Harley Streten – aka Flume – has announced his return, revealing third studio album Palaces will arrive Friday, 20th May via longtime home Future Classic. Pre-orders are available here.
Following on from 2016’s Skin and 2019 mixtape Hi This Is Flume, the new album began to take shape after Streten returned home to Australia after extended stints overseas. Relocating to a coastal town in NSW’s Northern Rivers, the producer says he found inspiration from the flora and fauna surrounding him – numerous field recordings of birds appear throughout the record.
As you might expect, the album is also stacked with powerhouse features, including Caroline Polachek, Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, and longtime collaborator KUČKA, who appeared on Skin standout ‘Smoke & Retribution’ along with Hi This Is Flume‘s ‘Voices’.
Coinciding with the announcement is lead single ‘Say Nothing’, featuring Sydney singer Mara Cumming, aka MAY-A. Musing on “feelings of post relationship clarity,” it’s a melancholy-tinged banger anchored by warm synth pads, glitchy electronic stabs and Cumming’s soaring vocals.
“We wrote the song midway through 2020 while the pandemic was still pretty new. I was really excited about the initial idea but it was only once I got back to Australia in early 2021 and linked up in the studio with MAY-A that the song really came to life,” Streten says of the collaboration.
“Working with Flume on ‘Say Nothing’ has been a really incredible experience,” MAY-A added. “I’m such a big fan of Harley’s so it’s unbelievable to be in a position to create music with someone I look up to and can learn so much from. His creative process is a really inspiring thing to be a part of. I’m so excited for everyone to hear the song!”
Watch the Michael Hili-directed video for ‘Say Nothing’ – and see the tracklist for Palaces – below.
Flume – Palaces tracklist:
1. Highest Building (feat. Oklou)
2. Say Nothing (feat. MAY-A)
3. DHLC
4. ESCAPE (feat. Kučka) with Quiet Bison
5. I Can’t Tell (feat. LAUREL)
6. Get U
7. Jasper’s Song
8. Only Fans (feat. Virgen Maria)
9. Hollow (feat. Emma Louise)
10. Love Light
11. Sirens (feat. Caroline Polachek)
12. Go
13. Palaces (feat. Damon Albarn)
