Kimbra Grabs Van Dyke Parks, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez for 'The Golden Echo'

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Jun 10, 2014

Though New Zealand-born pop vocalist Kimbra toasts artists of the past on her recently premiered "90s Music" single, the singer will be giving us a whole bunch of new tunes to add to our playlists by summer's end. The Kiwi artist delivers her sophomore set The Golden Echo through Warner Bros. on August 19.

A press release for the 12-song follow-up to 2011's Vows is described as the "ultimate modern pop record," and it was crafted by Kimbra in the wake of her Grammy wins with Gotye over the latter's massive "Somebody That I Used to Know" single. Kimbra worked on the LP from her bedroom studio in Los Angeles's Silver Lake neighbourhood, where she was living on a farm.

"It was a very humbling experience," the artist said in a statement of the situation. "I had just been through the Gotye stuff and the Grammy's, and all the touring. You get very wrapped up in it all. Then you're chilling with a bunch of sheep, and they don't give a crap who you are."

The Golden Echo was produced by Kimbra herself and Rich Costey (Foster the People, Interpol, Muse), while Silverchair's Daniel Johns acted as a songwriting partner for much of the apparently eclectic set. In addition to the genre-mashing electro direction of "90s Music," Kimbra is said to manoeuvre around Prince-influenced funk on "Madhouse," disco rhythms on "Miracle," and has piano ballad "As You Are" beefed up with a string section arrangement from Van Dyke Parks.

Elsewhere, John Legend adds his pipes to "Nobody But You," while Zavalaz/Mars Volta member Omar Rodriguez-Lopez hops on "Carolina," and other guests on the set include Flying Lotus, bassist Thundercat, Dirty Projectors leader Dave Longstreth, Bilal, Muse's Matt Bellamy and more.

You'll find the tracklisting for the set and the recent video for its "90s Music" down below.

UPDATE: Apparently not all the guests listed in the initial press release are in fact on the record, including Dave Longstreth and Flying Lotus. Here's an official statement from Warner: "Kimbra worked on songs with Dave Longstreth and Flying Lotus during the making of The Golden Echo that will be released later in the year, though these do not appear on the album. However, bonus tracks on the deluxe edition include appearances from Ben Weinman of the Dillinger Escape Plan, the Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, and Jonas Bjerre of Danish band Mew."

The Golden Echo:

1. Teen Heat
2. 90s Music
3. Carolina
4. Goldmine
5. Miracle
6. Rescue Him
7. Madhouse
8. Everlovin' Ya
9. As You Are
10. Love In High Places
11. Nobody But You
12. Waltz Me To Grave

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