Dirty Beaches has offered further information about his forthcoming dyad for Zoo Music.
Alex Zhang Hungtai’s been a cherished FACT favourite ever since 2011’s remarkable Badlands LP, a phantasmagoric rockabilly record previously described in these parts as “like Lux Interior fronting The Shadow Ring”. Hungtai’s been putting out sporadic singles and 7″s ever since, but he’s now put the finishing touches on Badlands‘ follow-up proper – a 16-track double LP called Drifters/Love Is The Devil.
Both records were recorded between Berlin and Montreal in Winter 2012. Although the records are two discrete albums, they’re designed to be consumed as one coherent piece. As reported, Drifters follows Badlands‘ song-based lead, whereas Love Is The Devil is a largely instrumental collection. Both albums take their cues from Hungtai’s life on the road over the last two years, supposedly incorporating “heartbreak, rebirth and masochistic, existential self-reflection”.
Emotionally charged lead track ‘Love Is The Devil’ – apparently recorded whilst “crying my fucking eyes out…and punching myself in the face” – is below.
Drifters/Love Is The Devil will see release on May 21 through Zoo Music. Hungtai has also announced a stack of UK shows in May – see below for dates.
Tracklisting
Drifters
1. Night Walk
2. I Dream in Neon
3. Belgrade
4. Casino Lisboa
5. Elli
6. Au Revoir Mon Visage
7. Mirage Hall
8. Landscapes in the Mist
Love Is the Devil
9. Greyhound at Night
10. This Is Not My City
11. Woman
12. Love Is the Devil
13. Alone at the Danube River
14. I Don’t Know How to Find My Way Back to You
15. Like The Ocean We Part
16. Berlin
Dates:
05-May – Newcastle – The Cluny
06-May – Dundee – The DCA @ Soul
07-May – Glasgow – Nice & Sleazy
08-May – Dublin – The Workman’s Club
09-May – Liverpool – Shipping Forecast
10-May – Chester – Rope Presents @ The Compass
11-May – Manchester – Soup Kitchen
12-May – Leeds – Brudenell Social Club