Flume, Tkay Maidza, Chrome Sparks
The Sylvee 25 S. Livingston St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Nick Green
Flume
$39.50 ($35 adv.).
media release: Grammy-winning artist Flume brought out Damon Albarn during his set at Coachella this past weekend and surprise released their collaborative track, “Palaces,” just after the set—listen here. Another new track, “ESCAPE” with Kučka—who returns following her standout turn on Skin—and Quiet Bison, is also out now—listen here. Both songs are taken from Flume’s highly-anticipated new LP, Palaces, out May 20 on Future Classic and Transgressive.
The new tracks follow “Say Nothing” featuring MAY-A, released in February to widespread acclaim, and “Sirens” featuring Caroline Polachek and co-written and co-produced with Danny L Harle, which was featured in The New York Times Playlist and praised by Uproxx as “heavenly.” The album features further appearances from a host of vocalists and collaborators from around the world, including Spain’s Virgen Maria, France’s Oklou, British singer LAUREL and more.
Palaces began to take shape when Flume returned to his native Australia after struggling to write music in Los Angeles at the beginning of the pandemic. He settled in a coastal town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and soon found inspiration through reconnecting with the nature around him—the rolling hills, walking around barefoot, the green color the sky turns before a big storm, growing and eating his own vegetables, the smell of rain. He and his neighbor and longtime collaborator, the visual artist Jonathan Zawada, became fascinated by the local wildlife, in particular the birds, collecting field recordings that ended up on the album. With a title that properly highlights the luxury and magic of the natural world, Palaces is Flume’s most confident, mature and uncompromising work to date, a true testament to nurturing the relationships that make us whole and bring us peace.
Flume (born Harley Streten) rose to prominence as a teenager with his self-titled 2012 debut album, which established him as an international sensation. His 2016 LP Skin achieved Platinum certification around the world and earned him his first Grammy Award for Best/Dance Electronic Album. He went on to sell over 300,000 tickets globally across a sold out, 59-date world tour that year, with headlining sets at Reading & Leeds Festivals and the famed Alexandra Palace. In 2019, Flume’s acclaimed Hi This Is Flume mixtape earned him his second Best Dance/Electronic Album Grammy nomination and he played lineup topping sets at festivals worldwide including Lollapalooza, Osheaga, Outside Lands, Japan’s Summersonic, Italy’s C2C and more.
To mark the new album announcement, a fresh line of merchandise is available for purchase alongside special physical editions of Palaces available for pre-order now, including vinyl, limited-edition deluxe CD (with initial orders signed by the artist), standard CD and cassette.