IWFYLS
Formed in Ryazan, Russia, in 2011 at a This Will Destroy You concert, I am waiting for you last summer (IWFYLS) have spent the last decade pushing the boundaries of cinematic post-rock, industrial electronics, and ambient abstraction. Now, the genre-defying project returns with Without/Within, a bold new album due out July 30th, led by the expansive single “Nulla.”
At the heart of Without/Within lies a central inquiry into consciousness—its origins, its perceptual lens, and its role in dividing the world into “inner” and “outer” realms. “The album is rooted in a deep interest in how consciousness emerges and begins to observe itself,” explains band member Sasha Sokolov.
Initially founded by Sokolov and Evgenii Popov, the project later welcomed Lev Nikitin to broaden its electronic palette. Over time, IWFYLS have become known for their immersive, high-intensity live performances—sonic and visual experiences that pulse with kinetic energy and emotional weight. Their shows are not just concerts but audiovisual environments designed to overwhelm and envelop.
Their relentless pursuit of forward motion has taken them across the globe, from SXSW and dunk!festival to India’s Magnetic Fields, where they’ve shared stages with post-rock and experimental heavyweights like 65daysofstatic, This Will Destroy You, Alcest, and Rosetta. That cinematic sensibility is no coincidence: Sokolov’s background in film trailer composition (including work on Jurassic World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier) brings a narrative, widescreen quality to their sound—each track unfolding like a filmic dreamscape.
The lead single, “Nulla,” is a journey in itself—a slow-building, emotionally charged meditation on time, being, and the recursive nature of thought. “‘Nulla’ was inspired by the idea that we—as living matter—are part of an evolving process that, at some point, begins to question itself,” says Sokolov. “There’s something powerful in the image of consciousness emerging from the same material that forms stars and planets—then turning inward to ask: What am I? What is this?”
Conceptually, the track captures the tension between the intimate and the infinite. “I wanted to reflect that recursive feeling,” Sokolov adds, “the sense of something vast and impersonal becoming aware of itself. The music moves in circles—between subjectivity and the abyss it confronts.”
“Nulla” is out July 30th on all digital streaming platforms.
