INNER CHILD – self-titled debut LP out next week

Inner Child’s debut marks the first public release from an extended creative partnership between composer Carlos Borges and Alek Darson, both Berklee College of Music alumni, with Matt Garstka of Animals as Leaders anchoring the rhythm section on drums. Two singles, “Foster” and “Wonder”, are out now; the full-length self-titled album follows on September 18, 2026.

Inner Child operates in cinematic instrumental progressive territory, drawing on the long-form composition approaches of Plini and David Maxim Micic rather than the technical-shred lineage of Garstka’s primary band. Borges is at the helm as composer and writer; Darson co-writes a substantial portion of the record, plays lead and bass guitar with significant rhythm work throughout, and produced the record. The collaboration began with Darson hired as mix and master engineer; while building the demos the band would eventually present to Garstka, it grew into a full creative partnership, and the trio formed in 2023.

Darson’s catalog runs deep across contemporary progressive and instrumental music. He served as bass and rhythm guitarist across Jordan Rudess’s 2019 album Wired for Madness (Mascot), performing beneath solos by John Petrucci, Joe Bonamassa, Vinnie Moore, and Guthrie Govan, and James LaBrie’s vocals. He performed in the Berklee Choir on Dream Theater’s chart-topping Breaking the Fourth Wall (Boston Opera House, 2014), and took home Song of the Year at China’s 2017 Midi Awards with Voodoo Kungfu’s “Man of Determination” featuring Tina Guo. He produced and engineered debut albums for Aleif Hamdan, currently touring with A.R. Rahman, as well as Al Joseph and Juan Dhas; mixed and mastered Tomas Kaco’s debut featuring three-time Grammy bassist John Patitucci; and produced Andrew Colyer’s Global Music Awards Bronze-winning Christmas Time. Panopticon, his 2013 solo EP, was hailed by Metal Injection as the work of “the best composer you never heard of” and won Album of the Year from Serbian Metal Portal.

“Some of my favourite solos on this record are dead simple. Almost embarrassingly so. And yet, they sound like something more than they are when you break them down, which I’ve stopped trying to explain to myself. You play the line because it’s fun, not because it proves anything. Guess that’s the whole inner child thing.” — Alek Darson

TRACKLIST
1. Solace
2. Foster
3. Guided Anger
4. Shadow Integration
5. Wonder – watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx-B_bP6qZ4&list=RDDx-B_bP6qZ4&start_radio=1
6. Rescued
7. Synergy

CREDITS
Carlos Borges: guitars, programming
Alek Darson: lead guitar, bass, keyboards, programming
Matt Garstka: drums, kalimba, shakers, rain stick, bongos
Ethan Cohen: violins, viola, cello, additional textures
Alex Kuular: throat singing on “Wonder”
Reef Loretto: vocals, lyrics, programming on “Shadow Integration”
James Murphy (Berklee faculty): drums on “Shadow Integration”
Amin Mortada: guitar solo on “Rescued”
All music composed by Carlos Borges; co-written by Alek Darson and Matt Garstka; string arrangements by Ethan Cohen and Carlos Borges
Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Alek Darson; drums engineered by Trent Woodman at East Iris Studios, Nashville
Artwork by Alejandro Borges
Released by Inner Child Soundworks, September 18, 2026