On the 10 year anniversary of their seminal debut album Settle and for their imminent fourth studio album, Disclosure have taken things back to basics. Not only have they decided to surprise release the new album Friday, July 14, Alchemy has no guest features and no samples. They’re releasing it independently, and they don’t intend to tour it straight away. Instead, the focus is on the two faces behind Disclosure: brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence.
On Alchemy, Guy and Howard embrace a new sense of freedom and expression. This is bold dance music that expands the definition of what a Disclosure track can be. Guy’s production embraces everything from jungle breaks and trance-like supersaw synth riffs to rapid tempo four-to-the-floor club tracks. Meanwhile, Howard’s ear for classic melodic songcraft is sharper than ever, and he uses his own vocals and lyrics more than any time before. “This record is a celebration of us feeling liberated right now,” says Guy. “We’re no longer signed to a major record label. We’re not going to tour this record. We can do whatever we like and be super creative.”
The album began life after Disclosure wrapped up the tour for their 2020 album ENERGY last year. Howard temporarily relocated from London to Los Angeles and began separately writing sketches, assisted in the studio by friends and collaborators Max Margolis and DonnyBravo. When Guy received the demos, he sat with them for weeks, allowing him to absorb them fully before adding his own touches. The process was then reversed, with Guy writing his own sketches—including on an early version of “Higher Than Ever Before,” written with the acclaimed songwriter Cirkut, which keen fans may have heard during Guy’s recent secret set at Glastonbury—and Howard working on them. Finally, they met up together in London to finish the record.
Disclosure released their debut single, “Offline Dexterity,” in 2010, when Guy and Howard were still teenagers. Today, Guy is 32 years old and Howard is 29. Their previous albums are Settle (2013), Caracal (2015), and Energy (2020). Disclosure have clocked up over 11 billion streams, sold over seven million albums, and collaborated with the likes of Sam Smith, Lorde, and The Weeknd. They have played major global shows, from a sold-out Madison Square Garden, to headline slots on Glastonbury’s Other Stage, Reading & Leeds, Parklife, and All Points East, to large scale sets at Coachella and Bonnaroo, plus packed out shows at Alexandra Palace and The Warehouse Project.
Tracklist:
Looking For Love
Simply Won’t Do
Higher Than Ever Before
A Little Bit
Go The Distance
Someday…
We Were In Love
Sun Showers
Purify
Brown Eyes
Talk On The Phone
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