Kiasmos announce their second album, II

Along with the announcement they have shared a new single, “Burst”, as well as new live dates, including a show at London’s Troxy on 18 September, in addition to the previously announced Outernet show on 29 May.

Janus describes "Burst" as being “the moment when the whole album started coming together. A lot of work went into making this track what it is, making it an anchor for the rest of the album.” Ólafur adds: “when we finally arrived at Burst it felt like a key to the puzzle of what a new Kiasmos could sound like.”

II is the follow-up to their universally acclaimed self-titled debut in 2014. They’d made most of that album in just two weeks; this time it’s been ten years. The making of II was a test of their friendship, but also testament to how great musical chemistry can always go the distance and be just the same as it ever was. “In the beginning, we hadn’t established any sound, so it was easy to write,” says Janus.

They worked on a lot of ‘II’ during the lost year of 2020-2021, including a trip to Ólafur’s studio in Bali. “We spent a month there and wrote a few songs that ended up on the record,” says Janus. The pair sampled traditional Balinese percussion like the gamelan and incorporated Janus’s field recordings of their natural surroundings – the sound of birds, crickets and echoing the sunrise over the landscape.

“It’s emotional rave! We often talk about the idea of crying on the dance floor,” Ólafur continues. “That’s become our unofficial slogan.” But they also want to keep everyone, including themselves, on their toes. “II is livelier,” says Janus, “but it still retains the signature Kiasmos style of transitioning from a whisper-quiet ambience to an explosive dance beat that can blow your socks off.”

Tracklist:

1. Grown
2. Burst
3. Sailed
4. Laced
5. Bound
6. Sworn
7. Spun
8. Flown
9. Told
10. Dazed
11. Squared