Heaven's Club by Ulysses Ortega
Heaven's Club by Ulysses Ortega
New Music

HEAVEN’S CLUB confronts the illusion of freedom on “Free World”

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There’s a certain irony in a project called Heaven’s Club releasing an EP called Free World. The name suggests utopia, but the music tells a different story—one where freedom is a mirage and systemic collapse is just background noise. The duo of Shiv Mehra (Deafheaven) and Chris Natividad (Marbled Eye) build on the tension between idealism and decay, crafting a three-track release that’s both expansive and claustrophobic.

Out February 28th via Born Losers Records, Free World is a tightly wound exploration of contradiction. It’s motorik urgency tangled with shoegaze haze. It’s shimmering melancholy rubbing against sharp-edged realism. It’s the pursuit of something bigger while being swallowed by the weight of what already exists.

Thematically, it’s a direct confrontation with modern freedom—or lack thereof. Who really benefits? Who pays the price? Heaven’s Club doesn’t offer answers, just the unsettling atmosphere of realization.

Opening track Destroyer sets the tone immediately, pulling krautrock precision into the undertow of post-punk unease. The hypnotic motorik beat locks in, while guitars spiral in and out of clarity.

There’s tension in every corner of the track, a sense of movement without a clear destination. The bass work is angular, driving the track forward even as the vocals stay ghostly and distant. The whole thing feels like it could dissolve at any second, but it never does. It just pushes forward, relentless.

Free World isn’t interested in linear storytelling, and that’s obvious with d(us)t, the second track. A purely instrumental piece, it leans into texture and atmosphere rather than structure. There’s something both cavernous and suffocating in the way synths stretch and collapse, driven by a Spacemen 3-inspired bass pulse and Dan Tracy’s drums keeping it all from floating away entirely. It’s a moment of contemplation, but it’s not peaceful. The weight is still there, just spread out over more space.

The title track pulls everything together. A shoegaze-tinged lament, it wraps its themes in shimmering guitar work and Beatles-esque melodies, but the core message is bleak. “Free world is not so free to me, peace is not enough.” The refrain isn’t delivered with anger—it’s too resigned for that. It’s a quiet acknowledgment of the way things are, the way they’ve always been. It’s longing for something more but knowing the system isn’t built for it. The song’s dreamlike haze doesn’t soften the message—it makes it sting even more.

Following All That Was (2021) and Here, There and Nowhere (2019), Free World is an evolution. Not just sonically, but in purpose.

Today, we celebrate the release of the new EP with a curated playlist that pulls together tracks that resonate with Heaven’s Club’s fusion of krautrock rhythms, shoegaze textures, and post-punk urgency.

It’s a collection that mirrors the atmosphere of Free World—somewhere between reflection and unease, beauty and collapse. Listen for yourself:

IMAGINE – JOHN LENNON

John was a dreamer for a better world. He inspired us lyrically for human equality and peace as well as good songwriting.

CACTUS – SAM EVIAN

Inspired by the soft aesthetic of this song by Sam Evian, it’s like dipping in water . Simplistic layering carries a lot of weight in the song writing.

MODULAR MIX – AIR

Inspired the glitchy modular tones of our chorus on the song “destroyer”. Love the juxtaposition of computer bleeps and bloops over natural string sounds

SHANTY – SLOWDIVE

Slowdive is highly inspirational to us. This particular song inspired the dreamy washed out guitar layers on Free World.

THE BAD ARTS – DESTROYER

This song has been an inspiration to me since high school. It encapsulates an era and a vibe that will forever be an imprint on my songwriting.

ENTER THE MIRROR – LES RALLIZES DENUDES

Les Rallizes Denudes inspire us in a form of pure jam and raw psychedelia .

DRIVE/ FEEL SO SAD – SPACEMAN 3

Spacemen 3 will forever be an inspiration to us. They remind us that all you need are 3 chords done well cyclically with a single lyric that can evoke heavenly emotion.

LOVED – FOUR TET

This song by Four Tet has been on repeat for me since it came out. Super nuanced synth work on top of a fat stereo beat. The layers are subtle and tastefully done.

HERO – NEU!

Krautrock is a genre that is a huge influence for us. This particular Neu! songstrikes that perfect blend of rock n roll smashing guitars and very classic kraut jamming.

MY DARLING – WILCO

Wilco is a huge influence on our songwriting. They are masters of composition with a perfect blend of singer songwriting with tonal and rhythmic experimentation .

Karol Kamiński

DIY rock music enthusiast and web-zine publisher from Warsaw, Poland. Supporting DIY ethics, local artists and promoting hardcore punk, rock, post rock and alternative music of all kinds via IDIOTEQ online channels.
Contact via www.idioteq.com@gmail.com

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