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Aug 12, 2020 Gruff Rhys By Christopher Roberts

Gruff Rhys, Welsh frontman of Super Furry Animals, has announced a new solo album, (Don’t) Welcome the Plague as a Blessing / The Babelsberg Basement Files, which is a companion piece to his 2018 album, Babelsberg, which was recorded with the 72-piece BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The new take features the original versions of the songs, sans orchestra, and is due out August 29 (for Record Store Day) via Rough Trade. Rhys has also shared a video for this album’s version of “Negative Vibes.” Watch it below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover art.

Rhys had this to say in a press release: “I love the finished album (Babelsberg) and Stephen McNeff’s arrangements and Samur Khouja’s mix—this is a companion piece that unearths the live band that played on everything and it’s how we toured the album mostly—so it’s great to have a document of that. The Babelsberg band—Kliph / Steve / Osian are ridiculously talented musicians—they could step into any Wrecking Crew”.

The album will be released on split black & white vinyl and limited to 1700 copies worldwide.

Rhys had this to add: “I must point out that these records were pressed in Autumn 2019 in preparation for an April RSD 2020—I would have never put plague in the title if I knew there was a pandemic on the way. I wouldn’t want to remind people of their suffering. Although I think it’s scandalous how the horrific miss-handling of the pandemic is not viewed as an utter scandal in the UK at least.”

Rhys released another solo album, Pang!, last year via Rough Trade.

Read our 16th Annual Artist Survey interview with Gruff Rhys.

Read our 2015 interview with Gruff Rhys about American Interior.

(Don’t) Welcome the Plague as a Blessing / The Babelsberg Basement Files Tracklist:

1. Frontier Man
2. The Club
3. Oh Dear!
4. Limited Edition Heart
5. Take That Call
6. Drones in the City
7. Negative Vibes
8. Same Old Song
9. Architecture of Amnesia
10. Selfies in the Sunset

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