Cryptophasia is the third album from Scottish twin brothers Andy and Mike Truscott under their Kinbrae moniker.

Shifting focus from their previous landscape-based releases, Cryptophasia sees the band explore their relationship growing up as twins and how this has shaped and formed them as people both individually and collectively. Reflecting on experiences across their lives, the album deals with themes including family dynamics, lived experiences and memories, identity, sibling rivalry, isolation and battles with mental health. Looking at these aspects allowed the band to see how they have supported each other over the years and consider the way their relationship as brothers has developed across their lifetimes.

Working with producer and frequent collaborator Ben Chatwin, the band were awarded a Jerwood Bursary to initially experiment and improvise with new instruments and techniques, with these early drafts used to then structure fully formed pieces. At its core, the record incorporates modular and analog synthesizers that are intertwined with brass layers and melodies. These sounds are further developed with the use of field recordings, piano, live percussion and bass guitar to both further establish and build upon the band’s signature ambient and melancholic sound.

The KInbrae sound is a mixture of brass, synthesisers, percussion and field recordings, heavily influenced by their environment. The pair are interested in the intersections of sound, place and image, using a combination of these to explore and highlight the themes in their work. The band’s first album, Tidal Patterns was released by modern classical label 1631 Recordings in 2016, with this being followed by 2019’s Landforms, released by London-based Truant Recordings and with publishing through Manners McDade. The brothers have also produced works in collaboration with Tony Dekker of the band Great Lake Swimmers (released on the acclaimed Thesis label run by artist Gregory Euclide), Clare Archibald (the 2022 Birl of Unmap album released through Full Spectrum and The Dark Outside) and Thore Pfeiffer (as part of the renowned German label Kompakt’s Pop Ambient series). Additionally, the pair also recorded a library album for EMI through their Juice Music label and Sony/ATV, produced another work for Thesis as part of the label’s DRIVE project and have appeared as session musicians on a number of albums by the likes of Ben Chatwin, The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks and more.

Kinbrae have performed at live shows and festivals across the UK, including BBC Radio 3’s After Dark Festival in Gateshead and Castles in Space’s Levitation Festival in Whitby, as well as travelling to perform in Europe at events including Ambientfestival Zivilisation Der Liebe in Cologne, Q3 Ambientfest in Potsdam and as part of the Noctune series of events in Bielefeld. The band have received significant airplay on BBC shows such as Mary Anne Hobbs’ ‘Recommends’ and ‘Ambient Focus’ on BBC Radio 6, ‘Night Tracks’, ‘Late Junction’ and Elizabeth Alker’s ‘Unclassified’ (All BBC Radio 3) and Stephen McCauley’s BBC Ulster/Foyle “Soundscapes’ show, as well as on KEXP’s ‘Pacific Notions’. Their music has also been featured on TV programmes on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 in the UK and a number of other channels worldwide.

Throughout their career they have been backed and supported with funding/bursaries from the likes of Creative Scotland, Jerwood Arts and The Tay Landscape Partnership. This has lead to them being named as some of the most exciting composers working in the field of contemporary classical and electronic music.