Out of seemingly nowhere, Disclosure have released their newest LP; Alchemy. The British duo announced the LP just two days ago, on the 10-year anniversary of their seminal debut album Settle.
Taking it back to basics, not only have they decided to surprise release the new album, Alchemy has no guest features and no samples. They’re releasing it independently, and they don’t intend to tour it straight away. Instead, the focus is on the two faces behind Disclosure: brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence. “This record is a celebration of us feeling liberated right now,” says Guy. “We’re no longer signed to a major record label. We’re not going to tour this record. We can do whatever we like and be super creative.”
Alchemy was written while the British duo were at two very different points in their lives. On one hand, Guy was recently married and settling into a new home in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles. On the other, Howard was reeling from heartbreak and exhausted from a 150-date tour. Alchemy was an obvious title: “There was this combination of deep heartbreak and sadness, but also deep admiration and appreciation,” Howard says. “Let’s turn this horrible feeling into something beautiful. The whole idea was to channel pain into beauty—which, in hindsight, is always the aim.”
Disclosure are responsible for some of the all-time great dance records, so when an album lands – it’s certainly special. The pair are very talented and that is felt in this project, even without the usual star power by their side.
Photo Credit: Rafski Wojnowski
