Barbican Estate

Barbican Estate announce their second album, Rock Drill, due for release on 6 November2026 via God Unknown Records. The Tokyo-formed, London-based three-piece havespent the past few years carving out their own space within the UK underground,combining the stark geometry of Brutalism with experimental rock, noise and intenselyphysical live performance.Rock Drill sees Barbican Estate pushing that sound further. More experimental andexpansive than their previous work, the album stretches the trio's palette while retainingthe raw, confrontational energy that has become central to their live shows. It is a recordbuilt around tension and movement - abrasive and playful, dense and spacious, with theband continually pushing against the edges of what three musicians can do together.The first glimpse of the album comes with "Derek", released 18 September. A joyous callto arms, the track captures Barbican Estate at their most immediate: propulsive, unrulyand full of momentum, turning their noise-driven approach into something unexpectedlycelebratory.A second single, "Atlas", follows on 16 October, offering another window into the widersonic world of Rock Drill.Since relocating from Tokyo to London in 2022, Barbican Estate have become adistinctive presence in the city's underground scene. Their performances have taken themthrough events and festivals curated by Eat Your Own Ears, Baba Yaga's Hut, RoughTrade East and The Great Escape, while their music and live work have also featured onNTS Radio and Resonance FM.The band's history stretches back to their debut album Way Down East, originallyreleased in 2021. The record was subsequently reissued by US label EchodelickRecords, with selected material also released through UK label Feral Child Recordings.In 2024, Barbican Estate independently released the Viscum EP, a collaborative projectcreated alongside emerging British visual artists that further established their interest inbringing music, image and physical space into conversation.With Rock Drill, that restless approach expands again. The album finds Barbican Estatemoving beyond the confines of their earlier work without losing the sense of danger andimmediacy that defines them on stage - a record that feels as physical as it doesexploratory.