{"product_id":"never-the-gray","title":"NEVER - THE GRAY","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter the raw, instinct-led release of ‘JXDY’, which was initially never planned as a longplayer, NEVER returns with his sophomore album ‘THE GRAY’, a more thought-out and expanded body of work. Out on VEYL, the record keeps its roots in post-punk and darkwave, but opens up into a broader space, both sonically and emotionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, NEVER brings in outside voices in a more central way. What started with experiments outside his own music, like the remix for Years of Denial’s ‘City Lights’, now becomes a core part of the process, making ‘THE GRAY’ feel less isolated and more like a shared ground shaped by different inputs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collaborations mark key moments across the album. ‘IS THIS REAL’, the collaboration with Arizona duo Meldamor leans into a more direct, dancefloor-oriented approach, with Mel’s vocals bringing a restrained, atmospheric presence that shapes the track’s tone without overpowering it. ‘RXVOK’, together with Filmmaker, goes darker and rougher, pulling in industrial weight with black-metal-tinged vocal textures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn ‘SHXDOWS BITE’, Castelli brings in a colder, 80s-leaning mood, keeping things melodic but restrained. ‘AMPHIBIENS’ with Contre Soirée pushes in the opposite direction, more raw and abrasive, with French vocals cutting through a dense and pressured backdrop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround these tracks, the album moves as one piece rather than separate moments. Themes circle around love, loss, memory and a sense of collapse, without ever fully resolving. It stays in that inbetween space, where things don’t quite settle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork comes from Francesco Goats, known for his work in Xerox art, adding a visual layer that fits the tone of the record.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith ‘THE GRAY’, NEVER moves into a more open phase, where collaboration plays a bigger role and the overall direction feels more defined, without losing the edge of earlier work.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VEYL","offers":[{"title":"LP Black Vinyl","offer_id":54539697160515,"sku":"RPT-25000","price":30.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0821\/1601\/8499\/files\/CS1153402-01A-BIG.png?v=1781085186","url":"https:\/\/www.recordplant.co.uk\/products\/never-the-gray","provider":"Record Plant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}