After doing a collab album with members of the Wu-Tang Clan last year, I was like, “No way I can beat that.” It was something I thought would be impossible just a few years ago. And then to make it a Christian hip hop album, that’s where the Holy Spirit came through to guide the project 🙂
I like setting ambitious goals. This year, I decided I would put out a release every month. Now halfway through the year, I am on track so far. Yes, a lot of this stuff has been brewing since last year and beyond, but 2026 is the year it’s surfacing for the world to ignore (does a laughing or sad emoji go here?).
Here’s what I’ve released so far this year:
January
The Stillness of Shadows Yet Unseen by Shadowlore Symphony
Built from slow-moving drones, haunted pads, and fragments of distorted sound, this collection of nine dark ambient soundscapes explores the uneasy tension between silence and the unknown. Each track unfolds like a forgotten corridor: empty at first, but filled with subtle movement, distant echoes, and the sense that something unseen is always drawing closer.
February
Dark Ages by Joseph VanBuren and Friends
Remixes and instruMentals from the Dark Ages a.k.a. right now… My partner in crime Jim Hewitt and I wrote this song about a year ago. Unfortunately, it’s still relevant. Hope you enjoy the artistic darkness anyway.
March
Silent Evil on Resident Hill by Shadowlore Symphony and Dungeon Master J
What if there were a video game that combined the bio-horror of Resident Evil with the psychological dread of Silent Hill? And even added a layer of spiritual truth? This album is the soundtrack to that game, which doesn’t exist but totally should!
It doesn’t matter who wins the war. The ones who lose are always the same: The people. The Innocent. The poor.
April
Weird Lo-Fi Retro Beats by Mentally Chill
Step into a hazy, neon-lit daydream where boom-bap drums drift like late-night radio signals and warped synths flicker like VHS footage of forgotten memories. Mentally Chill: Weird Lo-Fi Retro Beats is a strange little universe. Part 90s hip-hop basement session, part 80s synth experiment gone beautifully off the rails.
May
J.O.E. (Jesus Over Everything) by Joseph VanBuren
New Christian hip hop songs being released as singles over time.
June
The future is canceled. The world is falling apart. But the dog still needs to be walked. Joey Barlow provides the soundtrack.
The rest of 2026:
I don’t like to do this because some projects inevitably fall through. But… here’s what I have planned for the rest of the year:
- Joey Barlow – Walk the Dog EP featuring remixes in many different genres
- Mentally Chill – Trip Pop
- The return of Dostah Shilailee???
- Shadowlore Symphony – Epic Shadows
- Joey Barlow – The Ghosts of Bloodbaths Past
- Shadowlore Symphony – The Aeolian Chronicles
Will the release-a-month momentum continue, or will I burn out before the year is over? Stay tuned to JVB Sound Off! and find out.