Toronto dream-pop artist Ark Identity, the project of Noah Mroueh, has unveiled his most expansive work yet with ‘Deluxe Nightmare’, a surreal and euphoric six-track EP that captures the tension between chaos and clarity. At its centre sits the title track, a grungy, distorted, cathartic release that transforms a childhood fear into cinematic sound. Built on live one-take drum and guitar beds, “Deluxe Nightmare” includes shouting section cues in the background, a perfectly imperfect moment that mirrors the unravelling of a nightmare in real time. “As a child, I had this recurring dream of flying monkeys breaking through the glass of my bedroom window,” Mroueh shares. “I wanted the title track to sound grungy and distorted and almost claustrophobic at times. I used fuzzy guitars, kept some of the rougher vocal takes, and leaned into repetition so it feels like you’re stuck in a loop or a bad dream that you can’t wake up from.”
The musical palette expands from distorted anthems to more intimate reflections across ‘Deluxe Nightmare’s’ six tracks, with Ark Identity threading dream-pop, psychedelic pop, and alternative rock into something wide-ranging yet connected. The EP closes with its title track, which fades out to the surreal sound of screaming monkeys and their flapping wings, a haunting finale that captures the spirit of the release. “This EP taught me to stop avoiding things that make me uncomfortable,” Mroueh elaborates. “A lot of these songs started from anxious thoughts or moments of fear, but instead of shutting them out – I leaned into them. That mindset opened me up creatively.” The sequel to Ark Identity’s debut ‘ANNDALE’ EP, ‘Deluxe Nightmare’ continues Mroueh’s journey into immersive, all-analog dreamscapes that feel euphoric yet haunting, distorted yet intimate. Named one of the most exciting new artists of 2024 by EARMILK, Mroueh has quickly gained attention for crafting soundscapes that feel both timeless and contemporary.