Dublin’s Lakker (Dara Smith and Ian McDonnell) will release a new album via R&S Records on March 15, titled Época. 

The 10-track release follows their 2016 maxi-EP Struggle and Emerge on the Belgian label, and since then they’ve been pursuing solo works. Unlike previous projects bouncing individual tracks back and forth, Época was written and recorded in the studio together. Smith explains, “Previous records involved a lot of time working on tracks individually, but Época was written almost entirely together in the studio—it felt much more fun, more organic, and democratic. We allowed it to happen rather than push or pressure it.”

Época continues Lakker’s voyage to the outer edges of dance music and its most experimental deviations, also exploring territory never explored by the duo before. R&S Records tells us: “Alongside the use of physical modelling synths, the album contains recordings and samples of violin, guitar, and bodhrán, the stringboard of a piano at EMS Stockholm, phone recordings of family gatherings in Dublin, and 1970’s dance music from Jaipur.” 

Conceptually, the music is rooted in the duo’s perception of the political and social climate surrounding the world. Lakker adds, “We are living through volatile times, and as musicians, it is impossible to avoid that being reflected in our work. Época is our personal response to the atmosphere of these times and the external political and cultural events that are shaping our world. Some positive and hopeful, some despondent and angry, and some reflective and introspective.”

Ahead of the release on March 15, Lakker and R&S Records have released single “A Whisper In Your Ear.” Stream it below, with pre-order options for Época here. 

Tracklisting

01. Shoulder To The Bat

02. 100 Bar

03. Nest

04. A Juggling Of Numbers

05. Clavier

06. Dropped Shoulders

07. A Whisper In Your Ear

08. Body From The Water

09. Murmuration

10. Discourage It All