Sufjan Stevens Announces First UK And European Tour In 5 Years

After last years critically acclaimed album ‘The Age of Adz’ we are very happy to be welcoming back mr Sufjan Stevens to our shores later this year to play a huge amount of shows all over Europe including two dates at the Royal Festival Hall and Brighton's The Great Escape.

European Dates:

29 April: Bergen Grieghallen www.bergenfest.no / www.grieghallen.no / www.billettservice.no
30 April: Oslo Folketeateret www.folketeateret.no
1 May: Copenhagen Vega www.vega.dk / www.billetlugen.dk/home
3 May: Stockholm Cirkus www.cirkus.se / www.ticnet.se
General sale: 25 February - www.cirkus.se / www.ticnet.se /
5 May: Warsaw Teatr Polski www.teatr-polski.art.pl/ www.ticketpro.pl
6 May: Leipzig Centratheatre www.schauspiel-leipzig.de/ www.karsten-jahnke.de
7 May: Berlin Admiralspalast www.admiralspalast.de
9 May: Paris Olympia www.olympiahall.com / www.avosbillets.com
10 May: Brussels Cirque Royal www.cirque-royal.org / www.livenation.be
On Sale 25 February
12 May: London Royal Festival Hall
General Sale: 2 March - www.southbankcentre.co.uk / 0844 847 9911 /
13 May: London Royal Festival Hall (see above)
14 May: Brighton The Brighton Dome (presented by The Brighton Festival and The Great Escape)www.brightondome.org / 01273 709 709
16 May: Gateshead The Sage
General Sale: 25 February - www.thesagegateshead.org / www.gigsandtours.com / 0844 811 0051
17 May: Dublin Olympia www.mcd.ie / www.ticketmaster.ie
ON SALE 25 FEBRUARY 9AM
18 May: Dublin Olympia (see above)
ON SALE 25 FEBRUARY 9AM
19 May: Manchester Apollo
General Sale: 11AM 25 February - www.gigsandtours.com / 0844 811 0051
21 May: Eindhoven NL Muziekcentrum www.muziekgebouweindhoven.nl
22 May: Essen DE Colosseum Theatre www.colosseumtheater.de
24 May : Ferrara, IT Teatro Comunale www.ferrarasottolestelle.it / www.ticketone.it
26 May: Barcelona Primavera Sound www.primaverasound.com
27 May: Barcelona Primavera Sound www.primaverasound.com
30 May: Porto PT Coliseum www.coliseudoporto.pt / www.ticketline.pt
ON SALE 24 FEBRUARY, 10AM GMT
31 May: Lisbon Coliseum www.coliseulisboa.com / www.ticketline.pt

Sufjan Stevens - Age of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty)

2010 sees one of Michigan's finest exports, Sufjan Stevens, release his latest offering in the form of Age of Adz, his first LP in five years.

Age of Adz kicks off with Futile Devices, an opening track reminiscent of previous works by Stevens in its acoustic simplicity. Layered with delicate piano tinkering and soft, echoing vocals, the song acts as a prelude to an album which abruptly transforms in style almost entirely.

The sensation of familiarity is short lived as we delve into a digital opus of scattered electronic beats and at times complex, multi layered arrangements. You wouldn’t be wrong in thinking you’ve been transported into a science fiction movie taking place in Stevens’ rambling subconscious, where he is pondering who would win in a fight between a legion of drum machines and a battalion of harps. Similarly, the dramatic and epic introduction of the album’s title track creates an atmosphere of harrowing tension, much like being chased by a digital Godzilla armed with a shrill violin.

Age of Adz will be the equivalent to musical marmite for any non Sufjan Stevens fans. Even still, existing fans may struggle with the disjointed nature of the record. Consistently inconsistent, Age of Adz has a quasi-industrial sound to it; with the mechanical slogging of beats and intermittent electronic blips simultaneously fighting for their place against fluttering organic squelches that are dotted throughout the record.

Much like the use of string arrangements, Age of Adz sees Stevens’ vocals frequently alternating between high and low whilst often being backed by a chorus of angelic voices. At times sensitive and warm, yet at other times Stevens’ is teetering on the verge of being haunting. The outcome adds even more character to an already densely layered creation of unorthodox traditions and contrasting styles.

At times a challenging listen, Stevens’ Age of Adz may require multiple listens to unearth the heart and soul of a record which clearly has depth and maturity buried within it.

Words : Neil Phillips

Sufjan Stevens releases track 'Too Much' from New Album

This is the second preview track to be released from his hotly anticipated new album 'The Age of Adz' which is set for release on the 11th of October.

Too Much

You can also download the first release from the album 'I Walked' here

I Walked