Øneheart, leadwave and Dean Korso introduce “Samsara Passengers”, a new collaborative album shaped by generational contrast and shared creative purpose. The first single, “before it begins”, is a moment of quiet anticipation that sets the tone for the full record’s exploration of life, memory, and transformation.
It’s a meeting of worlds: Øneheart, the 19-year-old Russian producer whose ambient sketches have reshaped how music moves across the internet, joins forces with leadwave, a long-time ambient artist known for warm, meditative sonics – and also Øneheart’s father. Their cross-generational collaboration adds a personal resonance beneath the surface.
Øneheart’s breakout single “snowfall” became a landmark moment for internet ambient – earning RIAA Gold certification, topping a billion streams across platforms, and soundtracking over 10 million TikTok creations. His influence now cuts across platforms, genres and scenes, defining a new era of digital-first ambient music. Leadwave, meanwhile, brings the depth of experience, with a devoted listenership and a sound rooted in calm and clarity.
Completing the picture is Dean Korso – a veteran composer and Grammy-voting producer whose work spans three decades, including collaborations with figures behind Beyoncé, Moby, and The Killers. His cinematic sense and finely tuned ear pull the track into more conceptual territory, giving the collaboration a sense of scale beyond its parts.
“before it begins” is the first entry point into this world. The full album, Samsara Passengers, follows later in the year, with features from artists including Moby, Medasin, Younger Brother, Jeff Rona, Kiran & Nivi, Au5 and more.
Q: The concept of “before it begins” explores a moment before birth — an evocative and ambiguous idea. How did that theme shape the sound design and structure of the track?
Dean: We wanted to express a space where nothing has yet formed – the liminal, timeless void before existence. That influenced our choice of textures: fragile, slowly evolving layers, shamanic chants, melodies that seem to rise and dissolve. The floating pitch breathes like a living organism preparing for its first heartbeat. It was more about atmosphere than progression, a suspended state of potential.
Q: The collaboration between Øneheart and leadwave adds a generational dimension to the album. How did that familial dynamic influence the creative process, both practically and emotionally?
Dmitry: Working with my dad was something deeply personal. Ambient music always felt like a bridge between emotional states, and here it became a bridge between generations too. We didn’t have to talk much – ideas flowed naturally, often intuitively. It added emotional weight to the process. You’re not just making music, you’re archiving a connection.
Q: Ambient music often thrives in stillness, but “before it begins” carries a quiet momentum. How do you balance atmosphere and narrative in a genre that resists linear storytelling?
Dean: For me, ambient music works best when it feels like it’s going somewhere, even if that “somewhere” is internal. The track has a slow gravitational pull, not a story in the traditional sense, but an emotional arc. It begins with stillness but gradually introduces harmonic tension, like a thought forming before language.
Q: Dean, your background spans cinematic scoring and high-profile pop collaborations. How did you adapt your sensibilities to this more abstract, introspective project?
Dean: It was actually a return to something essential. In film scoring, you learn to speak with sound rather than words, and in ambient, that skill becomes the whole language. I had to unlearn a lot of structural habits: no climaxes, no hooks, no payoff – and instead focus on presence, texture, and emotional suggestion. Working with Øneheart helped me stay grounded in that ethos.
Q: The album brings together artists from vastly different contexts – from TikTok-native ambient to Grammy-level production. Was there a unifying vision that guided everyone’s contributions, or did each track emerge independently?
Dean: There was a shared emotional language from the start. We talked about the idea of Samsara – cycles of life, suffering, transformation – and everyone intuitively understood how to translate that into their own sound. While the tracks were built individually, they felt part of the same spiritual journey. It wasn’t forced; the cohesion came from mutual sensitivity.
Q: Øneheart, your music has resonated deeply with digital-first listeners. Does this album feel like a continuation of that journey or a departure from it?
Dmitry: It’s both. Emotionally, it continues what I’ve always tried to do – create music that makes people feel less alone. But sonically, it’s a departure. We expanded beyond the dreamy loops of liminal ambient into more cinematic and experimental territory. I think people who followed me for the emotional depth will still connect, but this project asks for deeper listening.
Q: Medasin’s touch on the track is subtle but distinct – what drew you to him as a co-producer, and what did he bring that surprised you?
Dmitry: Medasin has this rare ability to make music feel both modern and timeless. We knew he’d respect the fragility of the track without overwhelming it. What surprised me most was how quickly he understood the emotional tone, he added these understated harmonic shifts and melodic lines that made everything more alive, almost like oxygen entering the mix.
Q: “Samsara Passengers” suggests a cyclical, possibly spiritual dimension. How much of the album is shaped by personal belief, and how much by sonic or narrative curiosity?
Dean: For me, it’s personal. I went through a very difficult time with my health, and ambient music became both a refuge and a form of meditation. But it’s also a narrative experiment – we were curious how sound alone could convey something as vast as the human experience, from birth to death to transcendence. The spiritual dimension came naturally because we were being honest.
Q: Was there a specific moment during the making of “before it begins” that made the direction of the whole album click into place?
Dean: Yes – when we layered the Peruvian chant over the Medasin’s textures. Suddenly, the track had this ancestral weight, a sense of timeless memory. That one moment made me realize: this album won’t just be beautiful – it will be meaningful.
Q: Looking ahead to the full release, what do you hope listeners take away from this project — especially those encountering ambient music for the first time through your work?
Dmitry: I hope they discover that music doesn’t always need words or structure to say something powerful.
Dean: And that stillness isn’t empty. It’s full of meaning, if you’re willing to listen.
before it begins is out now on Kurate Music.
