Polish post-rock/ambient/dark folk act Atavia premiere debut album »To The Old Ones«; out today on CD and all major streaming platforms!

Michalina Maja Rutkowska’s (Datûra) post-rock/ambient/dark folk solo project Atavia premiere their debut album, »To The Old Ones«, which was just released today, June 11th, 2026.

Listen to »To The Old Ones« on all major streaming platforms!

Tracklist:
01. Waterfalls
02. Azure
03. Inclinations
04. Of The Longest Night
05. To The Old Ones
06. Vesta
07. Flowers Off
08. Turn It On

Courtesy of Sarniak PR:

Atavia was born in early 2018 as a solo project by Michalina Maja Rutkowska – the vocalist known from the band Datûra. Maja’s initial musical experiments oscillated around ambient, dark folk, and psychedelia, taking the form of abstract soundscapes. Over time, the sound of the compositions began to evolve toward rock and post-punk, and the tracks gained a more song-oriented structure. Influences from psychedelic rock, electronics, and even doom metal can also be heard. As time went on, Tomek Wazia (drums) and Szymon Stadniczenko (guitarist of the band Defying) joined Atavia, transforming the solo project into a power trio.

The album »To The Old Ones« is a collection of stories about encounters, journeys, and altered states of consciousness. The songs were written in various places and circumstances – by the seashore, deep in the wilderness, and amidst the urban hustle.

Photo credit: Michał Dudulewicz

»To The Old Ones« waited a very long time for its release. Although the tracks were composed by Maja back in 2019 – 2021, it wasn’t until two years later, after Tomek Wazia and Szymon Stadniczenko joined the band, that they were fully produced and achieved their full sound.

Atavia was drawn from the term “atavistic nostalgia” by Phil Hine, an author of books on chaos magic. In short, this term signifies a longing for the primal forces dormant within humans, which they lost in the process of evolution. According to Hine, humans are capable of summoning these forces through interaction with animals, meaning their distant ancestors. The project’s name echoes a tribute to the non-verbalized, subconscious, and primitive world. This is the very world from which the ideas for the album »To The Old Ones« emerged.

Music of Atavia was fully recorded and produced by the band, with mixing and mastering handled by guitarist Szymon Stadniczenko. The album »To The Old Ones« will be released on June 11, 2026.

The singles that announce the new album were »To The Old Ones« (March 24, 2026) and »Of The Longest Night« (May 8, 2026).

Purchase »To The Old Ones« here: Stream | Buy CD

Atavia is:
Michalina Maja Rutkowska – Vocals, Bass, Synth
Tomek Wazia – Drums
Szymon Stadniczenko – Guitar

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well