Danish indie rock outfit Virak will re-release their long-lost debut album Threads on digital platforms for the very first time on May 29 via Forward Backwards Recordings, alongside an upcoming vinyl LP pressing. Originally released exclusively on CD in 2008, the album now resurfaces under profoundly emotional circumstances led by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Martin Ejlertsen.
Now 49 years old, Ejlertsen — also known for his work with psychedelic indie rock project Black Light White Light — was diagnosed with ALS in September 2022. The progressive neurological disease has since left him paralyzed from the shoulders down, with his condition continuing to rapidly deteriorate following a recent 24-day hospitalization caused by severe pneumonia.
Describing the reissue as “my last musical project before my imminent death,” Ejlertsen has chosen to publicly share his battle with the disease while revisiting one of the most personal chapters of his artistic life.
“I have been very private about my illness… it has been like a long waking nightmare,” Ejlertsen shared. “But now I probably only have a few months left to live, so it’s about making the best of the last. Having this album project has given me some light in an otherwise completely dark and very depressing time.”
Currently living in Lund, Sweden with his wife and two children, Ejlertsen spent the past decade continuing his musical career through Black Light White Light, the internationally acclaimed band he founded in 2009. Across four studio albums released between 2011 and 2022, the project developed a devoted international following, touring extensively throughout the United Kingdom and the United States while earning praise from outlets including CLASH Magazine, Louder Than War, Drowned in Sound, Guitar World, and Artrocker.
The band’s most recent album, The Admirer, further elevated their reputation through contributions from Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated collaborators including Kennie Takahashi, Matt Colton, and composer Davide Rossi, blending cosmic psychedelia with lush indie rock arrangements.
Before Black Light White Light, however, there was Virak — a project that represented Ejlertsen’s earlier artistic identity. Formed between 2002 and 2009 alongside Christian Kühne and Peter Dyring Olsen, the band fused instrumental post-rock, slowcore, progressive rock, and acid rock influences inspired by artists such as Mogwai, Spiritualized, Low, Elbow, and Sophia.
At the center of the re-release is the album’s lead single, “Where It All Begins,” a haunting meditation on endings, regret, and emotional collapse. Built around off-kilter guitar melodies and aching vocal performances, the track channels the emotional intensity of bands like Radiohead, The Strokes, and The Smashing Pumpkins.
Originally recorded and produced by the band in Copenhagen, Threads features guest contributions from members of Under Byen, Slaraffenland, Amber, and a gospel choir. The album was originally mixed in London at Alchemy Studio by Kenny Jones, known for his work with Sophia, Bauhaus, and The Smiths. The new 2026 edition has now been remastered in the United States by Grammy-nominated engineer JJ Golden, whose previous credits include Black Pumas.
Alongside Threads, Virak’s earlier EP But Not As We Know It — originally released in 2004 and co-produced by Signe Høirup Wille-Jørgensen of Speaker Bite Me and Jomi Massage — will also arrive digitally for the first time.
Before his diagnosis, Ejlertsen lived an active life both musically and athletically, competing as an elite football player and cyclist while touring across Europe, the United States, and Canada. Today, confined to a wheelchair, he speaks candidly about the devastating realities of the disease.
“ALS is a terrible disease… it breaks you down mentally and physically completely. I really hope that a remedy will soon be found.”
Despite the immense hardship surrounding the release, Threads now stands as a powerful final artistic statement — one rooted in vulnerability, resilience, and the enduring permanence of music.
“I am very happy and proud… that our music is now being released in formats it has deserved,” Ejlertsen said. “In this way, I leave behind my music, which can live on—for the joy of my loved ones and hopefully also others, when I am soon no longer in this world. Thank you for listening.”
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