Some thoughts don’t leave you. Some questions linger long after they’ve been asked. Dom Apes’ Wasted Energy EP exists in that space between contemplation and release, between old cycles and new perspectives. Written during a period of upheaval, the record reflects on loss, rejection, and uncertainty, but also on clarity, reinvention, and quiet hope. The title track, Wasted Energy, takes inspiration from an old Alfred Hitchcock interview where the director distills hatred into what it is: energy, wasted. Built around punchy breaks and widescreen melodies, the track provides both release and a statement: a rejection of toxicity in favour of creativity, connection, and forward motion. Sidelined moves in a different way. Rooted in feelings of rejection and isolation, it builds from curious, melancholic synth plucks salvaged from abandoned lockdown projects fragments of the past, given new life. It leans into a sense of quiet reflection, yet there’s something undeniable in its purposeful forward motion. The EP rounds off with Fuelless Consumption, which came together on a sober Friday night, written as Dom questioned whether music would still hit the same without the crutch of alcohol. A swelling, introspective closer, it leans into deep, somber textures, like coming up for air after a long night out. It shifts the energy just enough to feel like an ending, but one that leaves the door slightly open. Created between London and the North East, Wasted Energy sits in the push and pull between movement and stillness, between city life and solitude. It’s the sound of memories resurfacing, of lost ideas finding a new home, and of music acting as both an anchor and a release.