Out now via Nettwerk, CAPYAC’s new album, Sobbing Ecstasy, is an ode to emotion, rhythm, and the kind of joy that feels almost defiant. The LA- and Berlin-based trio (Delwin Campbell, Eric Peana, and Obie Puckett) describe it as their most cohesive yet playful work to date, a record that channels the full range of human feelings onto the dance floor.
“What are the songs that absolutely overwhelm you with emotion on the dance floor and you can’t stop moving?” asks Puckett. That question became the heartbeat of Sobbing Ecstasy, a collection inspired by the emotional punch of early-’80s icons like Giorgio Moroder, Talking Heads, and Bronski Beat. It’s an album designed to move both body and mind, blurring the line between celebration and catharsis.
Tracks like U Know Y and Sexy in My Bodyyy embody this duality — the former looping hypnotic harmonies around a sharp bassline, the latter turning self-confidence into a playful declaration. “I look in the mirror,” Puckett sings. “Hot dog!” That moment, spontaneous and sincere, captures the humour and honesty that run through the record. Elsewhere, Keep Me Close Pt. 2 slows the pace, serving as a nostalgic reflection on connection and loss.
Beyond its sonic palette, Sobbing Ecstasy thrives on emotion as performance. The production feels both polished and impulsive, balancing disco polish with a raw, human pulse. The album’s title track ties these contrasts together, melancholic yet euphoric, polished yet unpredictable, embodying CAPYAC’s instinct to find freedom in contradiction. It’s not just a dance record, but an experiment in feeling everything at once and allowing movement to become meaning. “I love it when people talk about the dance floor as a space for resistance,” says Campbell. “And I think that goes hand-in-hand with emotional vulnerability as a form of resistance.”
Formed in Austin, CAPYAC began as a project born out of curiosity and community, playing chaotic house shows and building a cult following around their surreal performances. With Sobbing Ecstasy, they distill that energy into a sound that feels intimate yet expansive, proof that dance music can still surprise and connect on the deepest level.