Jordan Rakei Announces New Album 'Origin'

Jordan Rakei just announced his third album Origin, due for release on June 14 via Ninja Tune. Since signing to Ninja Tune and releasing Wallflower, Jordan Rakei has stamped his authority as a preternaturally talented songwriter, producer and live performer and cemented his worldwide rep as a modern soul icon in the making. The London-based, New Zealand-born and Australia-raised musician has also clocked over 100 million Spotify streams, performed at iconic venues and festivals including Glastonbury & Pitchfork Avant-Garde Block Party, and has sold out US and Australian headline tours including upcoming sold out shows in NYC and LA this June. Today, Rakei shared new single "Say Something" and announced a massive international tour with North American dates to be announced soon.Hear "Say Something" and pre-order / pre-save the album HERE, and see tour dates below.

Soulful, intimate and expansive all at once, Origin cuts straight to the point, in every sense of the word--the melodies are brighter, the sound is bigger and the vision behind it more finely-tuned. Switching up from the highly personal and intimate portrait he painted with 2017's Wallflower, which was a way of grappling with his experience of anxiety and introversion, Origin is overtly inspired by dystopian visions of our future - notably Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and David Lynch's Twin Peaks. With many of the album lyrics exploring technological growth and how it affects our sense of humanity, Jordan notes: "I'm worried that we're losing a sense of connection."

New single "Say Something" is "about speaking up for what you believe in"--a call to arms for future humans to stand up against the AI systems which govern a now-dystopian world. It follows recent single "Mind's Eye," which envisions a future world where malfunctioning tech implanted in the human body has flooded the users mind with projections of chaos.

He settled in London in 2015 and quickly found himself in a network of like-minded individuals, forming friendships that have spawned many professional collaborations. He is part of the Are We Live crew with Tom Misch, Barney Artist and Alfa Mist, who put on gigs, record podcasts and make music together, and Jordan has written, produced and performed on four tracks for Loyle Carner's new album (including recent single "Ottolenghi" and "Loose Ends" feat. Jorja Smith). He has also found the same passion for experimentation and rhythm in frequent collaborator Richard Spaven (drummer and don of the British jazz scene who has collaborated with Flying Lotus, Jose James and Mala). Likewise, in the founder of the dance party and label Rhythm Section - Bradley Zero - who released Jordan's Joy, Ease, Lightness EP under the pseudonym Dan Kye in 2016. Simon Green aka Bonobo also included an exclusive Dan Kye track on his recent Fabric presents Bonobo DJ mix, having previously invited Jordan to perform alongside him at Alexandra Palace in 2018.

Beyond the London scene too, there is no doubt that the depth and craftsmanship of Jordan's music is turning heads worldwide. He recently joined Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers in the studio for a writing session and, following his show at Cape Town Jazz Festival last year, Jordan came off stage to find Robert Glasper and Terrace Martin (producer for Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Herbie Hancock) waiting in the wings to commend him for his performance, with Martin wasting no time in inviting him out to LA to record together in his studio.

On Origin, Rakei has scaled up his ambitions, and is more confident in the way he goes about achieving them. Making tracks that speak more confidently, in brighter colours, and which deal with something bigger than himself. He channeled the classic songwriting and musicality of his heroes Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan, striving to surprise and delight with the form of his work, and always infusing it with the same effortless swing and human feel that he fell in love with listening to A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock and 9th Wonder. He also meditates daily, something he adopted partly in response to his issues with anxiety, and something which has shaped his worldview and informed his writing and production process.

'ORIGIN' TRACK LISTING

01. Mad World

02. Say Something

03. Mind's Eye

04. Rolling into One

05. Oasis

06. Wildfire

07. Signs

08. You & Me

09. Moda

10. Speak

11. Mantra

JORDAN RAKEI 2019 TOUR DATES

May 15 London, UK - EartH *sold out

May 19 Brighton, UK - The Funk & Soul Weekender

May 20 Amsterdam, NL - Cinetol *sold out

May 22 Berlin, DE - Club Privat *sold out

May 24 Manchester, UK - Dot 2 Dot, The Ritz

May 25 Bristol, UK - Dot 2 Dot, SWX

May 26 Nottingham, UK - Dot 2 Dot, Trent Uni

Jun 09 London, UK - Cross The Tracks Festival

Jun 14 Mannheim, DE - Maifeld Derby

Jun 16 Dhërmi, AL - Kala Festival

Jun 25 Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge *sold out

Jun 27 Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade *sold out

Jul 05 Ewij, NL - Down The Rabbit Hole

Jul 14 Dour, BE - Dour Festival

Jul 17 Nice, FR - Nice Jazz Festival

Aug 17 Brisbane, AU - Triffid

Aug 19 Melbourne, AU - Melbourne Recital Hall

Aug 21 Sydney, AU - Metro

Aug 23 Auckland, NZ - Powerstation

Aug 24 Wellington, NZ - San Fran

Sep 25 Stockholm, SE - Nalen

Sep 26 Copenhagen, DK - Pumpehuset

Sep 28 Hamburg, DE - Mojo

Sep 29 Berlin, DE - Columbia Theatre

Oct 01 Cologne, DE - CBE

Oct 03 Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso

Oct 04 Paris, FR - La Maroquinerie

Oct 05 Brussels, BE - AB Ballroom

Oct 08 Dublin, IE - Academy

Oct 10 Birmingham, UK - The Mill

Oct 11 Manchester, UK - Academy 2

Oct 12 Leeds, UK - Uni Stylus

Oct 15 Bristol, UK - SWX

Oct 16 Brighton, UK - Concorde

Oct 18 London, UK - Roundhouse

**North American Fall Tour Dates TBA Soon

Photo Credit: Ellis Scott

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