Lunatic Soul is a solo project rather than a band. Guest musicians appear on individual records, but there is no standing line-up, and the writing, arrangement and direction are Duda’s throughout.
The defining choice is instrumental. Where Riverside is built on electric guitar, Lunatic Soul leans on acoustic instruments, hand percussion, double bass and space — a palette that suits the recurring subject matter of mortality, transition and the interior life rather better than distortion would.
Discography
| # | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lunatic Soul | 2008 |
| 2 | Lunatic Soul II | 2010 |
| 3 | Impressions | 2011 |
| 4 | Walking on a Flashlight Beam | 2014 |
| 5 | Fractured | 2017 |
| 6 | Under the Fragmented Sky | 2018 |
| 7 | Through Shaded Woods | 2020 |
| 8 | The World Under Unsun | 2025 |
How the catalogue moves
The first two albums, Lunatic Soul and Lunatic Soul II, work as a pair and set the template: sparse, percussive and preoccupied with death and the passage beyond it. Impressions is the outlier, closer to an instrumental sketchbook.
Walking on a Flashlight Beam is the record most often recommended first, and the point at which the project’s identity fully settles. Fractured is the most direct and electronically inflected of them, written after a period of personal loss; Under the Fragmented Sky gathers material from those same sessions.
Through Shaded Woods turns firmly toward folk, with Slavic and Nordic influences much closer to the surface. The World Under Unsun, in 2025, is the most recent — and the sessions for it also produced the piano sketches released separately as Pianos Under Unsun.
Where it goes next
When Duda left Riverside in April 2026 after twenty-five years, he indicated that his focus moves to Lunatic Soul. For a project that has run in parallel with a full-time band since 2008, that is a meaningful shift: it becomes the primary outlet rather than the alternative one.
No new album has been announced at the time of writing. This page will be updated when one is.
Where to start
- First listen — Walking on a Flashlight Beam (2014).
- For the original template — Lunatic Soul (2008) and Lunatic Soul II (2010), heard as a pair.
- For the folk direction — Through Shaded Woods (2020).
- For the darkest record — Fractured (2017).
- For the most recent — The World Under Unsun (2025).
Related on this site
Mariusz Duda’s profile covers the releases under his own name, including the electronic albums and the Subcutaneous songs, and Riverside covers the band.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lunatic Soul a band?
No. It is Duda’s solo project, begun in 2008. Guest musicians appear on individual records rather than as a fixed line-up.
How many albums are there?
Eight, from Lunatic Soul (2008) to The World Under Unsun (2025).
How does it differ from Riverside?
Riverside is a progressive rock band with electric guitar at its centre. Lunatic Soul is organic and largely acoustic, built on percussion, atmosphere and space.
Where should a new listener start?
Walking on a Flashlight Beam (2014) is the usual entry point. Through Shaded Woods (2020) is the most folk-influenced, and The World Under Unsun (2025) is the most recent.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Mariusz Duda, for the discography and dates.
- Kscope artist page, for label and release information.
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