Baba Stiltz - Relief [7" Vinyl]

Format: 7" Vinyl
Catalogue No.: PP125 
Barcode: 4070209020877 
Release Date: 17 Jul 2026
Genre: Alternative/Electronic

* Baba Stiltz continues to showcase his songwriting capabilities with Relief.
Backed by Ilari Larjosto on drums, Relief sees Stiltz delving deeper into the slacker-country territory explored on his last album, Paid Testimony, though here the sound is more refifined and hi-fifi. The track hints at the indie apathy of decades past while maintaining a distinctly contemporary sensibility.

A dubby yet fractured-sounding bassline and sparse three- chord verse structure intertwine with Theo Stocks’ beautiful lap steel arrangement, while Larjosto’s steady, Moe Tucker- esque drumming keeps the song moving forward.

Lyrically, Stiltz navigates pop songwriting tropes with restraint and precision. The repeated refrain of “congratulations” feels both strung-out and melodic, while fragmented, Garielle Lutz- like imagery — “tick tock, wrist watch, clif bar, trunk car, its cargo” — quietly sets the scene. Somehow, the juxtaposition resolves elegantly.

When asked about the theme of the song, Stiltz simply responded: “There is relief in acceptance.” With Relief, Stiltz offers another compelling glimpse into his evolving songwriting practice, and perhaps an indication of what is still to come. The release follows a prolifific start to the year for Stiltz, including Blurb 2 with Okay Kaya, co- production, writing and mixing work on Ana Roxanne’s Poem 1, and co-production and mixing on the SY3 EP for Music From Memory.

* Tracklist:  
A-Side
A1: Relief
B-Side
B1: Relief (Instrumental Version)
B2: Relief (Demo Version)