Sufjan Stevens Announces Instrumental New Age Album Aporia With Lowell Brams
Since releasing his last proper full-length, Carrie & Lowell, in 2015, Sufjan Stevens has done a whole lot of extracurriculars. He got nominated for an Academy Award and performed at the Oscars, he scored multiple ballets, and he’s put out some excellent one-off tracks.
His next project is an instrumental New Age album called Aporia, which he made with his stepfather and Asthmatic Kitty label co-head Lowell Brams, also the Lowell of Carrie & Lowell. They’ve collaborated previously, including on 2009’s Music For Insomnia. “This record definitely marks Lowell’s retirement,” Stevens said in a statement, continuing:
But it tells a bigger story of stewardship and mentorship. He’s been there since I was five. It’s been a long haul. Even though Lowell doesn’t have any trained musical ability, he’s been a huge inspiration to me, both as a mentor and a scholar of good music. He has a great ear and great instincts. His self-education in music and the sharing of that with me helped me create a context for what I do and how to take it seriously. This music, and our relationship, and the business we’ve created – it’s all quite meaningful as a whole. This record is a synthesis of all of that history – it’s a reflection of the ideology that’s got us through this life, a do-it-yourself co-collaboration.
Today, they’re sharing a track from their new album together called “The Unlimited.” Listen to it below.
Aporia is out 3/27 via Asthmatic Kitty. Pre-order it here.