Robbie Bennett pairs piano and synth on Steloken and Circulation
The War on Drugs keyboardist describes two instrumental double albums built with his touring rig. American Dreams lists Circulation for December 11.
Robbie Bennett, the keyboardist in The War on Drugs, has two instrumental double albums described by American Dreams: Steloken and Circulation. The label’s publisher feed dates its Steloken statement October 6. Its Circulation page lists a December 11, 2026 release, while the separate Steloken page does not print a release date. That schedule should not automatically be applied to both records.
The label’s account explains the setup behind the music. Bennett used his touring keyboard rig in his home basement studio, sending MIDI from an acoustic player piano into an Oberheim OB-X8 so the acoustic and electronic instruments could sound together. He recorded layers live whenever possible, adding synthesizer and programming after piano and keyboards. He also used a SOMA Terra, which Bennett describes as having pitch-changing gyroscope and pressure-sensitive controls.
For listeners approaching the project, the label identifies Sister as Steloken’s lead single and The Light on Your Face as Circulation’s. It describes piano and synthesizer intertwining on Sister and the Steloken introductory track Radii, while The Light on Your Face moves from a synthesizer opening into a distant piano melody. These are the label’s descriptions, not our listening verdict. The linked album statements offer recording context for comparing the two projects; they do not establish successful playback or worldwide listening access.
The titles come from different personal details, according to the label: Steloken is Bennett’s daughter’s word for skeletons, while Circulation refers to a calm awareness of blood flow. The Circulation page credits Nick Krill for mixing and Quentin Stoltzfus at Silent Partner for mastering. Those credits belong to that page, rather than establishing the personnel for every edition of both albums. This report covers the label’s recording context and advertised Circulation date, not physical stock, checkout or delivery.