It’s been 16 years since blur’s last album as a four piece and today sees the release of the band’s critically acclaimed eighth studio album ‘The Magic Whip’. The recordings, which began during a five-day break in touring in Spring 2013 – at Avon Studios in Kowloon, Hong Kong – were put aside when the group finished touring and returned to their respective lives. Last November Graham Coxon revisited the tracks and, drafting in blur’s early producer Stephen Street, he worked with the band on the material. Albarn then added lyrics and the 12 tracks of The Magic Whip are the result.
Listen to the track “Ong Ong” from The Magic Whip here.
It’s also been 18 years since blur was in Australia and the band has just announced Splendour in the Grass side shows for July. Together, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, have won a total of five BRIT Awards, and were twice nominated for the Mercury Music Award. And now blur are back with their eighth studio album ‘The Magic Whip’ and in July will the band make their way to Australia, fresh from headlining British Summer Time Festival in London’s Hyde Park, to play three huge arena shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Joining the blur on the bill will be very special guest Jamie T, one of the most distinctive voices to come out of the UK in the past decade. Announcing their arrival with debut album ‘Leisure’ in 1991 and follow up release ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ (1993), blur revolutionised the sound of English popular music. Five successive UK #1 albums followed – with Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995) helping to propel the band to mass popularity around the world with tracks like ‘Parklife’, ‘Girls & Boys’, ‘Country House’ and of course hit single Song 2’,
Secret Sounds Presents
blur
With Special Guest Jamie T
All tickets on sale 10am local venue time, Friday May 1
Sat 25 Jul Qantas Credit Union Arena Sydney NSW
Sun 26 Jul Splendour In the Grass SOLD OUT Byron Bay NSW
Tue 28 Jul Rod Laver Arena Melbourne VIC
Thu 30 Jul Perth Arena Perth WA
All tickets on sale 10am local venue time, Friday May 1
More info at secret-sounds.com.au