Having defined a multidimensional sonic universe on their acclaimed debut album, composer and filmmaker Chris Hunt and Korn's James "Munky" Shaffer depart from the familiar on EXINFINITE, drifting into a realm of recursion where they gaze upon a tangle of mirrored wormholes humming with uncanny ambiguity. VENERA's second album is darker, heavier, and more percussive than its predecessor, but there's something more intimate in its circuitry that's hard to define—something mystical, mysterious, and melancholic. Songs materialize out of thin air, only to dissolve into acidic synthesizers or be pierced by Hunt's sharpened beats, while Shaffer's dense, tormented riffs are balanced by euphoric, time-distorted vocals from FKA twigs, Dis Fig, and Chelsea Wolfe. Having encountered infinity, VENERA have looked inward, beyond the boundaries of existence. They reflected and unearthed their deepest emotions. VENERA was formed in 2022 when Hunt and Shaffer ventured into their own musical territory after recording with Albanian artist Xhoana X. The duo improvised together and experimented with cinematic, science-fiction-inspired sound design, realizing the collaboration held potential. They began to develop and refine their sound, receiving support from Deantoni Parks, former Mars Volta drummer; Alain Johannes of Queens of the Stone Age; post-punk duo VOWWS; and LA noise-rock legends HEALTH. Following the release of their debut album in 2023 on Mike Patton's Ipecac label, VENERA continued deconstructing and reimagining their songwriting, swapping Eno-esque ambient atmospheres for explosive beats and dense textures, and figuring out how to expand the narrative they had created without treading familiar ground. In "Tear," the duo's new direction is clearly audible, as Shaffer's original guitar sounds are transformed into eerie widescreen expositions, underscored by Hunt's pneumatic kick and snare cycles. Interspersed with airlock hisses and luminous synthesizers, the track provides a backdrop that continually transforms VENERA and reshapes the concept throughout the album.