Interview: Earthshine Explores Icelandic Beauty and Inner Peace on New Album Island

With his 11th release under the Earthshine name, Dutch producer Peter Cox presents Island, an instrumental electronic album that draws its power from both nature and emotion. Inspired by a family trip to Iceland, Island captures the quiet strength of wide landscapes, the solitude of open spaces, and the personal moments that shape us. Through rich ambient textures and subtle rhythms, the project offers listeners a place to pause, reflect, and drift.

Released via Modulate Records, Cox’s own digital-first label, Island represents a continued evolution of the Earthshine sound—rooted in reflection, stripped of excess, and deeply personal. In this exclusive Exposed Vocals interview, Peter opens up about the inspiration behind Island, how Iceland helped shape the music, and what’s next on his creative path.

Interview: Earthshine / Peter Cox – Island

Exposed Vocals: Island feels like a deeply personal and reflective project. Can you share what inspired the album and how your experiences in Iceland shaped the music?

Peter Cox: I am not much of a traveller, but a few years ago, me and my family decided we would all have a short break in Iceland. I am a family man, so it was wonderful to experience the magnificent nature of Iceland, especially since we were all together there. With adult children it is not every day that they all want to join ;). So the combination of the experience, and sharing them with my wife and children, was the inspiration. I always bring a laptop if I travel, so I can write down names and various stuff that appeals to me. When I get home, I use those notes to decide on track titles. And then the music usually follows. Somehow that is enough for me to get inspired and find the right mood for each song. Don’t know how that works, it just does.

Exposed Vocals: You’ve mentioned a layered meaning behind the album title. How do those ideas of place and solitude manifest in the sound?

Peter Cox: I thought the album title was a nice play with words. Iceland being an island and the Icelandic word for their country being Island. All tracks on the album refer to places we have been to or things we witnessed (like the Aurora Borealis). And if you have ever been there, you will know that it is a country which is a lot less crowded than where I come from (the Netherlands). Even when I live on the countryside, Island does not compare. I think sometimes there are more tourists than inhabitants… Regarding sound, I cannot really explain how that works. For me it is about creating moods and feeling through music. And Iceland surely provides amazing scenery!

Exposed Vocals: As your 11th release, how does Island differ creatively or emotionally from your earlier Earthshine projects?

Peter Cox: Every album is a testament of who and where I was at the time. It has been a journey of discovering this part of my musicality. Coming from a background as guitar player in hard rock and prog bands, Earthshine is quite the departure. The first few albums sometimes still hint at the prog part. Over time, I’ve become more confident in creating the Earthshine music as it is today. For me it is all about creating an album concept, deciding on track titles, and then creating the music that fits. At least, to me it does, haha.

Exposed Vocals: What was the creative process like at your Down The Road Studio—any specific challenges or breakthroughs during production?

Peter Cox: Audio production is a never-ending learning process. You have to learn to make choices, you have to learn to arrange, how to mix and master, etcetera. Most of the time I also do the artwork. But truth be told, I love the challenge, I love to experiment and I love to learn. I strive to be good at what I do, but at the same time prefer emotion over technical perfection. So if a take is giving me the feel I want, while some of the playing is not 100% in time, I will still keep the take.

Exposed Vocals: Tracks like “Silfra” and “Aurora Borealis” evoke strong visual and emotional imagery. Were any pieces composed on location or directly after visiting certain sites?

Peter Cox: Thanks for the compliment, I am honoured you feel that way about them. Alas I cannot create music when abroad. I did not have any instruments with me there. No, sitting in my studio with the track sheet and track names is enough to bring back the memories and start on creating the music for each track. I do take pictures and take some videos as I always know that I will need them. (The material for the video of To Reykjavik was all shot by me.) Sometimes having a look at those helps me in the creative side of things.

Exposed Vocals: With such a strong ambient and instrumental presence, how do you approach storytelling through purely musical textures?

Peter Cox: That is something I cannot explain. I start up the studio and the keyboards. Look at a track title and ask myself how that feels like. Hard to explain. I scroll through the sounds on the keyboards and when a sound clicks, I start playing. When I hear something I think fits, I record it on the spot. So most of the music comes from improvisations based on how I feel about a place.

Exposed Vocals: The track “To Reykjavik” sets the tone for the album. Why did you choose it as the opener, and what does it represent to you?

Peter Cox: That is quite simple: we flew to Iceland and landed on the Kevlavik airport. From there we took a minibus to Reykjavik. During the ride I filmed the first pieces of video. So I figured, as the actual first steps we took there, it was the logical opening of the album.

Exposed Vocals: Tell us about your setup—what gear or instruments were central to the recording of this album?

Peter Cox: I mainly used 2 master keyboards, a Roland A-800 Pro and a Novation Impulse 49. With them I control a bunch of softsynths. Other keyboards used are from Behringer, Yamaha and Korg. I use Pro Tools as the DAW. I record, mix and master with that.

Exposed Vocals: Modulate Records has a forward-looking digital-first approach. How has that shaped your release strategy for Island?

Peter Cox: Maybe I should tell you that I am the owner of both Modulate and sister company Rock Company. Rock Company tries to release most of the roster on CD, but Earthshine felt a bit out of place there. The fact that I was also receiving more offers that do not really fit with Rock Company, and the fact that it is hard to sell CDs nowadays, led to the start of Modulate. It gives me more freedom to release music outside the rock genres. Also it serves as a platform for people who want to release their music, have it available on all major platforms and get press coverage. So I figured I’d offer a bunch of options for others and for a small fee they can get their music out there.
My strategy is to launch a track with a video, and share the album release info with the press 4 to 6 weeks before the official release date. And when I receive publications of a release, I share them on my social media.

Exposed Vocals: Lastly, what’s next for you? Will Earthshine continue exploring this meditative style, or do you have other directions or collaborations in mind?

Peter Cox: Well, there will most definitely be more music from me. Not only with Earthshine, but also in the rock and prog rock genre. Regarding Earthshine I already have a new concept ready, but no music as of yet. For now I am working on my rock projects with Age of Aquarius, Chinawhite and Forest Field. But I can promise that Earthshine will be back 🙂 For me, creating this music is a really rewarding process. It is something completely different than my other musical adventures, but it really lifts me up, mentally and emotionally. I simply love getting lost in this music!

Final Thoughts

Island is more than just an album—it’s a moment frozen in time. Through Earthshine, Peter Cox channels his personal journey into an ambient world that feels both vast and intimate. With the power to calm, transport, and connect, Island stands as a testament to the emotional depth of instrumental music. As Earthshine continues to evolve, we look forward to where the next chapter will take us.