Sufjan Stevens Just Dropped His New Album Early, As a Treat
Coronavirus has prompted yet another piece of entertainment to hit streaming early, only instead of a thriller or a Disney flick, it’s a new Sufjan Stevens album. Aporia, the singular indie-folk musician’s ninth studio album—which was inspired by the scores of movies such as Blade Runner and Hereditary—is available to listen to right now.
Aporia isn’t in the mold of Stevens’ last proper solo release, 2015’s Carrie & Lowell, but is instead a mostly instrumental new age record. The 21-track album is a collaboration with the titular Lowell Bram, Stevens’s stepfather with whom he also founded the Asthmatic Kitten label. The record, which was announced at the start of February, was initially scheduled for release on Friday, but it arrived early, with a live-stream premiere beginning at 3 p.m. EST on Monday.
“We had originally scheduled to release Sufjan & Lowell’s collaborative new-age record this Friday, March 27, but since things are uncertain for record stores right now, we’ve decided to release Aporia today,” a statement from the two musicians on Asthmatic Kitty’s website explains.
“The word ‘aporia’ is Greek in origin, literally meaning ‘without passage’ or ‘at a loss.’ This is a good description of how many of us feel right now,” the statement continues. “We harbor no delusions of grandeur—this record is hardly the most important thing in your world right now—but we also believe that music is sacred and has the ability to bring beauty, wisdom, truth, and light to our lives in difficult times. We hope this music can bring you meaning, hope and encouragement today.”
Half of the proceeds from the album’s sales will go to “food-focused COVID-19 charities No Kid Hungry and Partners in Health.”
Prior to the early release, Sufjan Stevens had released two singles, “Unlimited” and “The Runaround.”
“The 21 songs on Aporia are tightly crafted, resonating with a gem-like intensity. In the spirit of the New Age composers who sanded off the edges of their synths’ sawtooth waves, Aporia approximates a rich soundtrack from an imagined sci-fi epic brimming with moody, hooky, gauzy synthesizer soundscapes,” a press release included with the stream reads. “The album may suggest the progeny of a John Carpenter, Wendy Carlos, and Mike Oldfield marriage, but it stands apart from these touchstones and generates a meditative universe all its own.”
Blade Runner, Hereditary, Under the Skin, and The Last Temptation of Christ have all been cited as influences for the new album. So, honestly, it’s not exactly the soothing folk balm of Illinois or the emotional catharsis of Stevens’s contributions to Call Me By Your Name, but if Aporia helps you get through COVID-19 self-isolation, Sufjan and Lowell are here for you.
The couple have become a rare source of comfort on their new DIY podcast, Staying In with Emily and Kumail, where they talk frankly about isolation and managing anxiety.
Originally Appeared on GQ
