Meet VLMV, the Master of Evoking Imagery with Ambient Sounds

Pete Lambrou A.K.A as VLMV

VLMV (pronounced ALMA) is the ambient-ish, post-something project of London-based singer-songwriter, composer, and producer Pete Lambrou. 

Originally known as ALMA until 2018, a name flip was inevitable—too many mix-ups with the Finnish pop artist of the same name. The new name, VLMV, was inspired by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array— “a really bloody powerful telescope,” as Pete puts it. 

Formed in early 2015, VLMV kicked things off with a debut mini album released via Fierce Panda Records in August of that year. It was met with critical praise, with Lauren Laverne (BBC6 Music) calling it “a beam of light through a dark, cold night.” Not long after came ReWorkings & Remixes—a fresh digital spin on that debut release. 

The follow-up album, Stranded, Not Lost, dropped in February 2018, once again through Fierce Panda. That same year, Pete signed with Erased Tapes Music Publishing. The Independent described the album as “breath-taking in its scope and evoking imagery of the vastness of space . . . a shimmering soundscape of delicate ethereal beauty.” It even snagged a Prog Award nomination later that year. 

Following a busy stretch of UK and EU touring, 2020 hit—and like most artists, Pete found himself grounded. That pause in live shows turned into writing time, eventually leading to VLMV’s third studio album, Sing with Abandon, released in August 2022, along with the instrumental EP Flora & Fauna, which arrived that November via boutique label Bigo & Twigetti. 

Sing With Abandon, put out on Pete’s label Nice Weather for Airstrikes, was shaped by the collective chaos of lockdowns, isolation, and a nation mid-breakup with itself. Prog Magazine described it as “gently epic . . . a proper album, then, as best experienced as such.” 

On stage, Pete brings it all to life using loop stations, delay pedals, piano, and guitar—building dreamy, soaring soundscapes layer by layer, topped off with his signature delicate vocals. 

Beyond VLMV, Pete’s work as a composer for Erased Tapes Music has reached audiences around the world. His music has appeared in commercials, films, and TV for clients like Ikea, Vice, Hyundai, Rolex, BT Sport, Amazon, the BBC, S-Power, and The National Trust. VLMV tracks have also popped up in places like MTV’s Teen Mom, The Republic of Sarah, The Grand Tour (Amazon), Santander, and even The Champions League Final via BT Sport. 

Check out VLMV’s EP entitled Prophet ARP, now available for licensing.