Tinlicker: Electronic trio on new starts, new album ‘Dreams of the Machine’, AI Music, and their Glasgow 2026 gig at SWG3

Electronic trio Tinlicker have spent over a decade building a reputation for emotionally charged melodic techno that hits as hard on festival main stages as it does in sweaty club basements. Micha Heyboer and Jordi van Achthoven have mastered the balance between peak-time energy and introspective depth.

Their fourth album, Dreams of the Machine, marks a significant shift: vocalist Hero Baldwin has joined as a permanent member, transforming their creative process. SNACK spoke to Jordi about making music a trio, the album’s questions about technology and humanity, and why he believes live music matters more than ever.

Your upcoming album, Dreams of the Machine, is your fourth album, but your first with Hero Baldwin. Did it feel like a fresh start or the next step?

Making an album always feels like a fresh start. After touring the last one, you need something new to keep yourself interested. At the same time, working with Hero Baldwin marks a new chapter. She’s joining us on stage, and we perform more as a band now, so that brings fresh energy.

Was there a point where you realised Hero wasn’t just a collaborator, but part of the band’s identity?

I’ve known her for a long time. We met in 2012 during writing sessions and worked on a few songs for different projects. Last year the idea came to work closely again. When you work with one person, you can really dive in. She lives in London, so coming to the studio was easy, and because we already knew each other well, creating music felt natural.

Does working with one vocalist help create a more unified album?

It does. Usually everything happens online and people have limited time. With Hero, we could sit together, talk through lyrics, and shape them as part of the process.

Did recording this album feel different compared to previous ones?

Yes. Normally Micha and I create several songs and then bring in people we want to work with, sending tracks back and forth. This time Hero joined us in the studio for several days at a time. We could make a song from start to finish instead of creating an idea and waiting weeks for lyrics. The songs we made last year became the foundation of the album.

Were there songs that ended up completely different from how they started?

Most songs changed, especially sonically. When you have time, you can really shape them. One song, ‘Choosing Life’, was finished, then taken off the track list, and we changed all the melodies, the structure, and the arrangement. Now it’s a completely different song we all like.

How do you compare this album to your previous releases?

At the core, it’s still us. Our sound is hard to describe, but this album has a different palette of emotions. Some songs are danceable; others are more like songs. An album is like a human being: no one is always happy or always angry. Every track has its own vibe, and the coherence comes from that emotional range.

You’re playing in America between Christmas and New Year. What’s your headspace for those shows?

We finished the album today, about three hours ago, so I feel relieved, happy, and proud. For the December shows, Micha and I usually switch DJ sets. I’m going to the States in December and looking forward to playing the new songs for the first time. And we’re excited about the UK and European tour from March.

Are there songs on the album you’re excited to play live?

All of them. We’ve played ‘I Want My Freedom’ a few times with Hero, along with three other songs from the album. There’s a different energy compared to the last album. I’m curious how people on the dance floor will react.

Your Scottish show is in Glasgow. Are you looking forward to it?

I am. I love the vibe there. On the last tour we played in Glasgow and then went for an eight-hour hike into the mountains in the cold. That’s what I love about the country. That, and people go for it.

When writing music, do you like to challenge yourself?

Yes. I don’t like being comfortable. When I’m too comfortable, I start questioning things. I can’t do the same stuff over and over. I like to challenge myself. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone, but it works and people want to see it.

Some artists start writing songs they think people want to hear, and that’s when things tail off. You don’t seem to write that way.

No. When that happens, I remind myself why I started making music. When I had no fans, the basis was that we have to like the music. I have to find joy in it. If I find joy, hopefully other people do too. Experience shows they usually do, but it’s always a surprise. When I’m writing, I’m in my own headspace, not someone else’s.

I read a review where someone said after seeing your show, “I will remember that moment on my deathbed.” How do you deal with compliments like that?

When we make music and release it, I rarely listen to it again. People create their own stories with the songs. I remember playing in Montreal and someone told me he was suicidal, but one song kept him from killing himself. That hit me. I couldn’t understand how my music could be that influential. I met him after the show and gave him a hug. When I make music, it doesn’t feel like I’m making it. People like something that feels separate from me. It’s like consciousness floating around and people tap into it. It surprises me every time.

What’s your relationship like with the fanbase?

It gives me joy. When we perform and I see how people react, it doesn’t surprise me because the music is created that way. There’s a bond between us. They feel what I felt or what Micha felt. We share emotions and that’s our common ground.

Is there a particular atmosphere or mood you’re trying to project with Dreams of the Machine?

Yes. This era looks at technology and where it’s taking humans. Dreams of the Machine is a metaphor for computers or AI having human dreams and emotions — the machine wanting to be human, while people behave more like robots. There’s a shift happening. I hope the music helps people wake up to our humanity: that computers can’t do what we do. The internet is useful, but you don’t have to drown in doom-scrolling. I want music to remain human-made, though I’m not sure where things are headed.

AI music is rising. Is our hope in live music?

Yes. Human-made art is inherently more interesting. Creating is something people do because they feel compelled to, not because they want a finished product instantly. I can’t listen to AI-made music or imagine going to AI shows. There’s something wrong if creation is automated and people are left with nothing to do. Being with yourself, in emptiness, is hard — most aren’t ready for that.

There are parallels to COVID. People were isolated, and now there’s another wave of disconnection.

Exactly. People forgot how valuable live events felt after lockdown. In the Netherlands, for example, too many people talk through concerts, it’s disrespectful to the experience. That indifference is part of what the album explores.

I’ve been at gigs where quiet parts are drowned out by talking and bar noise.

People need to wake up. The first song is ‘Awake Consciousness’ — a message to be aware of what you do and say. If you go to a concert, go for the music. Put your phone down. Give the moment your attention.

For people coming to the March show, how should they prepare?

Listen to the album as a whole — treat it like a book. Fragmented listening blunts the themes. I sent it to a few close friends with one rule: don’t skip tracks; listen straight through. That’s what I’d tell anyone coming to the show. We’re not only playing Because You Move Me, not only playing our remix of Robert Miles ‘Children’, we’re playing the album. It’s a 90-minute to two-hour set, and there’s a lot to experience.

Tinlicker release ‘Reborn’ on 12 December, and ‘Release’ on 16 January. The new album, Dreams of the Machine, is released in spring 2026 on Remember the Future.[PIAS].

Tinlicker play SWG3, Glasgow 18th March 2026