Few artists have travelled as far across contexts and genres as Son Of Chi. From pioneering ambient music in the Netherlands, through a full-blown rock ’n’ roll touring life, to a solitary cave retreat in Greece, and back again to the roots of deep listening, our editorial piece Pioneering ambient from Europe traces the path of a relentlessly curious artist who has dedicated his life to music.

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Along the way, van Oosterom’s journey has also been marked by loss, yet the drive for musical and spiritual exchange was never lost. One of his long-time collaborators is Spanish producer and recording artist Clara Brea, who weaves field recordings, modular synthesis, and sound design into the listening spaces she creates. 

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‘I met Clara Brea just before a show in 2019 at the Avalovara Listening Club in Madrid. There was an instant chemistry, and we decided to exchange recordings for future collabs’, van Oosterom tells us. It led to the exchange of field recordings from the Spanish nature reserve Ebro-Delta, originating from Brea’s previous work, the Wetland project. The Wetlands Remixes, released in 2022, became their first shared output, finding fertile ground on London’s Astral Industries.

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Brea draws on research into her native Madrid, using sound recordings and improvisation to unveil hidden layers of the city’s soundscape. This exploration became a catalyst for a collaborative project with Menhir, the Spanish art collective formed by Coco Moya and Iván Cebrián. Together, they improvised at the intersection of sound art and phonography, capturing their work live through a blend of instruments, electronics, vocals, and environmental recordings.

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This material was then exchanged with Son Of Chi. He mentions, ‘I must have recorded hours of edits and live mixing, finally stripping it down like a Zen painting’. The result was distilled into Growing Forests In The City, unfolding as dreamy waves of classic ambient landscapes and soothing vocals. Part One opens with a sense of endlessness: an open space that invites exploration around every corner, whilst offering a gentle place for the mind to wander.

Full tracklist

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1. Growing Forests In The City Part One

2. Growing Forests In The City Part Two

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‍Growing Forests In The City will be out on January 12th, 2026. Pre-order a copy via Bandcamp.