Theory Therapy 96: Serenity Complex
Downtempo transmissions from London
Theory Therapy 96 is by Serenity Complex aka Wigs. His recent release with Aika Mal, The Garden, is another beautifully immersive record on Milly and Penny’s consistently great Companion label. The mix follows a similar thread to the album – where dubby low-end and downtempo structures drift into a lush, subterranean hush.
How are you today?
I’m fabulous, thank you! Big love for having me on ♡
I’m writing this late into the early hours on a warm London night. I’m currently moving house so I’m a bit stressed but I’ve just picked up some copies of my new record (coming soon) which has greatly improved my mood :)
What was the last song you listened to?
Pholo - ‘Homme’. Post dubstep, neo grime gorgeousness.
Where do you most enjoy listening to music?
I love listening to music while commuting. It drowns out the social anxiety (especially in London) and really opens me up to feelings of reflection and introspection. I think the club takes the cake however!
What’s the best music discovery you’ve made recently?
Very late to the party here but I’ve been delving into Sega Bodega’s back catalog recently: he’s such a special talent. I’ve also been obsessed with a duo called Love Object. Moscow based, making balls to the walls, post punk infused electro with the eeriest, haunting vocals - very much up my street!
Is there an artist or album you listen to often that people might not expect based on your own sound?
Despite my new project Serenity Complex being rooted in the world of trip hop, dub and breaks, it’s been greatly influenced by the new sounds coming out of the indie and dream pop scenes. Bands and artists like Spirit Blue, Acopia, Sassy 009 and Lavurn have been big reference points for me recently.
How did you come to release your new album The Garden on Companion, and how did you first connect with Milly and Penny?
The Garden has been about a year in the making, with the first instrumentals produced in the early summer of 2025. It arose from a seasonal fatigue with making club music for my Wigs project and I was seeking a new musical endeavour. By complete chance I got a text from Aika Mal at this same time, seeing if I wanted to collaborate with her on vocals. From there the album first started taking shape: with Mal recording her vocals remotely in Belfast and me producing the record here in London.
Regarding the label, Companion always seemed like a perfect fit. I’ve been aware of Penny and Milly’s work for many years now, first spotting the imprint after hearing one of their first VAs. By chance, they were also super keen to sign the album and wanted to continue the lineage of vocal-led records on the label after releasing Acopia’s debut record back in 2022 - which I absolutely adore. They’ve been absolute legends and I can’t thank them enough for bringing our vision into the world ♡
Tell us a bit about the influences behind the new album.
As I mentioned, the record is definitely rooted in trip hop. I was very keen to capture the essence of the 90s UK sound whilst trying to bring my signature aesthetic to the production, slightly away from the industrial grittiness. Bands like Morcheeba, Bowery Electric and Massive Attack were big touchstones for me on the production front.
Tell us a bit about your musical background – what was the first album that really stuck with you, and when did you start exploring electronic production?
One album that really stuck with me when I was younger was SBTRKT’s self-titled debut record. I remember listening to the cd in the car with my mum and my siblings on the way to the beach or on the way into town. It had a really profound emotional effect on me and is a record I frequently revisit when I’m in need of some nostalgia.
My memory of my childhood is very foggy but for some reason I remember this moment very vividly. I was playing on my mum’s old acer laptop - on which my older brother had downloaded an old version of Virtual DJ. I remember flicking through all the pre-loaded music and having this fixation on repitching Diamonds by Rihanna up to 200 bpm and seeing how it effected the sound haha. For one reason or another, my 10 year old brain was absolutely loving this and I eventually turned to cracking a copy of FL Studio onto my mother’s poor laptop!
Talk us through your Theory Therapy mix – where it came together and what kind of space you were in mentally or musically.
For this mix I wanted to capture the music that has inspired and informed the sounds on our record. Delving back into old playlists, seeing what I was listening to this time last year. I also wanted to showcase some tracks from The Garden so I was trying to weave them into the mix in a pleasing way.
Where would you recommend listening to it?
Anywhere you fancy ;) Next to some water would be fab tho!
Tell us something exciting that's coming up in your life, music or otherwise.
I’ve got lots of new music releasing on my Wigs project over the next few months, expect a pretty hectic string of EPs loll! I’m also starting to put together my next Serenity Complex album, featuring lots of new collaborators and vocalists. Stay tuned!