Influential British electronic group Leftfield is returning with their first new LP in sixteen years. Their new album, called Alternative Light Source, is the long-awaited follow-up to 1999’s Rhythm and Stealth, and it will be released on June 8th, 2015.
In the 1990s, Leftfield rose to prominence with two albums – Leftism and the aforementioned Rhythm and Stealth – that were nominated for the Mercury prize. The albums would spawn two U.S. dance hits, “Song of Life” and “Afro-Left,” but those were not enough to keep the original lineup together. In 2002, according to Rolling Stone, the original Leftfield duo of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley chose to go their separate ways. But, in 2010, Barnes returned to perform under the Leftfield banner, and has been performing live in subsequent years. In 2012, he released Tourism, live CD/DVD package, and Barnes would go on to perform at the Playground Festival in 2013.
While recording Alternative Light Source, Barnes left clues about the new album for his fans via photographs of paper plates that were posted to Leftfield’s Facebook page. Rolling Stone reports that one plate contained “a number of abbreviations and comes with the note that it “doesn’t make much sense,” while another contains the phrase “use noisey [sic] kick in drop.”
And in one update, posted sans paper plates, Barnes reflected on how his touring affected the songs that would appear on Alternative Light Source. He wrote: “DJing means I’m discovering such exciting music, which is pushing us to be more original and innovative in the studio,” according to Rolling Stone.
If these updates weren’t enough during the creative process, when it came time to make the official album announcement, Barnes treated his fans to a preview of the album when he released the first single, “Universal Everything” via SoundCloud.
What does “Universal Everything” sound like?
Well, Paste Magazine describes the song as sounding “like it was frozen in 1999 and picked up right where Leftfield left off, pushing electronica to the outer limits while remaining utterly infectious.”
Check it out, and then be sure to take a look at the album’s tracklisting below.
Alternative Light Source tracklist:
01. Bad Radio
02. Universal Everything
03. Bilocation
04. Head And Shoulders
05. Dark Matters
06. Little Fish
07. Storms End
08. Alternative Light Source
09. Shaker Obsession
10. Levitate For You
Lastly, Barnes has announced four tour dates in the U.K., which will take place in June, following the album release. Take a look at the cities and venues below.
Leftfield U.K. Tour Dates:
Jun. 11: Bristol – O2 Academy
Jun. 12: London – The Forum
Jun. 18: Manchester – Albert Hall
Jun. 19: Glasgow – Barrowland
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