On 5 September 2025, Thomas Alexander Kolbe releases “This Gentle Disappearance” — a quiet, purely instrumental ambient single that contemplates the act of inner release in the face of death. The piece was composed under the impression of personal grief and was inspired in part by the passing of two artists whose work continues to resonate deeply with Kolbe: Tina Turner (d. 24 May 2023) and Roberta Flack (d. 24 February 2025).
The piece contains no rhythmic structure, no vocals, no melodic motifs. Instead, it unfolds as a finely textured soundscape that transitions across three loosely connected phases over the course of nearly twenty minutes: a subtle suggestion of inner stillness, a process of slow surrender, and finally, a near-silent disappearance.
Rather than approaching its subject with pathos, the music works through reduction. Sonic events emerge only faintly, then dissolve just as gently. What remains is a sense of detachment — not as loss, but as a kind of completion.
The cover features a fragmented human figure fading into light, painted in the style of a gouache work. The visual void reflects what the track never states: the moment when nothing is held anymore — and nothing needs to be.
“This Gentle Disappearance” will be released on 5 September 2025.
