Mariusz Duda Steps Into a New Beginning
This new release from Mariusz Duda’s Lunatic Soul is rooted in the world of Through Shaded Woods, the 2020 album that remains one of my personal favourites in the Lunatic Soul catalogue. But this is not just a reissue or a simple repackaging exercise. It feels like a marker point. It feels like a moment of transformation.
And for Mariusz Duda, I think that word is very important at this stage: transformation.
Transition II gathers together material connected to the Through Shaded Woods sessions, including the previously unreleased “Realm of the Weeping Willows,” new 2026 remixes of “Hylophobia” and “Vyraj,” and a newly condensed version of the epic title piece itself. The original “Transition II” was almost 28 minutes long, but here it has been carefully reshaped into a 23-minute piece so that it can finally sit on one side of vinyl.
What is remarkable is that it does not feel compromised. It does not feel as if anything essential has been lost. The hypnotic quality is still there, the atmosphere is still there, and that sense of being drawn into a landscape that is both internal and ancient remains completely intact.
This is Lunatic Soul in its most evocative, instrumental, folk-forest-melancholic form.
The opening track, “Realm of the Weeping Willows,” feels like it belongs here completely. Although previously unreleased, it does not come across as an afterthought or a bonus piece that has been bolted onto the release. It sounds as if it was always part of this world. It carries the same woodland atmosphere, the same shadowed beauty, and the same sense of ritual that made Through Shaded Woods such a special album.
The remixed versions of “Hylophobia” and “Vyraj” also sound superb. They are concise, atmospheric pieces that deepen the connection to the original album while also giving this release its own identity. The sound is warm, organic and immersive, and on vinyl the whole thing feels beautifully presented. My copy is on glorious black vinyl, and the pressing from Kscope is absolutely fantastic.
But the centrepiece is, of course, “Transition II” itself.
This is where Lunatic Soul’s music becomes almost cinematic. There are moments that remind me of the spaciousness and unfolding structure of Mike Oldfield, while the deeper, more ritualistic atmosphere may resonate with those who love Dead Can Dance. But ultimately, this is Mariusz Duda’s world. Lunatic Soul has always existed in its own space, and that is something I have always admired.
I have every Lunatic Soul album, and one of the things I love about the project is that each release feels different. You never quite know where Mariusz is going to take you next. To me, that is the true essence of progressive music. Not complexity for the sake of it, not time signatures as a badge of honour, but genuine progression. Movement. Change. Risk.
That is why I have never really liked describing Lunatic Soul as a side project.
Of course, many people first discovered Mariusz Duda through Riverside, and that band has been hugely important to so many of us. But Lunatic Soul has always been much more than something on the side. It is a complete artistic world in its own right. It has its own emotional language, its own atmosphere, its own sense of mystery and purpose.
When I interviewed Mariusz previously, I made a very deliberate decision to focus on Lunatic Soul as Lunatic Soul. I did not want to keep pulling everything back to Riverside comparisons, because that misses the point. This music deserves to be heard and understood on its own terms.
And now, with Mariusz moving into a new chapter, that feels more important than ever.
Transition II arrives at a fascinating moment. Mariusz has spoken about Lunatic Soul completing the eight albums that made up the darker “Circle of Life and Death” cycle, and about the project now transforming into something where more light and hope can begin to emerge. That is what makes this release so exciting. It exists between the old and the new. It looks back to Through Shaded Woods, but it also seems to point forward.
It feels like a crossing point.
I thought that with The World Under Unsun we were witnessing the end of a certain era, but hearing Transition II now gives me a real sense of anticipation. There is a feeling that Lunatic Soul is not closing down, but opening up. The shadows are still there, but there is light beginning to come through the trees.
That is why I think this is more than just a release for collectors. Yes, it is beautifully presented. Yes, the vinyl sounds superb. Yes, the CD is also available. And yes, fans of Through Shaded Woods will absolutely want this in their collection.
But emotionally and artistically, it carries more weight than that.
This feels like Mariusz Duda preparing the ground for the next chapter of Lunatic Soul.
As a listener, that is incredibly exciting. As someone who has followed and loved this music for years, I find it deeply moving too. There is something very powerful about an artist reaching a point in life where they choose honesty, renewal and creative freedom. You can hear that sense of release in the way this material breathes.
Transition II is beautiful, mysterious, immersive and deeply atmospheric. It is also a reminder that Lunatic Soul is one of the most important progressive music projects of the modern era.
I am hoping to speak with Mariusz again soon, and if that happens, I would love to talk to him not just about this release, but about the future. Where does Lunatic Soul go now? What does this new light look like? How does an artist begin again after completing such a significant cycle?
For now, Transition II gives us a glimpse.
ORDER TRANSITION II ON VINYL FROM NOW SPiNNING MAGAZINE
ORDER TRANSITION II ON CD FROM NOW SPiNNING MAGAZINE
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
