Tharn is the new dub techno project of interdisciplinary artist Sam Ashton, originally from London and now based in Portland, Oregon.

Best known for his ambient work as Fortresses, with releases on Dragon's Eye Recordings and Flaming Pines, Ashton turns toward a more tactile, rhythm-driven sound with Tharn—while retaining the lush atmospheres and emotional depth that define his broader practice.

Written during Portland's rainy winter of 2024, Tharn's debut EP ‘Seek' on Crossfade Sounds comprises two slow-paced dub techno tracks, shaped by the grey skies and fog-draped forests of the Pacific Northwest.

‘Seek' draws upon dub techno's traditions whilst also expanding the genre's palette, with field recordings of woodland environments interspersed with ethereal, wordless vocal fragments that echo the dreamlike abstraction of Grouper or Cocteau Twins.