John Talabot’s empty stadium soundtrack

What happens to dance music when the dance floor disappears?

During lockdown in 2020, John Talabot started making music at the empty Hivern Discs office in Barcelona. He played it loud. The aim was to find the energy of a packed room, even with nobody there.

Those sketches became Music For Empty Stadiums, a 17-song album arriving on 30 October 2026 through AD 93. It comes out under the name OR, drawn from his real name, Oriol Riverola. It is also the Catalan word for gold.

A rush without the kick

Most of the album leaves the beat behind. Talabot was chasing euphoria and adrenaline, the feelings that usually arrive with a club’s kick drum.

An email from AD 93’s Nic Tasker, asking about music made during the pandemic, helped bring the recordings back into view. You can hear two songs ahead of the full release: “Ombra de Ninja (Balearika Mix)” and “Nokik Messiah”. Start here.

The story behind OR

Talabot will discuss the project with Resident Advisor’s Chloe Lula at ADE Lab on 23 October 2026, from 14:00 to 15:00 in Amsterdam. There is plenty to talk about before the album arrives.

ArtistJohn TalabotListen on Apple Music ↗

Read the album announcement on Bandcamp and the ADE conversation details.

Photograph: Pia Riverola, via Creative Tourist. Album artwork: OR / AD 93.