SBTRKT

'Wonder Where We Land' (album stream)

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Sep 29, 2014

From his vowel-less moniker to his mask-wearing live persona to giving up the spotlight to guest performers on his songs, UK producer SBTRKT should logically fade into the background. But on his highly anticipated sophomore album Wonder Where We Land, he is present from beginning to end, and you can listen to the result in its entirety right now on Exclaim.ca.

The record was entirely composed and produced by SBTRKT, who drew inspiration from classic album-makers like the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Radiohead, as well as the musicians he worked with. "The essence of collaboration is to build something stronger than you can individually," the producer born Aaron Jerome said in a statement regarding the extensive guest list on the album. "That has always been my goal."

To reach this end, the electronic experimenter enlisted the likes of Sampha, Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, Caroline Polachek, Koreless, A$AP Ferg, Warpaint, Raury, Denai Moore and Jessie Ware. The collaborations were each live and spontaneous, with SBTRKT adamant that they take place "on the spot" and were not pre-written or composed through a series of emails.

The collection of contributors helps form the diversity that permeates the record. It blends elements from genres as wide-ranging as techno, hip-hop, R&B and less-describable atmospheric sounds. From preppy indie rock poster boy Koenig pulling off a moody, near-rap to A$AP Ferg delivering his rhymes over guitar riffs and drum patterns from psychedelic dream pop act Warpaint, it's definitely an eclectic mix. SBTRKT's knack for pairing the unthinkable together with his smooth, dark production is what makes the record such a fascinating listen.

Wonder Where We Land arrives on October 7 via Young Turks, but you can scroll past his upcoming North American tour dates to hear it right now if you're in Canada.

Tour dates:

10/07 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
10/09 New Orleans, LA - Republic New Orleans
10/10 Houston, TX - House Of Blues
10/11 Mexico City, MX - Corona Capital Music Festival
10/12 Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
10/14 Tempe, AZ - The Marquee Theatre
10/15 Los Angeles, CA - The Belsaco Theatre
10/16 Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco Theatre
10/17 Oakland, CA - The Fox
10/18 Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
10/20 Denver, CO - The Ogden
10/23 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
10/24 Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
10/25 Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre
10/26 New York, NY - Terminal 5
10/29 Boston, MA - Royale
10/30 Montreal, QC - Metropolis
10/31 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
11/01 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall

UPDATE: This stream was available for one week only and is no longer available.

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