The inimitable and boundary-pushing Róisín Murphy today announces her highly anticipated forthcoming album, ‘Hit Parade’, produced in collaboration with electronic music virtuoso DJ Koze. The 13-track compendium of genre-melding gems is set for release on the 8th of September on esteemed record label Ninja Tune, and this announcement arrives accompanied by a new single, “The Universe”. Murphy will also headline at London’s legendary Alexandra Palace on the 17th of Feb, set to be another unmissable showcase of her performance prowess.
Murphy introduces ‘Hit Parade’:
“This record is a collaboration with DJ Koze. We worked remotely in different countries sending tracks/ideas back and forth for several years. I always have to approach a new collaboration with openness and a willingness to learn, and never more so than with this. The studio, in this case, was imaginary, in the airspace between Hamburg and London. That meant we were both in a personal, private place when working on the songs. For me, that brought out a more intimate approach to the songwriting, I told this album my secrets. For Koze, it meant total freedom and absolute focus without the distraction of my presence. He took a deep dive into himself, and I believe that’s why the music is so vibrant and alive. It is just exploding with colour!
It’s a joyful record, I’ve never been happier; that is partly down to personal reasons, but also in my work, I’ve been very fulfilled. For me, the record is about love and sensuality, but also it’s about music itself and how it’s always been there for me. There are tinges of darkness, of the abyss, as well as all the joy. There’s contemplation of mortality which is meant to serve as reminder to me (and perhaps you the listener) to really live while we can.” – Róisín Murphy
The new single “The Universe” possesses an almost oceanic sway, able to comfortably exist in the blossoming, multi-sided world of ‘Hit Parade’, which we were initially introduced to with album first-look “CooCool”. A sun-dappled sonic exploration, “The Universe” is enamoured with gentle guitar melodies and sauntering electric piano, Murphy’s unmistakable voice waltzing through the track with an air of playful psychedelia, ducking and weaving with the beat across its temperate arrangement.
“The universe at large is playful and terrifying. There is no discernible sense to it. The story that is always being told is on multiple levels, levels we don’t see or understand. The experience of being alive is to be continually reminded of how utterly unaware we are of what is really going on all around us. ” – Róisín Murphy
Check out ‘The Universe’ – BELOW:
With ‘Hit Parade’, Murphy continues her ever-evolving, shape-shifting 30-year career, looking towards the future by joining forces with DJ Koze to conjure blissful music that teems with life and imagination. A hyper-modern record which is a world away from 2020’s critical and commercial success of “Róisín Machine”, it further cements Murphy as a total one-of-a-kind at a creative peak, a constantly inquisitive and restless spirit who is unmatched.
The warm thump of hip-hop, playful psychedelia, and elegant, soulful grooves are all part of Murphy and Koze’s vision here, resulting in a record that’s endlessly replayable even as its melodies become glued to your brain. The 13 indelible tracks that contribute to the album’s effortless sparkle were six years in the making, put together almost entirely remotely. Fans of both artists will know that this inspired collaboration was borne out of Murphy’s contributions to Koze’s 2018 “Knock Knock” -specifically, “Illumination” and “Scratch That”- and as Murphy worked with Koze on ‘Hit Parade’ she found their shared creative process revelatory in its own ways, all of which will become apparent.
“The Universe” follows the aforementioned “CooCool” and a limited edition white label release of “Can’t Replicate 12” Edit”, which ignited clubland at the start of the year, being championed by the likes of Daniel Avery, Peggy Gou, Jamie xx and many more. “Can’t Replicate” was also used as the soundtrack to the Chanel AW23 runway show during Paris Fashion Week in March.
The announcement of ‘Hit Parade’ arrives hot on the heels of electric PA sets at Boiler Room Paris and Printworks closing party, and Murphy’s sold-out live show at the historic Royal Albert Hall last week. Her idiosyncratic vision was brought to thrillingly vivid life within the storied surroundings, armed with a show-stopping wardrobe and an electrifying, expanded live band, including a new drummer, and camera’s recording and relaying her electrifying show in real-time back to the fans.
Continuously pushing boundaries in both recording and live settings, Róisín Murphy’s capacity to be an ever-evolving performer is a spectacle in itself. From live-streamed lockdown events to headline appearances at Glastonbury West Holts Stage, Homobloc, a sold-out Brixton Academy, Coachella and Primavera Sound, Murphy consistently proves to be a thrilling must-see artist in every sense of the word. This summer will further cement Murphy’s live reputation, with a festival calendar already including Melt Festival, Secret Garden Party, Mighty Hoopla, We Out Here and more.
From her time growing up in the Irish town of Arklow, music seemed to call Murphy almost instantly, from the moment she discovered the power of her own voice at the age of 10 through performance of the eternal show tune classic “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” at a local poetry festival. Murphy dove headlong into the music scene after her family decamped to Manchester when she was just a teen. When her parents divorced and moved back to Ireland when she was 15, she decided to stay behind in England and live alone to continue her artistic immersion. After a brief flirtation with noise and punk in Manchester’s confines, she hitched over to Sheffield at 19 to immerse herself in the club scene. A chance meeting with local bassist Mark Brydon led the pair to form the celebrated group Moloko, and from there, Murphy’s decorated solo career has spanned 5 lauded albums (with a Mercury Music Prize nomination for 2015’s “Hairless Toys”), celebrated EP and single collaborations, and more recently video directing and acting accolades.
Expect to hear much more music across the summer as we build towards the ‘Hit Parade’.
‘Hit Parade’ Tracklist
What Not To Do
CooCool
The Universe
Hurtz So Bad
The House
Spacetime
Fader
Free Will
You Knew
Can’t Replicate
Crazy Ants Reprise
Two Ways
Eureka
The ‘Hit Parade’ artwork features Murphy herself, superimposed on an AI-generated image from artist Beth Frey, graphic design by Bráulio Amado and commissioned by creative studio Object & Animal (who have previously worked with the likes of FKA Twigs, Caroline Polachek and Shygirl, and where Murphy is also Creative Director).
LIVE DATES
Sat 20 May – Festival – Corona Capital – Guadalajara, MX
Sun 4 Jun – Festival – Mighty Hoopla – London, UK
Wed 7 Jun – Festival – PSM Loves Summer – Istanbul, TR
Fri 9 Jun – Festival – European City of Culture Show – Veszprem, HU
Sat 10 Jun – Festival – Melt Festival – Berlin, DE
Sun 2 Jul – Headline – Trinity Summer Series – Dublin, IE
Fri 7 Jul – Festival – Bilbao BBK – Bilbao, ES
Sat 8 Jul – Festival – North Sea Jazz – Rotterdam, NE
Sun 9 Jul – Festival – Cactus Festival – Bruges, BE
Thu 13 Jul – Festival – Super Bock Super Rock – Meco, PT
Sat 15 Jul – Festival – Gurtenfestival – Bern, CH
Fri 21 Jul – Festival – Blue Dot – Jodrell Bank, UK
Sun 23 Jul – Festival – Secret Garden Party – Abbots Ripton, UK
Sat 29 Jul – Festival – Watt En Schlick – Dangest, DE
Sun 6 Aug – Festival – Spice Music Event Port of Burgas – Burgas, BG
Wed 9 Aug – Festival – Øyafestivalen – Tøyenparken, NO
Thur Aug 10 – Festival – Fest Fest – Chorzow, PL
Sat 12 Aug – Festival – We Out Here – Wimborne, UK
Sat 26 Aug – Festival – Connect – Edinburgh, UK
Sun 27 Aug – Festival – Lost Village – Lincoln, UK
Wed 27 Sept – Terminal 5 – New York, USA
Friday 29 Sept – The Wiltern – LA, USA
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