Brooklyn-based composer, producer, and puppeteer Tristan Allen has announced Osni the Flare (March 27th, via RVNG Intl.), the second chapter in a mythic trilogy that follows a mortal’s transformation into a deity through the discovery of fire. To mark the announcement, Allen has shared the lead single and video for “Act I: Garden,” a track that serves as an intimate entry point into a world defined by meticulous sound design and puppet pageantry. Recorded over four years in a Brooklyn apartment overlooking a cemetery, the album utilises a vast arsenal of toy instruments, ocarinas, and wordless vocals to unfold a creation myth across four sonically compelling acts.
“Act I: Garden” begins in a wispy hush before opening into a complex landscape of textures. Allen built the track from flute recordings note-by-note, ranging from Balinese Sulings to bird-shaped ocarinas, while music boxes were sampled and rearranged to double the haunting vocal melodies of Virginia Garcia Ruiz. The instrumentation is intentionally fragile and “less stable,” featuring a dying Casio SK-1 and a harmonium to bridge the gap between simple childhood wonder and a strange, shifting reality. The accompanying video, directed by Travis Hood and Ross Mayfield, features Allen’s “puppet ballet” that premiered at La MaMa in New York City, showcasing a basswood-rod puppet illuminated by a custom internal LED system.
The narrative of Osni the Flare follows the titular character from the land of the living to the shadow realm. After Osni discovers embers within the belly of a Dragon, the origin of fire is born, leading to an eventual ascension into the deity of the flame. While Allen’s 2023 debut, Tin Iso and the Dawn, took an overseer’s perspective, this project feels more human and vulnerable. By blending acoustic instruments with electronic processing and the ancient craft of puppetry, Allen invites listeners to experience the “origin of myth itself” through a portal of emotionally potent sound.
Album available March 27, 2026
Pre-Order Osni the Flare: https://lnk.to/rvngnl133