24 October 2026 – Panchiko Announce Chimera With Mei Semones and billy woods as Nottingham's Strangest Comeback Continues

Nottingham indie-rock group Panchiko have announced their third studio album, Chimera, scheduled for release on April 9, 2027, through independent powerhouse Nettwerk. The reveal arrives alongside "One Car Hits Another", a kinetic lead single featuring Japanese-American songwriter and guitarist Mei Semones, whose delicate fretwork and bilingual phrasing lend an intimate texture to the band's sonic framework.

The twelve-track collection showcases an adventurous roster of underground collaborators, featuring underground rapper billy woods and Cotillon on opening cut "Day One", alongside appearances by Abby Sage, CJ's Mirra Maze, Clarion, Korea Girl, Lula Nova, and trumpeter Hugh Pascall. Semones contributes to three compositions across the LP, weaving intricate bossa nova and jazz cadences into Panchiko's hazy realm of shoegaze, hip-hop beats, and alternative rock.

Tracked entirely in the band's private studio, Chimera represents another compelling milestone in one of independent music's most astonishing second acts. Formed in the late 1990s, the musicians disbanded into obscurity before an internet scavenger hunt over a degraded charity-shop CD of D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L sparked a global renaissance. Original members Andy Wright and Owain Davies now tour internationally with Robert Harris, Shaun Ferreday, and Jon Nellen, currently headlining London's Roundhouse on October 24 ahead of a special pop-up on October 25.

Deliberately resurrecting a defunct alternative band via rot-damaged optical discs might be an unrepeatable marketing strategy, but Panchiko have parlayed serendipity into genuine creative triumph. Discover more alternative guitar sounds in our indie rock section and check out the latest tour updates in the news archive.