Death Grips Enlist Bjork for Surprise New Album
Death Grips continue to play by their own rules. The experimental hip-hop crew dropped an unexpected new LP, titled niggas on the moon, on Facebook Sunday night; the eight-track album features Icelandic art-rocker Bjork on every song, and it’s the first half of an upcoming double LP titled the powers that b (with the other half to be named jenny death). niggas on the moon is available to stream below via Soundcloud (and over at Youtube), and it’s also available as a download. The full double album will be released later in 2014 on Harvest/Third World Records.
Flashback: Bjork and PJ Harvey Duet on ‘Satisfaction’
The album is full of left-field samples, noise collages and woozy synths. It’s unclear exactly what Bjork’s contributions are — none of these eight tracks seem to feature her distinct vocals — but there is a shared history, as Death Grips remixed two Bjork tracks in 2012 as part of her Biophilia remix series. Bjork confirmed the news on her Facebook page Monday, writing, “I am proud to announce my vocals landed on the new Death Grips album! I adore Death Grips and I am thrilled to be their “found object” ! I have been lucky enough to hang and exchange music loves w/ them and witness them grow !! epic : onwards!!”
This isn’t the first time Death Grips have subverted the standard release patterns of the music industry. Back in 2012, the group posted their 2012 album NO LOVE DEEP WEB (the one with the infamous erect penis cover), for free online, after then-record label Epic delayed its release date. (Epic subsequently dropped the group from its roster.) Death Grips also gave away their last album, 2013’s Government Plates, as a free web download.
Starting next month, the group will join two legendary alt-rock bands, Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden, on tour.