Stella Z Announces THUNDER IS THE SKY DREAMING Mini-Album
The London-based artist draws on field recordings from her native Fujian and references Meredith Monk and surrealist cinema.
Stella Z has announced Thunder Is the Sky Dreaming, a new eight-track mini-album exploring the experience of lucid dreaming. The release is set for 19 November 2026 via CDR.
Stella is a composer, producer and DJ currently based in London, but originally from the Chinese province of Fujian – where she grew up on Mandarin and Cantonese pop and post-punk. Stella's music often draws on her Chinese roots not just for inspiration, but as source material: a key part of her process is collecting field recordings when she returns home, then building releases around her finds.
On Thunder Is the Sky Dreaming, Stella also leans heavily on her experiences of lucid dreaming, weaving it into her practice. As Stella explains, 'I dream almost every single night. With lucid dreaming, sometimes it becomes a dream within a dream, a trap I can't quite wake from. I can even smell things in certain dreams. These intensely sensory dreams seriously disrupt my sleep. I tried to cure it. Chinese medicine, brain training, all sorts of things. Nothing really worked. So this project is about finally accepting it as part of my body.'
'Every night is an adventure', she continues. 'Time travel, the joy of reunion, heartbreak, regrets, little hints for real life. I can direct my dreams in the way I want. I now have a whole box of made-up stories in my brain, with people, places, sounds and plots that never happened, but somehow feel familiar and remembered. Now I've started looking forward to every night's dream.'
Other inspirations for the project came from experimental film and performance. Composer and vocalist Meredith Monk was a key reference point, particularly her pioneering use of the voice across film, theatre and dance, while Stella also cites 1940s avant-garde cinema and the work of female surrealist painters and writers: 'think Remedios Varo wanders into Maya Deren's 'Meshes of the Afternoon', somewhere in the dreaming forests of Ursula K. Le Guin's 'The Word for World Is Forest'.'
Listen to Thunder Is the Sky Dreaming and these references make perfect sense. A melancholy, longing record made for lonely late nights, it feels above all like getting lost. It's also immediately replayable, revealing new details and layers with multiple listens.
The release closes with a rare remix by one of the world's most celebrated drummers, Valentina Magaletti. A core member of Holy Tongue and Moin and a collaborator with everybody from Thurston Moore to upsammy, Valentina has been an inspiration for Stella for several years now. 'Every year for the past few years', Stella explains, 'I've gone to Valentina's residency at Cafe OTO, which has happened to fall on my birthday. It started as a coincidence, became a little birthday ritual, and is now one of the most inspiring days of the year for me. Having Valentina remix one of my tracks feels like a very special full-circle moment!'
Stella has released two albums to date: 2023's In the Woods, Will Be Late and Fig, last year's contribution to the celebrated Music to Watch Seeds Grow By series. She has performed live at festivals such as Watching Trees and Abrupt, while also DJing for tastemakers like Fold, Chunyou Festival and Field Maneuvers.
Thunder Is the Sky Dreaming marks the third and final release from the CDR Pathways 2026 cohort, now in its second year.
Tracklist
The Somnium Is Awaiting My Cue (03:05)
Mira Miruna (03:21)
Sleepless Cabinets, Wandering Still (03:53)
My Pillow Grows A Forest (06:21)
Thunder Is The Sky Dreaming (04:16)
Saudade Moss (03:07)
Exit, Elsewhere (02:33)
Exit, Elsewhere (Valentina Magaletti Remix)
About Pathways
Pathways is a three-year artist development programme by CDR designed to support and elevate emerging electronic music artists. Funded by the PRS Foundation, Pathways provides selected artists with tailored support, including releases on the CDR label, mentorship from industry experts, funding for production and promotion, and ongoing A&R guidance. Launching in January 2025, the second cohort of Pathways artists will benefit from mentorship led by CDR founder Tony Nwachukwu, Tom Lea (Local Action), Eleanor Howard (Clasico Records) and a team of specialists covering PR, legal, finance, and live performance. With Pathways, CDR continues its commitment to fostering equitable opportunities in electronic music, offering artists long-term support to develop and thrive.
About CDR
CDR is a Black-led, community-focused music company rooted in the UK's grassroots electronic music scene. Dedicated to building an equitable music ecosystem, CDR connects music producers, artists, and fans to advance electronic music across genres and historical perspectives. Since 2002, CDR has fostered countercultural musical development through initiatives like its flagship Session at London's iconic Plastic People. By delivering cross-generational projects, CDR creates unique spaces for music makers to take creative risks, refine their craft, and build meaningful collaborations.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Waespi
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Credit: Alexandra Waespi
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