed into signal.
In a world driven by hyperconnectivity, algorithmic attention, and curated selves, OUTER SURFACE invites listeners to pause and reflect: What do we reveal? What do we withhold? Where does the skin end and the self begin?
Musically, the project fuses atmospheric sound design with crisp, tactile rhythms — combining analog depth with digital sharpness. Expect immersive textures reminiscent of ambient and downtempo electronica, layered with drum beats that pulse like the very interface of human and machine. Both, synthetic and acoustic instruments occasionally emerge through the mist, like fleeting memories or intuitive truths pushing through noise.
This song speaks to those liminal moments — the feeling of standing before a mirror and seeing both yourself and a stranger; the sensation of being surrounded by people yet profoundly alone; the transformation that happens when thoughts become words, when emotion becomes movement, when the inner becomes outer.
OUTER SURFACE is, at its core, a meditation on authenticity, self-expression, and the tension between exposure and protection. It's for those who feel deeply but speak quietly. For those who struggle to bridge the gap between their mind’s inner sky and the world’s relentless light. For those who believe that between impulse and action lies art.
This project is for the listeners who don’t just want to hear music — they want to feel the surface of it. And maybe, if they listen closely enough, understand a little more about their own.
Coming soon to all platforms. Step to the edge. Touch the Outer Surface.
Release Date: 18th July, 2025
Curator / Label | Response |
WeWriteAboutMusic (WWAM) |
Everytime Fantomacs releases, we know it’s going to be a great day, and he truly has not missed. Go ahead and turn this one up, grab a nice pair of headphones, and get ready for a journey.
For listeners drawn to atmosphere, groove, and the intersection of emotion and electronics, “Outer Surface” is a must-listen. Fantomacs doesn’t just create a song here, he charts an orbit, and invites you to drift through it.
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Here, new projects / events will be announced to keep YOU informed in advance. Moreover, sneak-previews, audio clips and promotion videos as well as Listening Partys or LIVE! Video Sessions will be made available prior to the release or event. So come across from time to time and stay tuned.
In this section you will always find the latest news on upcoming projects, the next single or album releases. Stay tuned!
Currently, I'm working on a couple of new projects, including new cover versions of "What If" (Cold Play) and "Carry You" (Rules) collaborating with talented lead singers. Moreover, some new original fantomacsmusic is on its way - keep on re-visiting this page from time to time!
This is to announce that my latest FIVE ALBUMS are now available for purchase as CD and some even as 12" Vinyls.
They are all readily available on my brand-new "CD / Vinyl Store" page provided by the London-based company called ElasticStage, who provide on-demand production and wordwide distribution services for both, Compact Discs and Vinyls.
Discover the brandnew Fantomacs Store with lots of new stuff!
Discover the brand-new FantoTape limited edition series containing the songs released so far on a single, customized, beautifully packed veggie-leather-finish USB-stick!
Many different FantoTape editions are available:
For those of you who are inspired by my ambient & chillout music and would like to dive even deeper into the relaxation process, I recommend this new relaxing 'Zen' section.
Here you can find a collection of videos, meditations that have been produced in collaboration with HMG and music playlists collating ambient music.