By DONNA BALANCIA
Damon Albarn shares his light with the new album The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows, which will be released by his new label home Transgressive Records this November.
Originally intended as an orchestral piece, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows was inspired by the landscapes of Iceland. Albarn developed 11 tracks which delve into the realms of loss, fragility, emergence and rebirth. The album title is taken from a John Clare poem Love and Memory.
“I have been on my own dark journey while making this record and it led me to believe that a pure source might still exist,” Albarn said.
Like the natural world it emulates, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows documents the ebb and flow of the human condition in all its extremes, Albarn said.
The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows Tracklist:
- The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows
- The Cormorant
- Royal Morning Blue
- Combustion
- Daft Wader
- Darkness To Light
- Esja
- The Tower Of Montevideo
- Giraffe Trumpet Sea
- Polaris
- Particles
Check out TNTFMPTSF:
In addition to a digital release, there is expected to be limited edition color vinyl formats, plus CDs and cassettes. There will also be a deluxe version of the album, taking the form of a casebound book with additional photography, original scanned lyrics and artwork from Albarn, along with a clear vinyl version of the album, a high quality digital file and a bonus 7-inch, featuring an exclusive song from the recording sessions.
Check out Damon Albarn on Spotify:
Albarn debuted a set of songs from the album as part of the Live At Worthy Farm event last month, highlights of which can be seen on BBC iPlayer from June 24th, ahead of a BBC Two documentary ‘Live At Worthy Farm: Backstage’ at 9 p.m. on Sunday June 27.
This summer Albarn will perform two festival shows to play tracks from across his songbook, including the new album, on 13th July at Manchester International Festival and Edinburgh International Festival on 24th August.
2022 Tour Dates (rescheduled from 2021):
21 and 22 February – London (Barbican)
23 and 24 February – Dublin (National Concert Hall)
26 February – Luxembourg (Philharmonie)
28 February – Brussels (Bozar)
1 March – Brussels (Bozar)
2 March – Eindhoven (Muziekgebouw)
4 and 5 March – Paris (Philharmonie)
6 March – Lyon (Auditorium)
7 March – Hamburg (ElbPhilharmonie)
9 March – Copenhagen (KB Hallen)
11 March – Reykjavik (Harpa)
For tickets and information, go here.
Preorder the album HERE
Albarn is a founding member of Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad and The Queen, he is the recipient of six Brits, two Ivor Novello Awards and a Grammy Award.
Outside of Blur and Gorillaz, Albarn has a number of other releases, including Mali Music (2002), The Good The Bad and The Queen (2006), Monkey: Journey to the West (2007), Kinshasa One Two (2011), Rocket Juice & The Moon (2012), Dr Dee (2012), Africa Express Presents: Maison Des Jeunes (2013), Africa Express Presents: The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians (2016), Merrie Land (2018), Africa Express Presents: Egoli (2019), as well as his Mercury Award-nominated debut solo album Everyday Robots(2014).