ROOMER — Staircase Made Of Rope (lp)

Roomer – Staircase Made of Rope (LP) arrives on Squama as catalogue SQM043, a 12-inch vinyl that deepens the Berlin trio’s blend of rock-pop, alternative and indie sensibilities. Built from improvisations and first takes, the record pushes the band’s penchant for juxtaposing density and silence, offering a set of songs that hover between shoegaze haze and intimate, diaristic songwriting. Within Squama’s 2026 output, Staircase Made of Rope follows Simon Popp’s “Trio LP” (SQM036S) and Elias Stemeseder & Thomas Morgan’s “Io Pur Respiro LP” (SQM037), while preceding Mug’s “The Well LP” (SQM045). The label’s recent focus on expansive, texturally rich releases provides a fitting home for Roomer’s second album on the imprint, after the debut “Leaving It All to Chance” (SQM032, 2025). Side A opens with “Something New”, a five-minute piece that sets a tone of expansive guitar-driven movement, allowing the band’s improvisational edge to surface. The subsequent “Grey” condenses that atmosphere into a tighter three-minute form, while “Have You Ever Been a Fool” maintains the lyrical focus amid the swirling backdrop. “Written By” extends the journey, re-introducing the record’s characteristic tension between structure and drift, and the brief “No Different After All” serves as a concise interlude before the side closes. Side B begins with “For Yves”, a three-minute track that bridges the A-side’s density with a slightly more restrained mood, leading into “Good On My Own”, which sustains the melodic thread while hinting at the band’s folk-influenced lineage. “Sundown” continues the narrative with a reflective tone, and the untitled cut offers a moment of pure texture, echoing the record’s theme of instability as method. The title track “Staircase Made of Rope” concludes the set with a five-minute culmination of the album’s oscillation between clarity and blur, providing a resonant close that lets melodies dissolve into open space. For Roomer, this release marks a continuation of the language introduced on “Leaving It All to Chance”, where first-take improvisations now inform a more expansive palette. Within Squama’s catalogue, the record stands alongside other artists exploring the edges of pop structure and experimental texture, reinforcing the label’s reputation for forward-thinking releases. From a DJ’s perspective, the record offers several entry points: the longer “Something New” and “Staircase Made of Rope” can anchor a set with their evolving dynamics, while the shorter cuts such as “Grey”, “Good On My Own” and “Sundown” provide flexible moments for transition or layering. Collectors will appreciate the cohesive sequencing that rewards repeated listening, as the shifts between dense passages and moments of silence create a narrative arc suited to both deep-listening sessions and nuanced set construction. The release is pressed as a 12-inch vinyl, aligning with the format of the band’s earlier Squama outing. Its weight and pressing specifications follow the label’s standard approach, delivering a tactile listening experience that complements the record’s emphasis on texture and immediacy. Roomer – Staircase Made of Rope, Squama, catalogue SQM043, 12-inch vinyl, 10 tracks. Tracklist: A1. Roomer – Something New 00 05:24 min A2. Roomer – Grey 00 03:35 min A3. Roomer – Have You Ever Been a Fool 00 03:42 min A4. Roomer – Written By 00 05:26 min A5. Roomer – No Different After All 00 01:30 min B1. Roomer – For Yves 00 03:04 min B2. Roomer – Good On My Own 00 03:38 min B3. Roomer – Sundown 00 03:33 min B4. Roomer – Untitled 00 03:30 min B5. Roomer – Staircase Made of Rope 00 05:30 min