By turns devotional, empowering and nurturing, Jon Hopkins’ forthcoming new album RITUAL is a 41-minute electronic symphony built from cavernous subs, hypnotic drumming and transcendent melodic interplay. Tense, immersive and ultimately triumphant, it is a culmination of themes explored throughout his 22-year career, and acts as the kinetic counterpart to 2021’s Music For Psychedelic Therapy.
Pre-order the album 'RITUAL' here
Hopkins shared a preview of the album in “RITUAL (evocation)”. This first single is defined by deep, hypnotic drums and a long build to epiphanic light. Designed to give listeners a window into the full experience, it centres around a huge, almost impossibly intense ascension, leading us through a storm of dissonance into a sparkling of wild arpeggios, and finally the appearance of a clear and soaring vocal.
Listen to the first single 'Ritual (evocation)' here
Watch the video for 'Ritual (evocation)' here
Talking about RITUAL, Hopkins explains: “I have no idea what I'm doing when I'm composing. I don’t know where it’s coming from, and I don't know where it's going, nor does it seem to matter. I just know when it is finished. So all I can really do is feel my way to the end, then try and retrospectively analyse what might be going on, and try and figure out what its purpose is. What is clear is that this one has the structure of a Ritual. I know what that Ritual is for me, but it will be something different for you. It feels important not to be prescriptive about what this Ritual actually is. It feels like a tool, maybe even a machine, for opening portals within your inner world, for unlocking things that are hidden and buried. Things that are held in place by the tension in your body. It doesn’t feel like “an album” therefore - more a process to go through, something that works on you. At the same time, it feels like it tells a story. Maybe it's the story of a process I’m going through, and one that we are all going through. Maybe it’s also the story of creation, destruction and transcendence. Maybe it’s the story of the archetypal hero’s journey - the journey of forgetting and remembering.”
For al the fans who want to be the first ones to listen to the album pre-release there is good news! On May 12th 'Ritual' will be premiered in spatial audio at London's ICA. By pre-ordering 'Ritual' you get pre-sale access for tickets to the event.
