Liminal spaces are etched into the human experience. Changing terminals at the airport finds us navigating that curious in-between. Hotels, transitions, even short-lived, tremulous connections—anything that suspends us in grey stretches of time—can feel liminal. We can’t build a home on impermanent ground, but liminal things aren’t meant to be destinations. Often, they act as page breaks between chapters of life.
We Are Scientists drummer Keith Carne treads the margins of white space in the latest single from his debut solo album, Magenta Light (2026). “Totally Liminal”, a laidback glide through smooth vocals and buoyant electronic horns, finds its protagonist recognising the strange beauty of his current stage: “Everything out here feels totally liminal.” It’s a feeling I share, having recently relocated from bustling Southern California to the misty hush of the Central Coast. Nothing seems entirely real. Disorientation is a frequent side effect of liminality, but Carne reimagines this suspenseful state through the eyes of an explorer.
”I think I’m ready for some weirdness,” Carne shares, couched in pops of synths that echo his sentiment. “Totally Liminal”, like liminal spaces approaching resolution, moves gently at first, then accelerates. In the track’s final minute, it lurches toward the finish line, morphing into the sort of groover one might find on Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush (2020). Indeed, Carne’s sound recalls some of alternative music’s brightest talents; on sister single “37 Hours”, his subtle colours shimmer in MGMT-reminiscent rock textures.
It’s clear, though, from Keith Carne’s subtly playful sonic style and sense of wonder, that he’s carving out his own introspective niche in indie music. The drummer-turned-creator is always an exciting development, especially when an artist has the chops to build something fresh and thoughtful with their voice alone—Carne does. He’s demonstrated that liminal spaces can be adventures instead of dread-filled stalemates. The question is what Carne will discover before he steps into the next room.