Max Richter announces new album inspired by Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The British-German composer's "All Human Beings" single is the first to be shared from Richter's Voices album, and arrives with a video put together by Yulia Mahr.

Richter says of the new visual, "The opening words of the declaration, drafted in 1948, are ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’. These inspiring words are a guiding principle for the whole declaration but, looking around at the world we have made in the decades since they were written, it is clear that we have forgotten them. The recent brutal events in the US, leading to the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as countless other abuses around the world, are proof of that."

He adds, "At such times it is easy to feel hopeless but, just as the problems of our world are of our own making, so the solutions can be. While the past is fixed, the future is yet unwritten, and the declaration sets out an uplifting vision of a better and fairer world that is within our reach if we choose it. Voices is a musical space to reconnect with these inspiring principles and Yulia Mahr’s striking film depicts this inspiration in a beautiful way, while offering a glimpse into her full length film of our project to come."

Voices is Richter's first studio LP since 2015's SLEEP. SLEEP has since been turned into an app of the same name that allows users to create personalised musical sessions for a chosen period.

Richter says of the app, "I’m happy that the SLEEP app is finally with us; it has been a labour of love for all involved and it has turned out beautifully. The way that the app allows listeners to make a unique and personal journey through the landscape of SLEEP is remarkable and conveys the spirit of the music in a completely new way."

The composer's new album features narration from US actor Kiki Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk), and saw Richter score the pieces for 12 double basses, 24 cellos, six violas, eight violins, a harp, a 12-piece choir, Richter on keyboards, violin soloist Mari Samuelsen, soprano Grace Davidson and conductor Robert Ziegler.