12090 A.D. conjures a world where time collapses—where the neon-lit shadows of late 70s Berlin bleed into the velvet darkness of a Lynch fever dream, dissolving boundaries between eras, identities, and emotional states. Sound becomes memory, memory becomes cinema, and cinema becomes something lived in real time.
Led by visionary drummer/composer Tim Kuhl and downtown icon Anna Copa Cabanna, this Brooklyn-based synth-driven dream pop duo crafts sonic landscapes that feel both ancient and futuristic, intimate and infinite, like transmissions from a parallel frequency where glamour, decay, romance, and tension all coexist in the same frame.
Today marks the release of their self-titled debut album, 12090 A.D., the follow-up to their latest single, “Valediction,” setting the tone for a record steeped in cinematic atmosphere, nocturnal storytelling, and immersive sonic world-building that feels as much like a film score as it does a pop record.
Tim: The title for the track is inspired by the comic V for Vendetta by the great Alan Moore. The music started to form after many late nights listening to synth maestro Johnny Jewel (Italians Do it Better). The song was originally conceived as an instrumental. Over time, I could hear a voice singing and speaking to me through the mist. Once Anna sank her teeth into it, I knew we were beginning a journey into unknown territory.
Anna: Tim gave me the title so I knew it would be about saying “goodbye” in some way. Once I heard the music, an image of Grace Jones singing at 3am in a Paris nightclub in the early 80s jumped into my head immediately! Singing to all those people who are still out. Seducing them. I pictured the smoke, the colors, the arms, legs, and mouths. It felt romantic in a tough, secret way. There are so many things we can say “goodbye” to, and they’re not all bad…
Kuhl’s compositional architecture provides the foundation—hypnotic, precise, pulsing with the mechanical soul of Suicide and the atmospheric weight of Portishead. Over this, Copa Cabanna’s haunting vocals drift and cut like fog through streetlights, her magnetic stage presence transforming each performance into a noir ritual. Comparisons to Twin Peaks and Beach House only hint at the band’s ability to make beauty feel dangerous, to turn melody into mystery.
In their live shows, 12090 A.D. doesn’t just perform—they manifest an atmosphere, pulling audiences into a liminal space where every note feels like a transmission from some forgotten, dream-soaked future. This is music for 4 AM drives through empty cities, for moments when the veil between worlds grows thin.
Tim, “Valediction” started as an instrumental before Anna added vocals. How did it feel hearing your composition transformed once Anna stepped in? Anna, what was your first reaction to the track and the story you wanted to tell with it?
TIM: The arrangement was pretty locked in before we recorded Anna’s voice. Once her voice was in play, I realized i could simplify the sounds a bit to give the voice more space to do its thing. I basically followed that formula with each track.
ANNA: When I hear Tim’s music, I SEE things right away. Colors, scenes, streets…” Valediction” had a secret sensuality to me, and I really did envision Grace Jones singing very late in a Paris nightclub in the 80s. Right after hearing it.
I saw her, the color pink, the characters, the bodies intertwined, half listening, half off in their own romance. I liked the idea of both speaking and singing to someone, and I’ve always found the word “adore” much stronger than “love,” so I used that in the lyric. So much yearning in “adore”. A full-bodied VERB. And it’s struck me whenever I’ve heard it in my own life. The song just sounded like mystery and danger in the old nightlife.
Your music merges late 70s Berlin vibes, cinematic dream pop, and noir atmospheres. How do each of you contribute to shaping that sound and aesthetic?
TIM: The music & sounds are inspired by many various things. Movies. Books. Paintings. I took a few years just buying and selling synthesizers to find the 12090 A.D. “sound”.
ANNA: We’re both huge fans of all of those things, so it’s such a compliment when people see and feel that. As for aesthetics…From the beginning, Tim requested that I wear black hair. Eventually, I snuck in some glitter and drama. Honestly, the sound is all Tim…his minimalist taste, the shadows or nostalgic popness…it’s almost tactile to me. And it gives ME the freedom to do different things…to go back to my love of poetry or the femme fatale or Berlin Bowie…
Anna, when you first heard “Valediction,” you pictured Grace Jones in a Paris nightclub. Tim, how do you respond when Anna brings these cinematic images into your compositions?
TIM: We are both interested in a lot of the same things, so it's pretty easy to visualize what Anna is going for. I mean, Grace Jones in a Paris nightclub. In the 80’s. Can't miss!
You both come from incredibly diverse artistic backgrounds — Tim with jazz, electronic, and cinematic work, and Anna with performance, showgirl, and go-go dance. How do these experiences influence your creative process together?
TIM: I try not to separate the worlds too much. I grew up studying jazz and classical music. Toured the world playing rock music. It's all in there in 12090 A.D.
ANNA: Cinema, storytelling, and dreaming have always been part of my performance. Even when I was doing my Variety Shows on tiny stages in NYC, in my head I was dancing on the gigantic sound stage that Sonny and Cher had. When I go to dance, I love the live connection between myself and the dancing crowd, but I can also see it on another plane as if it was a Duran Duran Music Video. So 12090 A.D’s music being SO cinematic, SO haunting, just brought out a different showgirl in me. More “The Chauffeur” than “Girls on Film” this time!
I also think a woman singing, mostly still, open, in her truth, can be just as entertaining as a big crazy dance number with all the bells and whistles. I love both. Julee Cruise or Diamanda Galas or Beth Gibbons can captivate a world with their connection to the music. Its strength. I strive for that. I’m using different muscles now. I know the woman who needs to sing these songs and tell these stories.
Live shows are described as immersive, almost ritualistic experiences. Anna, how do you manifest that on stage, and Tim, how do your compositions support that atmosphere?
ANNA: I honestly can’t not feel the songs when I sing them. The music is so hypnotic to me, so I fall into it, and move with it too. The hope is that I take people with me.
TIM: The live band sound has evolved over the past couple of years. I love films. Studying film music. I also love hearing people performing in bars. Alone. I guess I want 12090 A.D. to give anyone who is listening that same feeling. Something cinematic and intimate.
Tim, you’ve collaborated with a wide array of artists from Sean Lennon to Zola Jesus. How has working with such varied musicians influenced the way you approach 12090 A.D.? Anna, does this collaborative sensibility affect how you shape your own contributions?
TIM: I mean, art is life. It's a lifestyle. I learn a lot about music by playing with people. Just being in the same room with them. Sean & Nika. They are in these compositions. Somewhere.
ANNA: I used to write my own songs pretty much solo. I heard Tim’s 12090 A.D compositions for a few years as instrumentals, so I was kinda living in and understanding that world already. Tim was great in giving me a lot of freedom. I could just read poems if I wanted to, or speak AND sing. He simply gave me the title of each song. Being a super nerd, I felt like they were creative writing exercises so I really enjoyed it. What story can I build around the title “raw material” or “dreamblood”? I think we’ve only changed one title to fit one of my lyrics…
The duo has been compared to Twin Peaks and Beach House for its haunting, dreamy vibe. How do you balance making the music feel intimate while keeping that mysterious, otherworldly quality?
TIM: The duo setting really sets up that intimacy. The music has a lot of room. Slow tempos. Gives the audience a place to get lost in for a little while.
ANNA: And there are no backing vocals, no loops…the vocals are more vulnerable in a way. The space in the music provides an opening for reflection and meaning.
Anna, you often describe your performances as “noir rituals” and seductive late-night spectacles. Tim, how do you build the sonic architecture to enhance that visual, performative element?
TIM: I write the songs alone. Gives me time to experiment. Once the compositions feel great as instrumentals, I know Anna is going to elevate the whole thing. When we play live, she has just the right moves on stage. She is a dancer, so she knows how to convey certain emotions without doing too much.
Both of you draw inspiration from specific cultural touchstones — comics like “V for Vendetta,” synth legends like Johnny Jewel, and 70s television specials. How do these references shape the narratives and moods in your songs?
TIM: There is a strong visual element there. Comics and film. I mean, I like saying there isn’t a bad movie, haha. Older movies tend to interest me more. The way they look & sound. I like using synthesizers to make the sounds for 12090 A.D. They provide a certain mood or feeling. But I love acoustic sounds too.
ANNA: There is so much art that inspires me, and I’ve explored it in many fun, amazing projects in NYC. Honestly, I feel really grateful to be in a band like this that DOES touch on the darker, mysterious stuff I’ve loved forever, like Twin Peaks, weird 80s films, poems, and true noir. I’m older now, I need to keep growing, the world feels cracked and packed with grief. It feels natural for me to lean into the 12090 AD “late-night drive through empty cities” mood. I love to entertain in that old showbiz way, but even Ann-Margret is gonna stop doing the twist with Elvis to break down in “Tommy”.
Dark doesn’t exist without light…not for me. Even at my funnest, goofiest, most sparkly, there was something serious or shitty I was dancing out or turning into comedy. Just under the surface. There’s a reason why the “sad clown” is the only clown most people can handle. It’s more human to show both.
And there’s warmth in the shadows of 12090 A.D., too. The synths move with me. I move with them. If it speaks to someone, it’s connecting. So that’s light to me…
Looking ahead to your self-titled debut, how do you see 12090 A.D.’s identity evolving? What new territory are each of you most excited to explore together?
ANNA: It’s invigorating to be working on this new music that’s in a whole new genre for me. We are going to record an EP next of some covers of two HUGE influences in my life. So I am really psyched to share that and hopefully bring some art and joy and imagination to these uncertain times…
TIM: I love reimagining older songs into the 12090 A.D. world. Our upcoming album has two covers by Depeche Mode and Wang Chung. I’ve learned a lot from those songs. We have plans for an EP of select covers we play live. And hopefully a second album in the near-ish future.
