Ben Pelchat releases “DOOMSCROLLER” his first solo release in eight years

The Canadian producer behind years of records at Toronto's Kensington Sound steps back in front of the mic with a synth-driven anthem about the little glowing window we can't put down, and the first taste of a new solo album. Released October 30, 2026.

Ben Pelchat spent the better part of the last decade working on other people's projects. Now he's finally releasing his own music again. On October 30 he released “DOOMSCROLLER,” a pulsing electro-indie track that turns a very modern compulsion into a chorus you can shout at your phone. It's the first of many new songs Pelchat has written and is now producing for his upcoming solo album.

The song “DOOMSCROLLER” is a portrait of the scroll: the outrage you watch but never act on, the thousand friends who all know your birthday, the reflection of your own facial expressions on a 6-inch screen. Pelchat sets it to stacked analog synths, a four-on-the-floor pulse and a hook built to be sung back by a room full of people who should probably put their phones down.

The chorus lands like a diagnosis: “Little window, can't put down / In your eyes, a reflecting frown / Wanting something, never get / Doomscroller, Doomscroller.” The verses go for the quieter ache — “It feels so real, but it's pretend.”

It isn't a lecture. Pelchat writes from inside the feed, not above it, and the song is as much a mirror as a warning. The question it keeps asking — “Will it ever be the same?” — gets the same answer every time: no, no.

“DOOMSCROLLER is a song about something most of us know all too well — phones taking over our lives when there is a better life waiting for us - outside of screen time. I wrote it on a snowy day last winter after I found myself stuck in a social media reels-watching loop, and got fed up. I often write about my experiences and relationships and this was top of mind... not only for myself but for my family and friends too. It’s something we’ve all struggled with. It’s a catchy pop song with a message.” — Ben Pelchat

Eight years, and why now
Pelchat's last solo campaign was in 2018, when the single “Gravity” arrived with a dark, Depeche Mode–tinged sound. That year, UK singer-songwriter Tim Arnold praised him as a “creative warrior” and likened him to a mix of Daniel Lanois, Bryan Adams and George Martin — an artist who writes, sings, plays, arranges, engineers and produces every note himself.

Then the producer's chair took over. For the better part of the last decade, Pelchat poured that same all-in-one approach into other artists' records, relocated to Georgian Bay, and built an independent production business. “DOOMSCROLLER” marks the moment he turns the console back on himself, and it's only the start. He's been writing steadily, and the single opens the door to a full solo album now in progress.

“For the past 8 years, I’ve wanted to make more of my own music, but producing for other artists took over - making music the right way is time-consuming, and that process is necessary. It’s been amazing to now be able to pour more time back into my own music and say what’s been on my mind through my songs. I’m now working towards my full length album, and DOOMSCROLLER is the first taste. I’m so grateful for all of the supportive fans who have waited patiently for my return to solo music. I have lots more for you on the way.”

Who is Ben Pelchat
An Ontario-born, Quebec-raised polymath, Pelchat has been producing music for 26 years. For much of that time he worked out of Toronto's Kensington Sound, where he produced and mentored a generation of Canadian talent including Wes Mason, Jade Mya, Vaxxo and Jordan John, contributed to albums by Tim Arnold, and worked on features including Snoop Dogg and Boy George.

His screen and media credits include music production on Tim Arnold's Super Connected (2023) and additional music mixing on the feature Sacrifice (2011), starring Christian Slater and Cuba Gooding Jr. (IMDb). He has also remixed under the alias Turbo Zebra, and his earlier solo catalogue includes the French-language single “Montréal en hiver” (2014), and “Ocean Deep” (2017).

DOOMSCROLLER was written, performed and produced by Ben Pelchat, and is entirely human-made.

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