Photo: Press
The ever-elusive Arcade Fire have remained typically tight-lipped about what to expect from their forthcoming LP.
Come with us as we pull back the curtain of mystery on one of the most exciting records of the year, and take a look at everything that we know so far about Arcade Fire's fourth album...
It's coming out on 29 October
Yup - write that down. The band have remained very quiet in recent months, only revealing that their fourth studio release would be dropped on October 29, via a reply on twitter to a random fan.
@arcadefire you're my favorite
— Christopher (@fifferwright) July 11, 2013
@fifferwright Thanks. Our new album will be out October 29th. t.co/CAgYucvimo
— Arcade Fire (@arcadefire) July 12, 2013
The lead single is bloody amazing
It's produced by James Murphy and features David Bowie on guest backing vocals. Not too shabby, eh? The track sees the Canadian indie stars turn away from their operatic concept dalliances and dance into the future, as Murphy pumps the track with those infectious rhythms that have made LCD Soundsystem and DFA Records so awesome. Then Bowie comes along and adds a little Thin White Duke majesty. As far as a first taste of a record can go, this is absolutely delicious and left us salivating for more.
The album is going to be called Reflektor
Earlier in the summer, a guerilla marketing campaign promoting the name 'Reflektor' emerged online with the same pieces of graffiti popping up across different cities. It was later confirmed to be the work of Arcade Fire. Examples of the mysterious wall art are being documented on an Instagram account. The graffiti is a very distinctinve circle containing a diamond and the world Reflektor. See a trailer with the diamond graffiti, a parade in Haiti and some really cool backing music below.
It will be a double album, and this is the artwork
This sleeve image popped up on New Zealand iTunes this week, with information that showed that it's going to be a double album. How awesome is that?
James Murphy - he's been making it 'great'
The album features production from the God-like James Murphy of LCD Soundstem. They've been meaning to work together for years, so expect some rhythm-heavy danceable moments in there. In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, Murphy said: "I think it's going to be a really great record, actually. I'm eager to see it come out."
Speaking of the way he works with the band, Murphy continued: "There's a lot of them, and they're mostly self-produced – like, they don't need a producer in a certain way. So I didn't know how it would go. It's always working. It's just that I might have a different way of approaching how to finish, or how to accomplish an end result that really works."
In an interview with Billboard magazine, the producer later commented: "When you work on a record you don’t know any of the things around it. So when it comes out I’ll just be like, 'The Arcade Fire record’s out — oh, right!'"
Murphy claims it has been "the food I eat and the air I breathe". Judging by the danceable LCD-esque beats we've heard on the title track, the album is going to be very special indeed.
...and Markus Dravs too
Long-time collaborator Markus Dravs has also been back behind the desk with the Montreal indie heroes. He produced Neon Bible and The Suburbs, as well as working with Coldplay on Viva La Vida and Mylo Xyloto, as well as Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More and Babel. Expect it to sound HUGE.
Parenthood!
Back in April, frontman Win Butler and wife and fellow bandmate Regine Cassagne welcomed into the world their first child, a baby boy. If that doesn't work for inspiration on the album, then nothing will.
It might feature 'Crucified Again'
This new track was played at Guastavino's in New York City back in October of last year. It's drenched in melancholy and loaded with the band's love of religious imagery. It would be lovely to hear this finished.
Could it pick up where 'Abraham's Daughter' left off?
In March of last year, the band gave the song 'Abraham's Daughter' to the soundtrack of The Hunger Games. If this is a sign of things to come, then things are going to be very epic indeed.
The band have been listening to Peter Gabriel
Earlier this year, Arcade Fire released their cover of Peter Gabriel's 'Games Without Frontiers'. Listen to the clip here. The cover of the 80s track is not from their upcoming album, but from a Gabriel tribute album, which will also feature contributions from the likes of Bon Iver, Feist and Lou Reed. Either way, a little bit more of a Gabriel influence could push their sound in an interesting direction.
