Bloc Party has announced their return with the release of the new single “Traps”. The track is the first single to be taken from the group’s upcoming album Alpha Games, set to be released on 29th April 2022. The rockers took to Twitter to thank fans for their support and share presale information for Alpha Games.
Thanks for all the love on our new single Traps. A little reminder, if you pre-order our new album Alpha Games from our official store now, you’ll get access to our UK tickets 48 hours before the general sale.
Order here: https://t.co/XV3mhX2tZw pic.twitter.com/364doNAewX
— Bloc Party (@BlocParty) November 25, 2021
The iconic Indie group’s new material is their first release of new music in over five years. The band’s new track is the lead single from their forthcoming album and aims to provide a snapshot into what fans can expect. The new track incorporates heavier influences whilst retaining the group’s signature sound. Within “Traps”, long-term fans will recognise the group’s flair for combining catchy hooks and meaningful lyrical content. The single was also released with an accompanying music video, the video features sticking graphics in which perfectly pair with the song’s themes.
Frontman Kele Okereke has provided the following statement concerning the new single and why it was picked to introduce the album, “From the moment we wrote ‘Traps’, we knew it had to be the first thing people heard from this album; playing it in soundchecks on our last tour before it was finished and hearing how it sounded in those big rooms and outdoors,”
Rumours began to circulate concerning a new album at the beginning of 2020 when Okereke shared via social media that the group had started to write new material. Social media posts with various sneak peeks then followed, finally the release of “Traps” confirmed the release date of Alpha Games. The upcoming album will follow from the group’s fifth studio album Hymns released in January 2016.
The group consists of members Kele Okereke, guitarist Russell Lissack, bassist Justin Harris and drummer Louise Bartle. The band’s genesis can be traced to Reading Festival in 1999 when schoolmates Lissack and Okereke reconnected at the event and decided to form a band. Since their breakout over fifteen years ago, Bloc Party has remained a staple for any music fan and can be found within any Indie playlist. Bloc Party defined 2000’s British music, with Okereke’s voice and words capturing an era.
The group’s debut album Silent Alarm was released in February 2005 and featured a tracklist of original material including singles “So Here We Are/Positive Tension” and “Banquet”. The album was then re-released with a setlist of re-mixed tracks, the release entitled Silent Alarm Remixed featured artists such as Ladytron, Mogwai and Death From Above 1979. Released in August 2005, the album aimed to dispel frigid musical constraints and cemented Bloc Party’s appeal across many genres.
Along with the announcement of their new album, the group have also shared information concerning their upcoming UK and European tour. The tour will commence in 2022 with the first performance on 10th May 2022 in Paris. The band will perform across Europe and will return home with a performance in Birmingham on 26th May 2022. The fifteen-date tour will conclude with a performance in Leeds on 4th June 2022.
Bloc Party UK tour dates
26/05/2022 – O2 Academy 1 – Birmingham
27/05 – Rock City – Nottingham
28/05 – Alexandra Palace – London
30/05 – O2 Academy – Bristol
31/05 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
02/06 – O2 City Hall – Newcastle
03/06 – The Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow
04/06 – O2 Academy – Leeds
Click here to purchase tickets.
Click here to pre-order Alpha Games.
Click here to Listen/Download/Stream “Traps“.
