Irish composer and producer BK Pepper returns with Common Ground, a powerful new single out now, listen here, alongside the announcement of his highly anticipated second album, Pagan, arriving April 24th.
Following the critical acclaim of his 2020 debut album Territories, Pepper expands both his sonic and thematic reach on Pagan, an ambitious and cinematic work recorded with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, The Glasshouse Ensemble and renowned violinist Viktor Orri Árnason.
The first glimpse into Pagan, Common Ground is an expansive and deeply human piece that pairs the scale of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra with intimate layered vocals and hushed brass textures. It unfolds gradually, mirroring the slow and deliberate nature of genuine understanding.
Speaking about the single, Pepper says: “Common Ground came from a need to believe that connection is still possible. There is so much noise and division in the world, but underneath it all I think we are far more alike than we admit. Musically, I wanted it to feel expansive and human at the same time. The scale of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra sits alongside very intimate layered vocals and brass that feel almost whispered. It builds slowly because real understanding does too. For me, it is a piece about finding unity without losing individuality.”
On Pagan, Pepper turns his attention to systems of belief — religious, political and personal — and what happens when they begin to fracture. If Territories was introspective and atmospheric, Pagan widens the lens, becoming more confrontational while retaining the layered emotional depth that has become his signature.
Pepper explains: “Pagan is an exploration of belief, whether religious, political or personal, and what happens when systems of belief begin to fracture. It follows on from Territories, but this time the lens is wider and more confrontational. I was drawn to the idea of the pagan as someone outside the dominant narrative, someone questioning, resisting or searching. Sonically it moves between cinematic orchestration and more intimate layered textures because I wanted it to feel both collective and deeply personal. At its core, the album asks whether we can rediscover shared humanity in an era that constantly pushes us into tribes.”
Recorded with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and The Glasshouse Ensemble, Pagan moves fluidly between sweeping orchestral passages and restrained, almost whispered moments of vulnerability. The result is a body of work that feels both monumental and deeply personal — a reflection on modern fragmentation and the possibility of unity beyond ideology.
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