Danish indie rock outfit Virak return with a deeply moving re-release of their debut album Threads, which now stands as a posthumous release by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Martin Ejlertsen. Ejlertsen, also known for his work with Black Light White Light – was diagnosed with ALS in September 2022. He passed away on 23 May 2026 at the age of 49, following his battle with the disease. The release follows Ejlertsen’s own awareness that this project would likely be his final recorded work. Threads stands as what he described as “my last musical project before my imminent death”.
Originally issued in 2008 on CD only, the album reissue resurfaced under profoundly emotional circumstances and will be available for the first time on digital platforms and Vinyl LP on 29 May via Forward Backwards Recordings.
“I have been very private about my illness… it has been like a long waking nightmare,” Ejlertsen shared. “But now I probably only have a few months left to live, so it’s about making the best of the last. Having this album project has given me some light in an otherwise completely dark and very depressing time.”
Ejlertsen lived in Lund, Sweden, with his wife and two children. In recent years, he had continued his musical journey with Black Light White Light, the internationally acclaimed psychedelic indie rock band he founded in 2009. With four studio albums (2011, 2014, 2018, 2022), the band has built a global following, touring extensively across the UK and US and earning support from tastemaker outlets including CLASH Magazine, Louder Than War, Drowned in Sound, Guitar World, and Artrocker. Their music has also been broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music (Lauren Laverne), Absolute Radio, and Denmark’s national broadcaster DR.DK.
Black Light White Light’s latest album, The Admirer, further cemented their reputation. A stand-out moment on the record is the track ‘Epilepsy‘, which was accompanied by a powerful music video.Ejlertsen wrote the song for his daughter, who suffers from the condition. The Admirer was mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Kennie Takahashi (The Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley, Broken Bells) and mastered by Matt Colton (Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Thom Yorke), featuring contributions from acclaimed composer Davide Rossi (Coldplay, The Verve). The project showcased the band’s signature blend of psychedelic rock, cosmic pop, and piano-driven ballads, earning widespread critical acclaim.
Virak, however, represents Ejlertsen’s earlier artistic vision. Inspired by acts such as Mogwai, Spiritualized, Low, Elbow, and Sophia, the band crafted a distinct sound blending instrumental post-rock, slowcore, progressive rock, and seventies acid rock.
Virak existed from 2002 – 2009 and consisted in its formative years of Martin Ejlertsen (vocals, guitar and keys), Christian Kühne (bass and keys) and Peter Dyring Olsen (drums). Inspired by bands such as Mogwai, Spiritualized, Low, Elbow and Sophia, the band combined a mix of instrumental post-rock, slowcore, progressive rock with vocals and seventies acid rock.
Threads’ lead single, ‘Where It All Begins’, is a gut-wrenching ode to the end of something that could have been. Off-kilter guitar motifs paired with Virak’s hauntingly beautiful vocal performance make for a stand-out moment on the album, and is sure to strike a chord with fans of Radiohead, The Strokes, andThe Smashing Pumpkins. Threads was recorded and produced by the band in Copenhagen, featuring guest musicians from Under Byen, Slaraffenland, Amber, and a gospel choir. It was mixed in London at Alchemy Studio by Kenny Jones (Sophia, Bauhaus/The Smiths), while the 2026 edition is newly mastered in the US by Grammy-nominated engineer JJ Golden (Black Pumas).
Alongside Threads, Virak‘s earlier EP But Not As We Know It (2004), co-produced by Signe HøirupWille-Jørgensen (Speaker Bite Me / Jomi Massage), will also be released digitally for the first time.
Before his illness, Ejlertsen lived an active life as both an elite-level football player and cyclist, in addition to touring across Europe, the United States, and Canada with his music.
Despite the circumstances surrounding it, the re-release of Threads stands as a powerful artistic legacy. “I am very happy and proud… that our music is now being released in formats it has deserved. In this way, I leave behind my music, which can live on—for the joy of my loved ones and hopefully also others, when I am soon no longer in this world. Thank you for listening.”
Threads Album Tracklist:
1. Little Creeps
2. Souls
3. Who I Am = You
4. Something Strange Happened As We Stood By The Lake
5. Arms Raised
6. Desert Storm
7. Butterfly
8. Violence
9. Melancholia
10. Song Of Everything
11. Where It All Begins