Multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Lanz has been a touring member of Beirut and the National, and last year, he played a collaborative show with Sufjan Stevens. Also in 2017, his album Hoferlanz I was reissued via the Dessner brothers’ Brassland Records. His next album as LANZ, Hoferlanz II, comes out in a couple weeks, and we’re following his previously released singles, “Lice In My Brain” and “Auckland,” with one more.

“125 BPM” doesn’t span 10 minutes or expose an obsession with Cyd Charisse like the prior tracks. Instead, it steadily beats at (no kidding) 125 BPM. The continuous strumming patterns buzz in and out of synths and LANZ’s low-toned voice turns into a meditative drone on, “This is all you’ll ask for/ This is all I’ll ask for.” He explains:

“125 BPM” is, as the numerical name suggests, a song about time. Time together and time apart and what we’re asking for when we ask for time alone. 125 beats per minute is the speed that I landed on with a some synthesizer pulses that I was playing around with while attempting to recreate the slightly sped up feeling of interpersonal communication. Synthesizing time together while spending time alone. 125 BPM, like floating just ahead of real time, 1.04 percent faster than a half second, dancing ahead of my head.

Listen below.

TOUR DATES:
04/25 – Davenport, IA @ Racoon Motel @ Triple Crown Whiskey Bar
04/26 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
04/27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Homecoming Festival Kickoff Party @ Northside Tavern
04/28 – Cincinnati, OH @ Homecoming Festival @ Smale Park
05/23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right

Hoferlanz II is out 4/13 via Brassland. Pre-order it here.