"Floatland ft. Lake Geneva (ALCATUNE mix)"
Q+A with David Lopes of ALCATUNE
If a song can tip-toe through the dark, “Floatland ft. Lake Geneva (ALCATUNE mix)” is it. A collaboration of ALCATUNE and Marisa Anunciação, “Floatland” seems to navigate liminal states, from unease to comfort, from crushing heartache to utter relief. Both guitar and vocals lead the way, an interplay that guides while also evaporating into space above you.
ALCATUNE, based in Lisbon, Portugal is a band for fans of heavy shoegaze. “Floatland” is the fourth single from ALCATUNE’s forthcoming album Re-entry Guidance For A Crash. Although lead man David Lopes refers to it as one of the more “restrained and spacious moments” on the new album, I think the track is characteristic of what he often says about their aesthetic: “AMBIENT BUT LOUD”.
David and Marisa are both very talented and committed artists. I had the pleasure of meeting them in person last year in Lisbon and will also say they are both extremely kind and cool people. They are both involved in various projects - I’ve noted some links at the bottom of this Q+A.
//wendy
Is there a lyrical story in “Floatland”?
The song speaks about a silence, something that is left behind, yet remains present, like a whisper that is, at the same time, a contained scream.
You’ve worked with Marisa before and she sings on a track (“Tamed”) from your last album. How do you and Marisa work together? What is your creative process?
Regarding the creative process behind “Floatland”, the track emerged from a series of jams that allowed creativity to develop in a relaxed yet organic way. Beyond the studio, life itself played a crucial role — nights out, people, events, and the overall atmosphere of that period. Conversations and shared influences naturally filtered into the music, shaping the song’s mood and direction.
In terms of the other songs and overall sound on the upcoming album, where does “Floatland” fit in?
Compared to the other tracks, it’s one of the more restrained and spacious moments on the record. Where much of the album leans into compression, tension, and impact, “Floatland” allows things to hover. Sonically, it still belongs to the same world — the same textures, the same emotional gravity — but it’s less confrontational.
Can you tell us about the concept of the upcoming album?
Conceptually, the title (in the context of human relationships) can be understood as:
Re-entry: the return to the atmosphere after suspension, escape, or dissociation. Coming back to the body, to reality, to the world — knowing the fall is inevitable.
Guidance: systems, protocols, inner voices that promise control, order, or safety. A constructed sense of direction.
For A Crash: the acknowledgement that impact will happen. There is no soft landing — only collision.
How does the new album compare with your last album? Is there something new you experimented with? Is there something you left behind?
Compared to our last album (The Dust, Over The Years), Re-entry Guidance For A Crash feels less like observation and more like impact.
The previous record was more atmospheric and expansive — it left space to breathe, drift, and contemplate. This new album is tighter, heavier, and more deliberate. The structures are more focused, the tension is sustained for longer, and there’s a clearer sense of narrative running through the whole record. What we left behind was a certain softness and ambiguity. There’s less reliance on long, floating passages and more emphasis on confrontation and compression. The album doesn’t try to soothe — it commits to friction, weight, and directness. Overall, it’s a step toward clarity through collision: fewer gestures, more consequences.
How is the shoegaze scene in Portugal at the moment? Are there any new bands we should check? Is there anything unique that characterises the scene or sounds lately?
There are a few underground and DIY artists in Portugal with a shoegaze or shoegaze-influenced sound — for example bands like Clauthewitch, Icosandria, Sweet Nico, but some fans note that shoegaze in Portugal is still quite niche, with fewer clearly defined bands compared to other parts of Europe — and often blending with adjacent vibes like dream pop, post-punk or goth.
Do you have upcoming shows or other news to share?
There are some shows to be announced very soon.
You can listen to three other singles from the forthcoming ALCATUNE album on Bandcamp and YouTube. For deeper cuts into the work of Marisa Anunciação and David Lopes, check out Lake Geneva on Bandcamp. You’ll find links to Marisa’s and David’s other projects via Instagram. ALCATUNE was also featured on the blank mood blog back in its very early days.