From Armcomm Europe / Rizosfera
Releases November 20th 2026
Sheffield-born multi-instrumentalist Michael Somerset Ward has announced his most personal and ambitious project to date: a cinematic concept album titled No Ordinary Raconteur. Arriving alongside it is its dark twin, Dimidium Oraculi, a collaborative companion release with Clock DVA’s Adi Newton, available exclusively through Rizosfera webstores to mark Armcomm Europe’s fifth anniversary.
Exploring themes of mortality, memory, and time, the overarching project features an all-star roster of British experimental music royalty:
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Adi Newton (Clock DVA), who provides spoken-word frameworks, artwork, and co-leads the companion release.
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Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17) on vocals.
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Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire) on vocals and lyrics.
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Karl D’Silva and award-winning pianist Matthew Bourne.
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Tom Waits collaborator Gino Robair and co-producer/co-writer Dean Honer (I Monster).
About the Releases:
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No Ordinary Raconteur: A sprawling, multi-instrumental solo masterwork featuring Somerset Ward on various woodwinds, vocals, and electronics. It blends conceptual tracks ranging from a Scott Walker homage on the title track to the surreal industrial-noir beat poetry of 4 Hours.
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Dimidium Oraculi: Acting as an oracular, four-piece “dark twin” to the main album, this vinyl split-release features reimagined sonic sculptures (including reworked mixes of Delphic Response, Last Signal, Future Cartography, and the unified Half-Life Extended) complete with split artwork by Newton.
Accompanied by a vast ensemble of guest musicians, these twin releases stand as a definitive artistic statement from a pillar of the UK’s underground music scene.
Pre-order your copies here.
