Austra Predict 'Future Politics' on New LP, Debut "Utopia" Video

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Oct 19, 2016

Avant-pop outfit Austra have revealed plans for the full-length follow-up to 2014's Olympia. The Katie Stelmanis-led project will release a new record titled Future Politics on January 20 through Domino/Pink Fizz Records.
 
Austra's upcoming third album hears Stelmanis and bandmates Maya Postepski, Dorian Wolf and Ryan Wonsiak attacking encroaching dystopian ideals with a refreshing sense of optimism. "Not just hope in the future, but the idea that everyone is required to help write it, and the boundaries of what it can look like are both fascinating and endless," Stelmanis explained in a statement. "It's not about 'being political,' it's about reaching beyond boundaries, in every single field."
 
Bringing together "galvanic beats, gorgeous, kinetic melodies, and the vulnerable majesty of Stelmanis' voice," Future Politics offers "urgent, but disciplined anthems" that are as suited to headphones as they are to the dancefloor. Across the eleven new songs, Austra strive to remind listeners that it isn't too late to turn the march toward a dystopian world around — creating a world in which "human compassion and curiosity drive technological innovation rather than profit, the necessity of labor is replaced with time for creativity and personal growth, and the terror and destruction wrought by colonialism and white supremacy is recognized as a dark age in human history."
 
In addition to those heavy existential themes, the new record was also partly inspired by Stelmanis's experiences living between the cities of Montreal and Mexico City. In addition to absorbing economic and philosophical texts, she also drew inspiration from European club legends like Objekt, Peter Van Hoesen, Lena Willikens and Massive Attack for their ability to use dancefloors as a sources of both "radical ideas" and "radical joy."
 
The first sampling of Future Politics arrives with the video for "Utopia." The clip was directed by THAT GO, and captures Stelmanis both physically and metaphorically trapped in a sleek modern apartment.
 
"Katie came into the video project with a lot of ideas about the future," THAT GO said in a statement. "We discussed everything from food trends to Star Trek: The Next Generation. The video is more near-future than distant-future, with recognizable technology and modern protein sources."
 
Check out the video for "Utopia" below, and pre-order a copy of Future Politics here.
 
Future Politics:
 
1. We Were Alive
2. Future Politics
3. Utopia
4. I'm A Monster
5. I Love You More Than You Love Yourself
6. Angel In Your Eye
7. Freepower
8. Gaia
9. Beyond A Mortal
10. Deep Thought
11. 43

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