Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather Lowell Brams have unveiled their New Age album Aporia. Originally set to drop on March 27th, the family band has pushed up the release, hoping to get Aporia into record stores before the COVID-19 pandemic forces any more retailers to shutter. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify.
Brams and Stevens have been playing together for years, even before they founded Asthmatic Kitty Records in 1999. The pair most recently collaborated on the 2008 project Music for Insomnia, while Stevens excellent solo record Carrie & Lowell honored his late mother through the lens of her marriage to Brams. Aporia was recorded over several years of jam sessions, curated and distilled down from “hours upon hours of music”.
In a statement on the AKR website, Stevens and Brams wrote about what it meant to release new music at a time of uncertainty.
The word “aporia” is Greek in origin, literally meaning “without passage” or “at a loss.” This is a good description of how many of us feel right now. What is happening? What happens next? What can we do? What now? We harbor no delusions of grandeur—this record is hardly the most important thing in your world right now—but we also believe that music is sacred and has the ability to bring beauty, wisdom, truth and light to our lives in difficult times. We hope this music can bring you meaning, hope and encouragement today. We are donating 50% of the proceeds from the sale of Aporia to food-focused COVID19 charities No Kid Hungry as well as to Partners in Health. We encourage you to donate and help out as much as you can.
Physical copies of Aporia are available in CD, LP, or cassette. Stevens and Brams previewed the album with the singles “The Unlimited”, “The Runaround”, and “Climb That Mountain”. Last fall, Stevens released his score for the ballet The Decalogue.
Aporia Artwork:
Aporia Tracklist:
01. Ousia
02. What It Takes
03. Disinheritance
04. Agathon
05. Determined Outcome
06. Misology
07. Afterworld Alliance
08. Palinodes
09. Backhanded Cloud
10. Glorious You
11. For Raymond Scott
12. Matronymic
13. The Red Desert
14. Conciliation
15. Ataraxia
16. The Unlimited
17. The Runaround
18. Climb That Mountain
19. Captain Praxis
20. Eudaimonia
21. The Lydian Ring
