Suntapes Unleashes Stunning New Album ‘Travel Motion’

In a world oversaturated with sonic wallpaper masquerading as ambient music, Travel Motion by Belgian composer Suntapes (aka Tomas Johan Kristian Vanderplaetse) cuts through the fog like a beam of golden hour light over a mountain pass. It's not just a listening experience—it’s a carefully plotted journey, a meditation on motion in all its forms: physical, emotional, spiritual. Bridging neoclassical elegance with ambient psychedelia and global instrumentation, Suntapes crafts a record that feels both intimate and infinite, like flipping through a travel diary scrawled in sound.

Opening track “Overland” sets the tone like the first scene of a beautifully shot arthouse film. A cinematic piano melody, born of the warm keys of a Schimmel upright, winds its way through analogue synth terrain and subtle bass guitar textures, already teasing the documentary soundtrack credentials it holds. There’s nothing showy here—just a quiet confidence and a mastery of tone that makes each note land like a footstep on sacred ground. “Motion” follows suit, evolving like a sunrise, from minimalist piano lines into lush harmonic layers with Mellotron flutes and Korg synths that shimmer like heatwaves on asphalt.

As the journey deepens, Suntapes reveals more of his global sonic palette. “Varkala” is a standout—an Indian fusion dreamscape woven from tanpura drones, harmonium warmth, and exploratory piano phrases. It’s meditative without being static, spiritual without affectation. Similarly, “Galiano” and “Fathom,” both inspired by the wild serenity of Galiano Island, are masterclasses in restraint. With close-miked piano and delicate flourishes from instruments like the Chinese ruan and thumb piano, they feel like postcards from a place half-remembered and wholly loved.

But Suntapes doesn't let you drift forever. “Misterioso” introduces a hypnotic undercurrent, drawing the listener into a trance-like state with its subtle mysteries and slowly shifting textures. And then there’s “Cavern,” the closing track and arguably the emotional anchor of the album—a shadowy drone composition that unfolds like a ritual, full of low-end piano echoes and haunted harmonics. It’s as though Vanderplaetse leads us gently into the underworld, only to remind us that even darkness can be beautiful when seen through the right lens.

Travel Motion isn’t just an ambient album—it’s a travelogue, a dream journal, and a sonic meditation all rolled into one. Suntapes has pulled off something rare: he’s made music for the mind that still moves the heart. In the lineage of artists like Nils Frahm, Max Richter, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Vanderplaetse’s dual identity as ambient artisan and classically trained pianist is a gift to listeners. With Travel Motion, he doesn’t just take you places. He leaves you changed when you get there.

Stream "Travel Motion" now: