Mark Barrott - The Exit Diaries
Mark Barrott returns with The Exit Diaries, a beautifully immersive escape from the noise of modern life.
Words by Mark Limb • June 18, 2026
Mark Barrott's new album The Exit Diaries landed in my inbox a couple of months ago and has very quickly become one of my favourite releases in recent memory.
At a time when modern life feels increasingly noisy, fragmented and relentlessly demanding of our attention, The Exit Diaries offers something rare. From its opening bars, Barrott draws a line between the listener and the outside world, creating a sanctuary of calm where time seems to slow down and the simple act of listening becomes enough.
Creating immersive musical worlds has long been one of Barrott's strengths. Over more than three decades he has carved out a unique path through electronic music. From his early work with Future Loop Foundation to the establishment of International Feel and the celebrated Sketches From An Island series, Barrott has become one of the defining figures in modern Balearica.
Mark Barrott © Sofia Boriosi
The Exit Diaries is a stunning journey through electronica, jazz and orchestral influences, comprising two long form instrumental movements: Light Variations and The Stone Tape.
The first movement is broken into six seamlessly growing and ever changing variations. The second is more distinct, but still forms part of the larger composition which begs to be listened to in its entirety in order to appreciate its full meditative splendour.
The opening movement, Light Variations, eases the listener into Barrott's world through ambient orchestral passages, shimmering percussion, choral textures and the jazz drumming of Leo Taylor (The Invisible, Floating Points, Hot Chip).
The drums ebb and flow throughout, appearing and disappearing as the tempo subtly shifts and the music moves seamlessly from one variation to the next, drawing the listener into a hypnotic tapestry of electronic ambience, classical instrumentation and jazz, while analog synth lines and arps effortlessly weave in and out of the composition.
The second movement, The Stone Tape, steps up the tempo for a moment, opening with When Devils Become Gods, a reimagining of Sébastien Tellier's classic La Ritournelle.
The original is renowned for its incredible orchestral arrangement, and Barrott's version sits perfectly within the narrative of The Exit Diaries, as live jazz drums and the track's instantly recognisable piano line lift the listener into a moment of euphoria before the tempo drops once again.
The remainder of The Stone Tape takes on a distinctly lo-fi character, with audible piano hammers, room ambience and other incidental sounds becoming part of the composition itself. The result is deeply intimate and quietly absorbing, rewarding close and attentive listening.
As the movement progresses, the arrangements become increasingly minimal. Long, droning orchestral strings and endless reverbs blend into a vast horizontal soundscape, gently guiding the listener into a state of pure relaxation before the final fade to silence.
I've followed Mark's work since his days at International Feel and have collected much of it along the way, but The Exit Diaries stands as my favourite release so far. Its ability to absorb you so completely and remove you from the distractions of everyday life has had me hooked from the very first listen and I can see it staying close to the turntable for a long time to come.
The Exit Diaries is available now on Anjunachill as a deluxe vinyl LP and digital download.
Head over to Mark Barrott's Bandcamp to find out more and pick up a copy.
