Nigel Godrich’s Ultraísta Unveils New Album and Lead Single
Accompanied by self-directed visuals.
Longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich has been quite busy as of late. Besides following Thom Yorke on his 2020 world tour, the producer’s experimental rock band Ultraísta has just announced its new album Sister, alongside the release of its lead single “Tin King.”
Formed in 2008, Ultraísta consists of three members Laura Bettinson, Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker, the latter two of which are also in Atoms for Peace, Thom Yorke’s band, so fans might be able pick up on familiar motifs and sounds made by the frequent collaborators in this album. Sister marks Ultraísta’s second studio LP, a follow up to the band’s self-titled debut from back in 2012. In a statement, Godrich shared some insight about the band’s direction with the new album, comparing it to the first: “With the first record, we weren’t focused on making it overly musical,” noting, “we were building off grooves, pulling influences from Dadaism, and trying to make some sort of modernist manifesto. This time, we wanted to make a record that was more than just an art piece.”
Clocking in at just under the four-minute mark, “Tin King” is laced with a pulsating electronic beat complemented by driving basslines and delicately layered vocals. The song builds momentum as Bettinson mutters often no more than three words per line in a chant-like daze with lyrics like “Toon town / Velvet Underground” or “Rude model / Mojo / Chic,” stacking upon an infectious groove that plays into a deep pocket. The accompanying self-directed music video comes with an epilepsy warning for its flashing strobe lights, apt visuals for the electronic sounds.
Scroll above for a look at the Ultraísta’s latest music video for “Tin King,” the lead single off Sister which is slated to release on March 13, 2020.
